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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSEOPW OMNI CRA 2006-11-27 MinutesCity of Miami City Hall 3500 Pan American Drive Miami, FL 33133 www.miamigov.com * IMCORP GROTED lEmSIE Co l 11, • Meeting Minutes Monday, November 27, 2006 5:00 PM THE DOUBLETREE GRAND HOTEL 1717 NORTH BAYSHORE DRIVE MIAMI, FLORIDA 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 November 27, 2006 Present: Vice Chair Gonzalez, Commissioner Sanchez, Commissioner Regalado and Chair Spence -Jones Absent: Commissioner Haskins On the 27th day of November 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 Double Tree Grand Hotel, Miami, Florida. The meeting was called to order by Chair Michelle Spence -Jones at 5:11 p. m. and was adjourned at 6: 39 p.m. ALSO PRESENT: James Villacorta, Interim Executive Director, CRA Kevin R. Jones, Assistant General 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.'" refers to discussions that were interrupted and later continued. FINANCIALS 1 06-02055 CRA REPORT FINANCIAL SUMMARY THROUGH MONTH END OCTOBER 31, 2006 financial summary through month end October 31, 2006.pdf MOTION Direction by Chair Spence Jones to the Interim Executive Director to schedule a meeting with her tomorrow to clam concerns she has regarding the financial summary report. A motion was made by Commissioner Sanchez, seconded by Vice Chair Gonzalez, and was passed unanimously, with Commissioner Haskins absent, to accept the financial summary report through month end October 31, 2006. Chair Spence -Jones: I'd like to officially call the meeting to order. Commissioner Sanchez: The meeting has been called to order by the Chair. Chair Spence -Jones: Monday, November 27. I'm going to ask -- we're going to actually try to go through this agenda pretty quickly 'cause I don't want to hold folks up tonight. First, I want to start with the financial summary. Can we please get a -- is our budget person here? James H. Villacorta (Interim Executive Director, Community Redevelopment Agency): Yes. Miguel. Miguel Valentin (Financial Officer, Community Redevelopment Agency): Good evening, Chairman [sic]. Good evening, Commissioners. For the combined statement of financial position, as of October 31, 2006, we are reflecting, under cash unrestricted, 50,000 for Southeast Overtown/Park West, and for Omni, we are disclosing 100, 000. Also, I wanted you to point out the item where it says current year fiscal year 2007. If you can see, there is a negative number, but the reason for that is that still we haven't receive the TIF (Tax Increment Fund) revenue pertaining to 2007. We are supposed to obtain the funds early January 2007 from the City of Miami, as well as the County. As far as the reportable conditions are concerned, there are none, and the auditors, they are going to release the audited financial statements by January. City of Miami Page 2 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 Chair Spence -Jones: OK. Priscilla A. Thompson (Clerk of the Board): I'm sorry. If I can get your name for the record, please. - Mr. Valentin: Miguel Valentin, Financial Officer. Chair Spence -Jones: I just have a quick -- I don't know if any of my colleagues have any questions. I have a quick question on the available TlFfunds. Last time, in our last meeting that we had, you showed a different number. I don't have the number in front of me. What was the last month statement on that, available TlFfunds for Southeast Overtown/Park West and the Omni? Mr. Valentin: Well, basically, those are projections as of now. What happened is still we haven't close our books. By January, I'm able to give you the accurate amount that we have unrestricted. That means that we haven't budgeted anything against that. Chair Spence -Jones: Right. I guess my question, though, still is, what was the amount that you showed last time? Mr. Valentin: I'm assuming 50,000, roughly the same amount. I'm not sure right now. Chair Spence -Jones: Does any of my colleagues have any other questions 'cause --? Commissioner Sanchez: You stated for the record there are no reported conditions -- Mr. Valentin: No, sir. Commissioner Sanchez: -- or anything out of the norm that we, as board members, should be made aware of -- Mr. Valentin: None -- Commissioner Sanchez: -- on the record? Mr. Valentin: -- and, as a matter of fact, the auditors, they are going -- they're about to release the audit report by January and -- Commissioner Sanchez: OK. Mr. Valentin: -- everything is fine until now. Commissioner Regalado: Madam Chair. Commissioner Sanchez: And they will be here? Mr. Valentin: Yeah. Commissioner Sanchez: OK. Chair Spence -Jones: Yes. You're recognized. Commissioner Regalado: Unrestricted. Mr. Valentin: Unrestricted. City of Miami Page 3 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 RESOLUTIONS 2 06-02059 Commissioner Regalado: On Overtown/Park West, 50,000, and Omni, 100,000? Mr. Valentin: One hundred thousand. Commissioner Regalado: Unrestricted means? Mr. Valentin: That we haven't encumbered anything against that. What happened is there are time -- Commissioner Regalado: But is there anything attached that it cannot be spent on this and that? Mr. Valentin: You can use them as long as you are use them -- Commissioner Regalado: On the area. Mr. Valentin: Exactly. Commissioner Regalado: OK. Chair Spence -Jones: Are there any other questions before --? I do want to have clarity, but don't want to take it up in this meeting -- Mr. Valentin: OK. Chair Spence -Jones: -- but if my other Commissioners don't have any questions, I'd like to go ahead and at least move it and ask the executive director, Mr. Villacorta, if we can maybe, perhaps, meet tomorrow, just so that I have clarity because there are some questions I have on some of these numbers. Commissioner Sanchez: I will move the financial reports. Vice Chair Gonzalez: Second. Mr. Valentin: OK. Chair Spence -Jones: All in favor? The Commission (Collectively): Aye. Chair Spence -Jones: None opposed? Great. CRA RESOLUTION A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE SOUTHEAST OVERTOWN/PARK WEST COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY ("CRA"), ACCEPTING THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE COMMITTEE FORMED TO REVIEW THE RESPONSES TO THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF CRA PARKING LOT P-3, AT 345 NW 10TH STREET; DIRECTING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO ATTEMPT TO NEGOTIATE A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RECOMMENDATION; FURTHER DIRECTING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO PRESENT ANY PROPOSED AGREEMENT City ofMiami Page 4 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 TO THE BOARD FOR ITS CONSIDERATION AND, IF SATISFACTORY, APPROVAL AND AWARD; CLARIFYING THAT THIS RESOLUTION IS NOT INTENDED TO BE AN AWARD OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS OR TO OTHERWISE CREATE ANY RIGHTS WHATSOEVER IN THE RECOMMENDED PROPOSER. cover memo.pdf back-up.pdf leg islation.pdf Motion by Commissioner Sanchez, seconded by Vice Chair Gonzalez, that this matter be ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote. Votes: Ayes: 4 - Vice Chair Gonzalez, Commissioner Sanchez, Commissioner Regalado and Chair Spence -Jones Absent: 1 - Commissioner Haskins CRA-R-06-0053 Chair Spence -Jones: All right. I want to move to -- come -- go to number 2, if we can, and I really need to have the input of my colleagues on this issue, and I've been kind of somewhat dealing with this issue for the last -- how long has it been, Jim? James H. Villacorta (Interim Executive Director, Community Redevelopment Agency): Six or eight months. Chair Spence -Jones: OK, six or eight months. This is in reference to an item -- as you know, one of the biggest issues and concerns that I have period within my district is focusing on lots in my area and in my community, and also focusing on housing. As you know, I've had, over the last month or so, a pretty tough item that I had to vote on during our last actual Commission meeting, and I know one of the biggest issues a lot of time is -- times is growth and change. You know, a lot of people from the community and people just period have a difficult time with adapting to change, and I want to make sure that whatever we do from a CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) perspective, that we really, really make sure that we have community input. I've been trying to get this meeting together -- committee meeting together through Jim to help identify a group to actually redevelop one of the lots that we have, which is right across the street, actually, from Jackson Soul Food. It is lot number P-3, and one of the things on my way coming over here with Jim, the discussion we had was my concern with the lack of vision sometimes that I feel from the CRA, and as a chairperson and a person that's ultimately responsible for the area from a Commission standpoint, it's very difficult to move things ahead when we have so many things attached to why we can't get things done, and this is a lot that's a very important lot. It's in the heart of our Overtown Folklife District. It is actually off 3rd Avenue and attached to some of the revitalization projects that we're doing, which is the Arena Square project, which is right across the street from there, and I'm just -- I really want to just the input of my colleagues. We did have a meeting today. I believe this -- Mr. Villacorta had a meeting with two of the board members today, and there were people from the community expressed their concerns about losing parking in the area, but the other two board members were not in attendance for the meeting, and I was really prepared today to move on this item because, at the end of the day, I need housing happening within my district, you know. I need jobs happening within my district, and it -- we all know that it takes a long time to get things done. That's just the way it is. It takes a long time, and we've tried to make sure that because we would be losing the P-3 parking lot, to make sure that we began to put in place now additional parking under the railroad off of ll th Street, which we have been working for the last couple of months with Miami -Dade Transit to get us the additional parking spots there. As you know, a couple months back, we also provided the funding to Arena Square to do an additional parking lot behind their building along with tot -- along with a tot lot, so there's parking that we're trying to put in place now to accommodate if we lost any parking taking place in that space. My fear -- City of Miami Page 5 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 I know as the district Commissioner -- is that if we don't start building and doing something or making something happen in the district, for whatever reason, nothing will happen, and I just want to make sure that I'm doing process -- and I want to get your feedback on it because I don't want to make decisions without having the input of my colleagues. You know, originally, there was a presentation that was made, and that's why we put it out to bid, put a RFP (Request for Proposals) out, and part of it was that we wanted to see housing and other things happen as a part of it. We did only get two in, correct, Jim? Mr. Villacorta: Correct. There were two bids, one for an office building and the -- and an expanded proposal from the original unsolicited proposer. Commissioner Sanchez: All right. Chair Spence -Jones: OK, and then the second one was -- one was an office and one was what? Mr. Villacorta: Housing with a medical school -- a medical training facility and parking. Commissioner Sanchez: And parking? Chair Spence -Jones: Yes -- Mr. Villacorta: Yes. Chair Spence -Jones: -- a parking garage with it. Commissioner Sanchez: So basically, you're not losing parking, you're all -- Chair Spence -Jones: Yes. You're gaining more parking -- Commissioner Sanchez: It's (UNINTELLIGIBLE) parking. Mr. Villacorta: Right. Chair Spence -Jones: -- than you had. Mr. Villacorta: I think there was some concern among the com -- Vice Chair Gonzalez: We're killing two birds with one shot. You're creating jobs and you're -- Chair Spence -Jones: Creating jobs -- Vice Chair Gonzalez: -- creating housing. Chair Spence -Jones: -- housing, and I'm training people, and I do know -- Vice Chair Gonzalez: Training people. Chair Spence -Jones: -- and I do understand because I do respect my community people that work very hard in making sure that things happen within the area. You know, the concern was, well, we already have an existing, you know, training facility already taking place, which is Lindsey Hopkins, but my -- and not taking anything away from Lindsey Hopkins because I think that Lindsey Hopkins is probably doing a great job with what they're doing, but we really need to have some specialized things happening from a -- especially since we're talking about putting a biomedical center right in the heart of my district on 7th Avenue, and I've had the opportunity to talk to Dr. Shalala from University of Miami to work along with the clinic there to make sure City of Miami Page 6 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 there's an automatic -- because it's really not even a mile away from there where the students from there would do internships right down the street from -- in the clinic, you know, as a part of their, you know, partnership, so I just -- I need to get your input on it. I am -- Commissioner Sanchez: Madam Chair. Chair Spence -Jones: -- I don't want to hold off anymore on making something happen. Commissioner Sanchez: Madam Chair -- Chair Spence -Jones: Yes, sir. Commissioner Sanchez: -- if I may? Madam Chair, I happen to represent the City at the Florida League of Cities, and this morning we had a conference call. The Florida League of Cities, working with both the House and the Senate, is really focusing on the number one crisis in the state of Florida, which we do have plenty of crisises. We have the insurance and we have some other major crisis, but let me tell you the biggest crisis we have in the state of Florida, affordable housing, not only in big cities, but little cities, and in that conference call today that participated -- it was a task force, a blue-ribbon taskforce by not only commissioners, but mayors from different cities throughout the state of Florida was focused on creating opportunities, simplifying the process for affordable housing because, you know what? Each and every day that passes, affordable housing is getting harder and harder and harder to accomplish, and if we have a responsibility -- and I've always said this -- as government -- government has the opportunity -- the responsibility of creating opportunity for people both as housing, employment, and when you talk about projects -- if you look at this project which I'm looking at, not only it's -- you're talking about providing 260 cars, nine -story parking garage, you're talking about 60 affordable rental units. I mean, these are the things we should be doing at the CRA. These are the things, bricks, mortar; we should be building, and building not only housing but opportunity for people. I want to hear from the residents of Overtown because, I mean, it's important to hear from them what they want there, but I'll tell you, things that come in front of us, these are the things that we should be championing. Stephanie van Vark: Stephanie van Vark again, and I am a resident of -- Commissioner Sanchez: Stephanie, please. Ms. van Vark: -- Overtown. I was one of the people that listened to the proposal today, and I agree, we do need affordable housing, but the concern that came up -- there were several concerns that came up today when we looked at the several proposals, one of which being this is considered the historic folklife area, and within that area, we're trying to stay below a certain storage level or a -- yeah, a storage level, meaning not over -- if my understanding is correct -- three stories high to maintain the character of the community. The other concern we had was the parking itself. We don't want to strangle the businesses that are there to put some kind of building there just for the purposes of putting a building there without having a plan or infrastructure to protect those businesses in place, and there was one of the people there who presented a proposal who could not give us a plan for that. We're going to be starting the 3rd Avenue Streetscape project in August, I think, will the ground -- the protected [sic] time is we'll break in August, and we don't want to have construction in the middle of the corridor and construction going along the sidewalk that will hurt the businesses, so our concern is -- we kind of presented it is if the businesses can come back to us with a proposal that has a plan that will help provide for the businesses that can guarantee that the parking will be available to not only their building but as the businesses also, then we will be available -- I mean, we would want to welcome that, but we're concerned about the businesses. Chair Spence -Jones: So there was two different proposal -- proposals, OK City of Miami Page 7 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 Ms. van Vark: Correct. Chair Spence -Jones: All -- Ms. van Vark: And the one for the Jazz Life, no one showed up, so we couldn't really ask them questions. The Citadel proposal, the gentleman showed up, and we were able to ask him questions. Commissioner Sanchez: Let me just ask you a couple of questions of what you said because some of the things, I mean, I can't figure them out. How would you strangle businesses that are there -- Ms. van Vark: If there -- Commissioner Sanchez: -- when you will be creating possibly other businesses coming in, people working, and you know, the way I do things, Igo and I may buy a pair of shoes, but on the way out, I might get something, or I might stop at a bakery. You know, when I have to make stop, I try to do as many things as I can within that business corridor, so I just don't see that -- on the parking aspect of it, you'll be doing away with the parking, but then you're also providing parking with this project, so I don't see how -- Ms. van Vark: No one can guarantee that the parking's going to be available to the other businesses, at least not sitting in that meeting -- Chair Spence -Jones: Right, but you only -- Ms. van Vark: -- so -- Chair Spence -Jones: -- had one -- in all fairness, you -- Ms. van Vark: Correct. Chair Spence -Jones: -- only had one person -- Ms. van Vark: Correct, so we would have -- Chair Spence -Jones: -- in -- Ms. van Vark: -- liked to be able to talk to the other person to have them -- Chair Spence -Jones: Now were both of them invited -- Ms. van Vark: -- guarantee that -- Chair Spence -Jones: -- Mr. Villacorta? Ms. van Vark: -- you know, and -- Mr. Villacorta: It was advertised, yeah. Ms. van Vark: -- ask -- Mr. Villacorta: The meeting was advertised and one proposer showed up. City of Miami Page 8 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 Chair Spence -Jones: OK. We're not -- Ms. van Vark: -- for the -- Chair Spence -Jones: -- we're going to keep this meet -- Commissioner Sanchez: Yeah. Chair Spence -Jones: -- we're going to keep the meeting in order. I'm going to -- I want my Overtown -- Commissioner Sanchez: And I just have another -- Chair Spence -Jones: -- residents to -- Commissioner Sanchez: -- just one more question -- Chair Spence -Jones: Sure. Commissioner Sanchez: -- that I had. I just -- Ms. van Vark: No. He asked me about the strangling. What I mean by strangle is in a short-term manner. We're -- as I said, we're going to start the 3rd Avenue Streetscape in August, and then if we have another construction going on at the end of the corridor, how is that going to affect the businesses in terms of not having parking and having their sidewalks ripped up? I don't know, and unless somebody can come up with -- Commissioner Sanchez: It sounds to me like you're throwing out the -- Ms. van Vark: -- some kind of -- Commissioner Sanchez: -- baby with the bathwater here. I mean, if you want redevelopment, you want economic vitality, you want to improve the area, and I've been here eight years already and we've talked about that 3rd Street [sic] corridor and how we're going to improve it, and now you come up and say, well, it can't be more than three stories high. Well, you're never going to get anything done out there that's affordable housing with three stories high. It doesn't make sense. Ms. van Vark: Well, that's a part of the Miami 21 -- Commissioner Sanchez: No, no, no. Ms. van Vark: -- (UNINTELLIGIBLE), is that correct? Chair Spence -Jones: Well, actually, a part -- I want to allow -- Ms. van Vark: I mean, I didn't just say that. Chair Spence -Jones: -- Commissioner Sanchez, I do want my residents to at least make comment on it, and I don't want us to -- I want -- Commissioner Sanchez: No, no, no. I want to work with them to improve -- Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah. City of Miami Page 9 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 Commissioner Sanchez: -- the area. Chair Spence -Jones: Right. Cutler. Charles Cutler: Charles Cutler, 706 Northwest 4th Avenue. Chair Spence -Jones: Sure. Mr. Cutler: Any project that is coming to Overtown, especially pertaining to housing and economic development -- because we have a serious job crisis -- Chair Spence -Jones: Yes. Mr. Cutler: -- and we do need to start putting some things in place to build an economic infrastructure in Overtown, and with this biomedical project that they have, especially with the biotech pharmaceutical companies that's coming to town over at Poinciana and on 7th Avenue, I think that we definitely need to put something in place now in terms of training to be able to accommodate that because if we don't, we going to miss the ball again -- Vice Chair Gonzalez: All right. Mr. Cutler: -- so, you know, my thing strictly is jobs, economic development, and housing. I think that, as far as the businesses there -- and I've been living in Overtown for over 30 years -- the businesses that are actually there, looking at the Arena Tower, Jackson Soul Food, the barbershop on the other side, then you got the shoe shop, I think that, you know, we can't no longer stop progress, from my determination. Thank you. Chair Spence -Jones: Thank you, Mr. Cutler. Can I just say this real fast --? Oh, I'm sorry. Dorothy Jenkins Fields: This is an important mixed -use project, and in fact, it provides opportunities for the school that's going to be there. We were just having a brief discussion about the height, and using the Miami 21 plan, I think loth Street would be maybe seven stories instead of nine stories, but other than that, you know, if they could make an adjustment with that, I think this project is a go and really should happen sooner than later. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. Let me just say this, and I -- that's why I'm asking for the support of my colleagues because it's -- I'm new to all of this and how, you know, this whole things works, you know, putting -- this is, I guess, my first project that I actually put out to -- is it RFP? That's put a -- Mr. Villacorta: Yes. Chair Spence -Jones: -- bid, right? So I really want to make sure that we're doing the right thing. My feeling on this whole thing, from day one, was to really make sure that we begin to build, and when we start talking about Ms. van Vark, which stated earlier about the businesses on 3rd Avenue being interrupted, well, one of the issues that we're having on 3rd Avenue -- and we just talked about it earlier in the meeting -- it's almost been a year since we've been trying to get businesses on 3rd Avenue with the monies that were given to even rehab, you know, the Arena Square buildings to even get businesses in. To me, this would be the opportune time to begin to look at what we can do to redevelop the area so that it's not a major interruption because those businesses aren't there yet. They are -- they -- clearly, there are some that are there. I'm not taking away anything from -- definitely, from the shoe or the barbershop. I'm not taking anything away from them. I think that we definitely need to provide the alternative parking as a part of that. Jackson Soul Food -- you know, I support them 100 percent. We need to provide the alternative parking, which behind -- there's a space right up under -- off of loth -- City of Miami Page 10 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 was it loth Ave. -- 10th Street? -- right under the expressway there that is currently a park area right there, but we're going to add additional parking that we could add. There's things that we can do to provide the additional parking in the area. My concern is I don't want to wait a year or two to start talking about building and developing stuff you know, for the neighborhood when I know I need housing, when I know I need active businesses coming in there. We need major chains that are willing to be a part of that community, and they're only going -- Commissioner Sanchez: So move. Chair Spence -Jones: -- OK. Commissioner Sanchez: So move to accept the Jazz Village and Little Broadway. Vice Chair Gonzalez: I second. Commissioner Sanchez: I'll let you conclude it. Chair Spence -Jones: Well, I want to -- I just want to make sure that my community understands my viewpoint, and I do want to say this before we do anything. We only had today, you said, Citadel that came -- correct? -- today to speak, and I want to at least know the other folks because you guys didn't get a -- did you -- Irby, did you guys get a chance to at least talk to the other applicant? Irby McKnight: No, we did not; only the Citadel -- Priscilla A. Thompson (Clerk of the Board): I need a name. Mr. McKnight: -- showed up. Commissioner Sanchez: Irby McKnight. Chair Spence -Jones: Can you say your name? Mr. McKnight: Oh, Irby McKnight, 1040 Northwest 3rd Avenue, 65 feet from the entrance to the parking lot that's being discussed now, and I have to say that the current businesses are definitely going to suffer unless we first provide parking before this start -- Chair Spence -Jones: I agree. Mr. McKnight: -- and the former Athalie Range Park is a block and a half away. In an area that is covered with 1,500 heroine addicts, nobody's going to park a block and a half away and walk to the barbershop, the shoe shop, or the grocery store -- Chair Spence -Jones: Right. Let me just -- Mr. McKnight: -- but on 11 Street proper -- Chair Spence -Jones: Right. Mr. McKnight: -- from 2nd Avenue to 3rd Avenue, there is a Metrorail overpass with nothing but vacant land underneath that is ten feet from those businesses -- Chair Spence -Jones: Yes. Mr. McKnight: -- so that would be an ideal place for temporary parking to get this jump-started, City of Miami Page 11 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 but I will support whatever decision the Commissioner for the district make on this. We do need affordable housing, and yes, each day it become more difficult to produce affordable housing, but we really need to speak with the proposers. Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah. Mr. McKnight: They did not show up today. We know all about the telecommunication businesses because they were there and we could ask them questions, and we realized that there are no jobs in that for the community, so please, we really want to speak with them, but whatever the decision that our district Commissioner make, we will live with and support. Chair Spence -Jones: Thank you, Mr. McKnight. I just want to just add so that you know, too, sir, and also to my chairperson of the 3rd Avenue Committee, that was the whole purpose of meeting with Miami -Dade Transit to -- correct, Jim? -- to provide the alternative parking under the space -- under the Metrorail station off of 10th Street, correct? Mr. Villacorta: We did speak with them about that and are working on that with Miami -Dade Transit. Chair Spence -Jones: And we would just need to make sure that alternative parking is put in place now, and that's the reason why we want to work because it takes time to do all of these projects, and that's my biggest concern. I don't want -- just like you told me, remember, Commissioner Regalado? What did you say to me in the last meeting? Spence -Jones, you don't want to be in a situation -- it's great you put $30 million out for, you know, housing and stuff like that, but at the end of the day, your constituents are going to say to you what? Three years from down the line, what are they going to say? Commissioner Regalado: Where is it? Where's the beef? Chair Spence -Jones: So I don't want to be in that position, you know, so that is why I really want to make sure that, you know, I heard my community out and heard their concerns out. You know, today was a meeting, but all the board member -- the four committee members were not there. That's why I'm asking my colleagues to give me their input on it. I need your support. I need to move my community to the next level. I would like for the proposers who was ever included in that official proposal -- I don't know who's a part of the whole thing -- if they could all step to the mike because I would want to make sure that every single last one of these people sit down and work with, you know, Stephanie, my chairperson over there, Dr. Fields, Irby, and the folks that are very much involved in this community to make sure that we're putting something that makes sense for the entire community that's happening in the Overtown area. Can you just state your name? Well, first of all, do we have a -- ? We -- Commissioner Sanchez: I made the motion already. Chair Spence -Jones: OK Vice Chair Gonzalez: And I second the motion. Chair Spence -Jones: OK, so all in fav --? I'm sorry, Madam Clerk. All in favor? Vice Chair Gonzalez: All in favor, say "aye." The Commission (Collectively): Aye. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. None opposed? Motion carries. OK, but can he just -- can I at least have them make a comment on the record? City of Miami Page 12 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 Vice Chair Gonzalez: Yeah. Albert Milo: Good evening. Chair Spence -Jones: Please. Mr. Milo: Thank you for the vote. Albert Milo, the Urban Development Group. If I would have been notified of the meeting, I would have definitely been there. I was notified of this meeting on Wednesday before Thanksgiving, so that's why we knew this one. I had no idea about the other meeting or what time it was set for. However, I'll just -- going to keep it brief. I do have everyone involved in our development team here. We have our architect, Clyde Judson. We have Phil Bacon from the Collins Center and Rod Petrey. They're a part of it because part of the land that we're going to use to develop the property is not only CRA land. It's also Collins Center land. I have the folks from Biscayne Housing Group, Michael Cox and Gonzalo DeRamon. They're going to work on the tax credit rental development. Chair Spence -Jones: So this will be -- it'll be affordable housing plus rental? Mr. Milo: Yes, correct. There's going to be a rental component, and it's going to be about 50/50, about 70 -- Chair Spence -Jones: Good. Mr. Milo: -- units of rental and about 60 of homeownership, and more importantly -- and I'd like for you to hear from her more than the affordable is Debbie Schwarzberg from MedVance. I brought her down from -- she's the president of MedVance, and let her just tell you a little bit about the benefits that I think are going to be afforded to Overtown residents from bringing MedVance to this area -- Chair Spence -Jones: OK. Mr. Milo: -- and parking -- that was mentioned -- we always intended to replace the parking. There's 56 parking spaces there, and we will replace them in that garage that we're proposing to build. Chair Spence -Jones: OK, and I need to make sure you work hand -in -hand with Stephanie van Vark from the 3rd Avenue Committee to make sure that that parking is put in place in advance. Mr. Milo: I'll make sure I give her my card now and she has a way to reach me. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. I don't want to cut you 'cause I know you drive -- you drove all the way to get here, but two seconds or -- Mr. Milo: Give her two minutes to talk about MedVance. Chair Spence -Jones: OK We don't want a lot of talking about MedVance, OK, because my Commissioners are definitely ready to go home. Deborah Schwarzberg: Hello, everybody, and especially for all the residents that are here. I appreciate that I have two minutes to talk very quickly about MedVance. MedVance is an allied health and nursing school, and it is -- there are right now nine locations, and we are very pleased that one of the focuses of our school has always been to train young adults, both high school graduates and people looking for career changes, for healthcare professions because there's such a great demand, and we think that, in terms of the community and serving the people City of Miami Page 13 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 in Overtown, that being an educational facility that we offer opportunities for people to change their lives and have new career opportunities that will improve the quality of their lives and their families, and because the downtown area has such a great number of hospitals, there's a great demand for the graduates right in that area, and the hospitals will benefit greatly because, right now, they're struggling to find the technicians that they need to supply all their departments. It includes the radiology department, the surgery department, the physicians' offices, and all the healthcare services that are provided here in the downtown area are looking for these graduates, and MedVance could now serve that need, provide graduates to the hospitals, and provide a new place for education for all the community residents, so we think that this serves a lot of reasons in the area that it would be placed in, and that it would be to everyone's advantage to have a MedVance Institute in this property. Vice Chair Gonzalez: All right. Chair Spence -Jones: Thank you very much. Ms. Schwarzberg: OK. Chair Spence -Jones: Any questions? Can I --? I just -- Commissioner Regalado: I think, you know, that the -- if you're going to have a training center - Chair Spence -Jones: Yes. Commissioner Regalado: -- in the Overtown/Omni area, downtown, the best choice will be a medical nursing -- Chair Spence -Jones: Yes. Commissioner Regalado: -- school. This is a area which is more needed and sought after in the state of Florida. We have a shortage of nurses throughout the state of Florida, and since UM (University of Miami) is expanding the medical center in the Civic Center, it's the right thing to do. I think you guys are going to do great. Chair Spence -Jones: Thank you, Commissioner Regalado. I just want to -- so, do you have any questions before we close, Commissioner? Commissioner Sanchez: No. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. Thank you so much for -- Ms. Schwarzberg: Thank you. Chair Spence -Jones: -- your presentation. I do want to just add, again, the developer on this -- I don't know how long before we actually start doing or moving on this process. Do we know how long --? What's the normal process on this? Mr. Villacorta: Right now you're designating them the recommended proposer and authorizing the executive director to attempt to negotiate an agreement. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. Mr. Villacorta: This is the same process that you went through on Block 36. Hopefully, it won't be anywhere near that long. City of Miami Page 14 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 Chair Spence -Jones: Please, don't mention that one, but go ahead. Mr. Villacorta: Within 90 days or so, we could, hopefully, have an agreement negotiated. Mr. Milo: I'm pretty persistent. He knows I'll call him tomorrow morning. Mr. Villacorta: Yeah. Chair Spence -Jones: OK, so with that being said, everyone have a wonderful, wonderful night, and thanks so much for coming out to our CRA meeting. Vice Chair Gonzalez: Motion to adjourn. Chair Spence -Jones: Oh, yeah. Motion to adjourn. 3 06-02076 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 $525,000, TO THE DOWNTOWN MIAMI PARTNERSHIP TO PROVIDE PARTIAL FUNDING FOR THE "NW 3rd AVENUE FACADE PROGRAM;" AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO EXECUTE ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY FOR SAID PURPOSE; ALLOCATING FUNDS, IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $525,000, FROM SEOPW TAX INCREMENT FUND, "OTHER GRANTS AND AIDS," ACCOUNT CODE NO. 10050.920101.883000.0000.00000. cover memo.pdf financial form.pdf back-up. pdf leg islation. pdf Motion by Commissioner Sanchez, seconded by Vice Chair Gonzalez, that this matter be ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote. Votes: Ayes: 4 - Vice Chair Gonzalez, Commissioner Sanchez, Commissioner Regalado and Chair Spence -Jones Absent: 1 - Commissioner Haskins CRA-R-06-0048 Chair Spence -Jones: All right. We're going to -- I'm going to ask, if I can, if you don't mind just having a little patience with me, I want to at least take number 2 up afterwards, but I want to deal with -- go to number 3 on the agenda, and I'm going to ask for our executive director, Mr. Villacorta, to give us a briefing on that, or at least go through the resolution. Commissioner Sanchez: Item 2? Chair Spence -Jones: Item 2 -- item 3. We're going to -- I'm going to hold off on item 2 at this point. I want to come back to item 2, if you don't mind. James H. Villacorta (Interim Executive Director, Community Redevelopment Agency): The attached resolution authorizes the executive director to issue a grant, in an amount not to exceed 525, 000, to the Downtown Miami Partnership, to fund the Northwest 3rd Avenue Facade Program, utilizing partial funding from CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) grants. City of Miami Page 15 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 Downtown Miami Partnership has successfully completed the Paint the Town Red Facade Program in the Omni redevelopment area and is in the midst of the Wraparound Building Rehab Program in the Omni and Overtown redevelopment areas. The latter program included extensive rehabilitation of the New Providence Masonic Lodge, and they have now proposed a program focused on 3rd Avenue facade, stretching from Northwest 8th Street through 14th Streets. They've been working with the 3rd Avenue Streetscape Committee to beauty this area as part of the overall program that would include rebuilding Northwest 3rd Avenue. I believe we have someone from the audience -- the committee has reviewed the proposals for the building facades. This project would include painting, windows, signage, and awnings, and in an effort to get the painting and windows done before the Super Bowl, this grant would -- this grant is requested and a portion of it would be used for painting and facades. It would be dispersed on a reimbursement basis or directly to vendors and suppliers. Vice Chair Gonzalez: How many businesses are we taking care of here? Mr. Villacorta: I believe eight. Eight are projected. Vice Chair Gonzalez: Eight? Chair Spence -Jones: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) -- do we have DMP (Downtown Miami Partnership) here? Mr. Villacorta: I'm sorry, nine. There's nine businesses -- Chair Spence -Jones: So it's -- Mr. Villacorta: -- identified already. If there's further funds available, they will require each business to obtain three bids, and we'll work from the low bid, unless the business owner wants to pay the difference between the low bidder and the next highest bidder. Chair Spence -Jones: And this is already allocated -- we already have funds allocated to --? Mr. Villacorta: We have budgets funds for -- in grants and aids for this amount. Chair Spence -Jones: OK, and I believe the Overtown Folklife District Committee, along with the 3rd Avenue Committee, has vetted all of this, correct? Unidentified Speaker: Yes. Chair Spence -Jones: There are no issues, no concerns? Just want to make sure, and I don't if DMP has any comments. Robert Geitner: No. This project has been being discussed -- Priscilla A. Thompson (Clerk of the Board): I'm sorry. I need -- Commissioner Sanchez: Name. Ms. Thompson: -- your name -- Mr. Geitner: I'm sorry. Roberty Geitner, project manager, Downtown Miami Partnership, 25 Southeast 2nd Avenue, Suite number 1007, Miami, Florida 33131. This project's been in various iterations moving through the process through the neighborhood since 2002. Finally got to a point where we were able to successfully put together a program that worked both for the neighborhood and utilized the expertise that Downtown Miami Partnership has in doing facade City of Miami Page 16 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 programs in the City of Miami in various neighborhoods. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. Also, I know that there were some concerns. I don't -- my chairperson, I just want to make sure they were addressed and they were just making sure that the local folks from the Overtown community also participated from the standpoint of being -- I want to make sure that that's put on the record with DMP to make sure that the local people that are living there in Overtown, that the subcontractors that will be hired or either subcontractors from the area will be considered or be a part of this whole initiative because I know that was the concern the first time around, so I want to make sure we put that on the record. Stephanie van Vark: Yes. As of -- I believe it's December 8 -- Commissioner Sanchez: Name. Ms. van Vark: -- we are doing a bid -- Chair Spence -Jones: Name. Ms. van Vark: Oh, I'm sorry. Stephanie van Vark -- I'm sorry. I'm the chairperson of the 3rd Avenue Streetscape Committee. There is going to be a bidding process -- I'm sorry -- that will allow local contractors to participate in a walk-through program. They'll be able to walk the 3rd Avenue corridor, see what we're looking for, and submit a bid based on realistic possibilities, and we are definitely looking to hire from within the community. Chair Spence -Jones: Any comments from my colleagues? Commissioner Sanchez: So moved. Vice Chair Gonzalez: Second. Commissioner Regalado: I just have a brief -- Chair Spence -Jones: Sure. Commissioner Regalado: -- comment or question. These are facade repairs or enhancement that would be permanent. Now in the Omni area -- which this is Overtown, but I'm making this comment in general -- the CRA has made a major investment in the Performing Arts Center, and one would think that -- I don't know if Downtown Development Authority is going to do it or the CRA, but I think that it is worth it that we consider -- I don't know if it's too late -- some Christmas lighting in the area because, you know, the people need to have also a sense of belonging to an area who is up-and-coming, and Overtown and Omni, I mean, we have paid good money in Overtown. The Commission has approved huge projects in Overtown, and it only makes sense to have some kind of celebration which has to do with the Christmas spirit. That was my first question, Madam Chairman [sic], about the monies that were ready to use, and I don't know ifJosie or the Downtown Development Authority, who's chaired by Vice Chairman Sanchez, has some kind of plans but, you know, recently -- Commissioner Sanchez: We do. Commissioner Regalado: -- the City of New York had an unveiling of an extraordinary Christmas lighting; Madrid had the same last Friday, and throughout the United States, it is a ceremony. Granted, there is a Christmas tree in Bayfront, but this is just a symbol for people to gather around, but to claim that we have a downtown, an Omni, and an Overtown that it's getting bigger and better and not have any kind of holidays or Christmas -- excuse me for the word Christmas. Some people don't want to say it, but it is Christmas. It is important to show, City of Miami Page 17 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 and if money has to be used, well, money have to be used, but my question is, is your agency, Josie, I mean, have any plans regarding this kind of lighting? Because, I mean, the Flagler Marketplace -- we all know the story -- and the gold block that we pay here, half a million dollars, and all that, but it is Christmas, you know. Mr. Geitner: Commissioner, I can respond. Robert Geitner, again, project manager of Downtown Miami Partnership. This particular program is not a public works program, which is where you would typically install City -maintained and -operated types of lighting. That being said, in the program, there was allowances for a number of electrical repairs to the facades of some of these buildings. We are at a point now where what we can easily do is spec fy in those electrical repairs that some sort of allowance for the addition of holiday lighting to the individual storefronts, done by the storeowners, could be allowed for, and basically, that would mean properly installed and grounded electrical outlets at the top of the facades. I can manage with what we've got in this program and what we control to do that but, however, the public works aspect of holiday lighting and holiday decorating programs is not in this program. Chair Spence -Jones: Can I just add --? I don't know if any other Commissioners want to add, and I definitely love the idea of having Christmas spirit really throughout all of our districts, but I also want to just bear in mind what Commissioner Sanchez was just saying. I know this particular project is really not just about Super Bowl 2007 and making sure that the area looks better, but making sure the area looks better period anyway, so beyond February 2007, we want to make sure that the residents and the people that have lived there for God knows how long have something nice to look at, you know, so beyond all of that, we want to do that. I think that because December is like two days away, you know, trying to -- at this time, Commissioner Regalado, trying to put together a whole Christmas thing may be -- and I'm looking at Jim looking at me right now like "Please let's not do that," and I want to bear in mind that if there is a cost associated -- and I don't want us to start, like you just mentioned in your talk earlier -- we don't want to start spending and not being clear of how that process is happening, so if we can plan maybe going into next year, I would love to do that. I am, in Overtown, outside of that, in my own personal budget, doing a tree lighting ceremony in Overtown for the residents there, so that they at least have something in Overtown during that Christmas holidays. I saw Fred here earlier. I don't know where he went. I don't have my glasses; my two year old son broke them yesterday, so I can't see anybody in the office -- I mean, in the audience, but I did see Fred earlier. Maybe, perhaps, there's something that the Omni, you know, can work together to do on that behalf but I just don't want that -- those dollars need to just really be focused on -- we're not -- Commissioner Sanchez: Facade. Chair Spence -Jones: -- taking anything out of order, (UNINTELLIGIBLE). We're not doing that, OK? I want to make sure we stay on target to this agenda. We'll do open comments in the end. The only reason why I was calling Mr. Joseph is maybe, perhaps, Mr. Joseph can work along with the Omni to see whether or not we could have some sort of tree lighting ceremony or something along that lines. Commissioner Regalado: And you know, I'm not saying let's go out -- let's go to Wal-Mart and buy some Christmas light. What I'm saying is that, you know, the whole year you have -- we have made an investment -- Chair Spence -Jones: Yes. Commissioner Regalado: -- of millions and millions and millions of dollars -- Chair Spence -Jones: I agree. City of Miami Page 18 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 Commissioner Regalado: -- and, you know, it worth at least thinking about having this kind of celebration to honor the future, so I mean, you know, it's -- I don't -- I'm not suggesting let's go out and buy, but I'm saying groups and agencies like Downtown Partnerships [sic] and Downtown DevelopmentAuthority, and even the CRA must keep in mind that there are certain dates -- Chair Spence -Jones: Are important. Commissioner Regalado: -- in the year the needs to be addressed in time. Commissioner Sanchez: Madam Chair, just to -- Chair Spence -Jones: Sure. Commissioner Sanchez: -- answer Commissioner Regalado's question, DDA (Downtown Development Authority) has allocated in their budget -- and we just approved at the last meeting -- is a hundred thousand dollars for Christmas decorations in downtown, and they're up already, right? Josie Correa: Josie Correa, Downtown Miami Partnership, 25 Southeast 2nd Avenue, Suite 1007. Yes. The DDA, at our request, funded approximately a hundred thousand over the next three years for a banner program, and the reason that we went with banners is because -- and I'll keep it short because that's not what we're really here to discuss -- but basically, a banner program was the easiest, with that amount of money, to do, and it goes all the way throughout the DDA district, which is Brickell, the CBD (Central Business District), and all the way up to Northeast 24th Street, which is where the boundaries of the DDA go up to. If you walk out of this building today and you go to Biscayne Boulevard, you'll see that the banners are already all up throughout the whole downtown area. It was over 350 banners that we have, you know, basically put together a program with the DDA so that at least there's a unified front for all of downtown, and of course, it doesn't include Overtown because it's DDA money and the DDA money is spent within the DDA boundaries. Mr. Villacorta: But as part of the 3rd Avenue Streetscape Committee's program for improvements, they are looking at including banners, and I know you've been at the meetings or had discussion -- Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah. We're definitely going to do that for Black History Month. That's kind of be -- Commissioner, for Overtown, our focus is really doing a serious banner -type promotion in the area for Black History Month, as a means of kicking off the Schomburg and everything, so we will have the same thing happening in the Overtown area, and that will be the focus of where we -- and some of that is being addressed in some of the items, but the focus now is really to make sure that those dollars go towards the businesses that are really in desperate need. Mr. Villacorta: But those banners could be made seasonal and, at least by next year anyway, we'd have holiday decorations for the end of the year. Chair Spence -Jones: OK Any other comments? Mr. Villacorta: You need a vote. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. Need a vote. Commissioner Regalado: I move it. City of Miami Page 19 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 Commissioner Sanchez: I already moved it. You second it. Ms. Thompson: You just need a vote. Commissioner Regalado: Oh, OK. Chair Spence -Jones: You second it? Commissioner Sanchez: Just need a vote. Commissioner Regalado: Yeah, I did. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. Commissioner Sanchez: All in favor, say "aye." Chair Spence -Jones: All in favor? The Commission (Collectively): Aye. Chair Spence -Jones: All opposed? This item passes. 4 06-02077 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 $50,000, TO THE BLACK ARCHIVES, HISTORY AND RESEARCH FOUNDATION OF SOUTH FLORIDA, INC., TO PARTIALLY FUND AN EXHIBITION AT THE LYRIC THEATER BY THE SCHOMBURG CENTER FOR RESEARCH IN BLACK CULTURE DOCUMENTING THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN CONTRIBUTION TO JAZZ AND BLUES; AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AT HIS DISCRETION, TO DISBURSE THE GRANT ON A REIMBURSEMENT BASIS TO THE BLACK ARCHIVES, OR DIRECTLY TO ANY OF THE EXHIBIT PROVIDERS, UPON RECEIPT OF INVOICES AND SATISFACTORY DOCUMENTATION; ALLOCATING FUNDS FROM SEOPW TAX INCREMENT FUND, "OTHER GRANTS AND AIDS," ACCOUNT CODE NO. 10050.920101.883000.0000.00000. cover memo.pdf financial form.pdf back-up.pdf legislation.pdf Motion by Vice Chair Gonzalez, seconded by Commissioner Sanchez, that this matter be ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote. Votes: Ayes: 4 - Vice Chair Gonzalez, Connnissioner Sanchez, Commissioner Regalado and Chair Spence -Jones Absent: 1 - Commissioner Haskins CRA-R-06-0049 Direction by Commissioner Regalado to the Interim Executive Director to instruct the CRA's lobbying team to be present in Tallahassee at the special session on insurance in December, and City ofMiami Page 20 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 also the regular session in March, in order to try to obtain a grant to subsidize the cost of insurance for the Lyric Theater. Chair Spence -Jones: We're going to move to number 4 real fast, and this is -- I guess we kind of talked about this a little earlier, but I would like the executive director to at least go through -- Vice Chair Gonzalez: I'll move item 5. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. Vice Chair Gonzalez: I'm sorry, item 4. James H. Villacorta (Interim Executive Director, Community Redevelopment Agency): This resolution authorizes a grant to the Black Archives History and Research Foundation of South Florida, Inc., in an amount not to exceed 50,000, to partially fund an exhibition at the Lyric Theater by the Schomburg Center for research in black culture documenting the African American contribution to jazz and blues. The total estimated budget for this item is a hundred and twenty thousand dollars -- or a hundred and ten thousand dollars, excuse me, and this grant would fund 50 percent of that, and the Commissioners may want to consider whether you want to make it contingent on them demonstrating if they've -- have the ability to raise the matching funds, which is what we have done in the past with the Schomburg. Commissioner Regalado: And if they don't raise it, they can't have it? Mr. Villacorta: Well -- Commissioner Regalado: I mean -- Mr. Villacorta: -- that's what we -- the -- Commissioner Regalado: -- or they have half of a festival. Mr. Villacorta: Well, they would have to demonstrate that they would have opportunity to raise the remaining funds so that the exhibit could be put on, otherwise -- or that they were working to do that. That's what we did for the Africa In Motion exhibit. Commissioner Sanchez: That's what we've done in the past, but -- Ma'am. Chair Spence -Jones: You're recognized. Dorothy Jenkins Fields: Thank you. Dorothy Jenkins Fields, founder, Black Archives, Lyric Theater, 5400 Northwest 22nd Avenue. We were delighted to provide the services for the Schomburg, and through their technical assistance, we were able to bring their internationally -known project, In Motion, to Miami. It was really a hardship to try to match the $50, 000, and we spent almost more time doing that than putting the project together, and it's very difficult to raise the money because we're also having to raise money to operate -- Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah. Ms. Jenkins Fields: -- and so if this is a project that we can use, we'll -- we will, in fact, go back and look at our budget again, and if $50,000 is all -- is what's available to us, then we will go ahead and restructure our budget so that the program fits that, but to ask us, in addition to that, to raise an additional 50 in order to get this amount, would shut the program down. Commissioner Regalado: See, that was exactly my point -- City of Miami Page 21 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah. Commissioner Regalado: -- exactly my point. The Black Archives have a track record of performing -- Chair Spence -Jones: Producing. Commissioner Regalado: -- but we want to do big things, but we don't want to pay for it, and it's either we do it ourself [sic], or you know, we tell the Black Archive [sic], well, you -- if you get the money, do it; that was my point. If they cannot raise the money, so what would happen to the festival? And you cannot have half a festival. You cannot market and advertise a festival and then don't have it, so it's a decision that the Board has to make, an exhibition that the Board has to have. We were talking about the banners. You know, this is the kind of event that will need banners all around Overtown and downtown Miami, you know, Lyric Festival, Jazz and Blues, Lyric Theater, Jazz and Blues Festival, because what do you do if you have a good show, but you don't advertise? People don't come, and it is a hardship for you and it is something that will be embarrassing to the Board if, at the end of the day, you know, on the next meeting in December, the executive director say, well, the Black Archive [sic] couldn't raise the matching money, so there is no festival. It is kind of embarrassing to me, so it's a decision that we need to make, but as Dr. Fields believe that they can adjust the budget, you know, we should fully support this festival with what we have. Chair Spence -Jones: We -- I'm sorry. Commissioner Regalado: No, I'm fine. Chair Spence -Jones: I just want to say this is something we've been working on for the last two years, and Dr. Fields know this is a ongoing relationship with the Schomburg. As a matter of fact, Dr. Crew is also -- from the School Board. There's several partners that are involved in what the Black Archives is doing at the theater, so it's not like that's not already happening, and they're doing -- I mean, they're doing a lot to try to just survive, and what we have to realize -- unlike probably some other areas -- you know, you have to do a lot to promote to bring people to the area. It's not an easy -- she can tell -- every -- I mean, most folks in the Overtown area know that do events and activities, we have to try -- change the mind -set of how people, you know, view the community or view the area, so all of that is like hard work in pushing and pulling the people to come to the Lyric Theater to enjoy some of the things that's going on, so this is a state-of-the-art exhibit that we have coming in for the second year in a row, you know, and this is why I was mentioning earlier, you know, on -- you know, having the executive director that's going to be sensitive to understanding what their issues are, you know. We put in the budget from the very beginning $50, 000 to assist with this particular project, and that should be their dollars to assist them with the assist -- to assist them with this particular project. I'm expecting - - because I, as the Chair, should not get involved in how you guys work out the agreement, but she's putting on record right now it's going to be very difficult, you know, for them to match -- Commissioner Regalado: Not difficult, impossible. Chair Spence -Jones: Impossible -- Ms. Jenkins Fields: Impossible. Chair Spence -Jones: -- for them to match that, so I'm expecting that our executive director will make the right decision to work along with them to make sure that they can present a state-of-the-art exhibit for the folks not just in Overtown, but in -- throughout the City of Miami to come see this exhibit. City of Miami Page 22 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 Commissioner Sanchez: Madam Chair, if I could move the item, which is $50, 000 -- this event -- the event takes place September 7, 207 [sicJ? Chair Spence -Jones: No. Commissioner Sanchez: No? February? Chair Spence -Jones: February. Ms. Jenkins Fields: February. Chair Spence -Jones: The end of January is when it has to be set up. Commissioner Sanchez: Wow. That's -- Ms. Jenkins Fields: Soon. Commissioner Regalado: And you have to market, and you have to market and advertise. Chair Spence -Jones: That's why I'm saying, if it's in the budget already -- Commissioner Sanchez: This is -- was $50,000 in the budget? Chair Spence -Jones: Yes. Mr. Villacorta: Yes. Commissioner Sanchez: All right, so -- Mr. Villacorta: Yes. Commissioner Sanchez: -- I move the item that's in front of us was $50, 000. Commissioner Regalado: Yeah, but this is not the issue. The issue is not the $50, 000. The issue is placing the brunt of organizing and paying and doing everything on Black Archive [sic] because I know Dr. Fields for the ten years that I've been in the City Commission. They don't abandon a project. They just keep going and going and going, and it will be very difficult for them -- if the budget is 120 -- Mr. Villacorta: Ten. Ms. Jenkins Fields: Ten. Mr. Villacorta: Hundred and ten. Commissioner Regalado: -- hundred and ten. I mean, that's what I say, half a festival. Ms. Jenkins Fields: The insurance this year has gone up for the Lyric Theater $51,000, and so when people come and ask to use it free, there's no way we can do it. Fifty-one thousand dollars, we don't have it, so we're going to have to raise the money in order to have liability insurance. Chair Spence -Jones: So that's the reason -- and I -- I'm sorry. Commissioner Sanchez: And I think -- City of Miami Page 23 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 Commissioner Regalado: No, and you know, this -- you know, when you have to pay for a bottle of water four cents more, you know, people would tell you, oh, oh, oh, why four cents? Well, because transportation cost more because oil went up and gas went up. Insurance is an issue that, you know, we don't control, but it's an issue -- Chair Spence -Jones: Has an effect. Commissioner Regalado: -- that we have to -- because, you know, we put so much money and effort and hope on the Lyric Theater, and then they have to deal with a $51, 000 increase. That's absurd, but they need to have insurance, and -- so we -- it's very difficult to place the burden on them to do a -- hey, do a festival. We'll give you $50,000. The fact of the matter is that, next month, when we meet again, they're going to say, well, you know, festival has to be canceled because the Black Archive [sic] weren't able to raise the matching funds. Well, guess what? The Performing Arts Centers [sic] had a commitment of $87 million from the private sector in 1984, and to my knowledge, they have not raise that money, and the government has to put the money in. That is my issue. If -- I'm supporting this issue, but my question was what if they don't raise the money. Chair Spence -Jones: I think we did get a motion on the item. I think the only thing that I want to just be clear on with the executive director, she has put on the record, Dr. Fields, that it'll be extremely difficult for them to match what you're asking for them to match. We'd like for you to be sensitive to that issue and not have all of those strings attached to making this particular project happen. Mr. Villacorta: The resolution, as written, doesn't require the match, and Dr. Fields believes she can adjust her budget to work with the funds she has. Commissioner Sanchez: Madam Chair. Chair Spence -Jones: So -- yes. Commissioner Sanchez: Madam Chair -- Chair Spence -Jones: Yes. Commissioner Sanchez: -- and we're all in agreement. The -- this is the point that I'm trying to make. If Mrs. Field [sic] would have gotten with the executive director and would have told him $50,000 isn't going to cut it, we need more help, we would have more time to research, find out if there's additional funding in our budget, relocate -- you know, look for the funds and bring them up and properly debate it where the money could come from, but once again, we're put in a situation at the last minute where we're up here -- we all want to help them, but we have to very careful to say, hey, you know, yeah, let's give money, but where do we identift the money? First we have to identify the money. The executive director needs to come and say, look, "X" item has "X" amount of dollars. We could use that money, and then we debate it and we vote (UNINTELLIGIBLE). We don't want to put us in a situation where they're between a rock and a hard place, and now we're between a rock and a hard place, so I'm all in favor of supporting the item now and directing the executive director to sit down with the organization, Lyric Theater, and see if there's additional funding to assist them, but right now, the item that's in front of us is a $50, 000 grant that we should approve and not delay it anymore -- Vice Chair Gonzalez: Right. Commissioner Sanchez: -- and then, later on, identify if there's any other avenue to provide the assistance. City of Miami Page 24 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 Chair Spence -Jones: OK. We've already moved the item, right? Commissioner Sanchez: Yes. Chair Spence -Jones: And we already given him direction to work along with the 50 -- Mr. Villacorta: Yes. Chair Spence -Jones: -- to make sure that there's no strings attached to it, correct? Mr. Villacorta: Correct. Commissioner Regalado: Madam Chair, if I may? Chair Spence -Jones: Yes. Commissioner Regalado: This has been solved, and Dr. Fields will, I'm sure, work with the budget and have half of the jazz and half of the blues, but I think that we need to direct our lobbying team to go to Tallahassee, be present at the special session in December on insurance, and also the regular session in March, in order to try to get a grant to subsidize the insurance of the Lyric Theater. It could come from the State Catastrophe Fund that the legislature is considering to create, and they will, because what we're seeing here is an oversight. Oh, insurance went up $51, 000. Oh, FPL (Florida Power & Light) is raising the rates -- Ms. Jenkins Fields: Yes. Commissioner Regalado: -- of electricity for -- Mr. Villacorta: Commercial buildings. Commissioner Regalado: -- the Lyric Theater, and in two years, the Lyric Theater will just be bankrupt because you can't have it both ways. You can't have a theater for the community that doesn't have the money to go and rent the Knight Center and would want to use the Lyric Theater, but you can have -- you cannot have the burden of the people that are running the theater to subsidize everything and start trying to get more money in their budget for unexpected increases, and there will be more increases. Insurance is going to go up more, I'm sure, and electricity and water. Next year, water is going to go up 20 percent in Miami -Dade County, also in the Lyric Theater, so these are unexpected things, but I'm urging my colleagues and the Chair to request that the lobbying team will get some kind of a grant to subsidize that, especially because it's a public service center. It's not -- this is not a business. This is a public center, and hopefully, the legislature will see it that way. Chair Spence -Jones: So, Jim, did you get that directive? Mr. Villacorta: Yes. Commissioner Sanchez: Call the question. Vice Chair Gonzalez: Are we going to vote on this item first or --? Chair Spence -Jones: You voted already. Priscilla A. Thompson (Clerk of the Board): No. City of Miami Page 25 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 Vice Chair Gonzalez: No, we haven't. Ms. Thompson: No, no. Chair Spence -Jones: We changing the -- Commissioner Regalado: No. It's just -- Vice Chair Gonzalez: No, we haven't. Commissioner Regalado: -- a comment. I mean -- Vice Chair Gonzalez: We just made -- Commissioner Regalado: -- it's just a comment. Vice Chair Gonzalez: -- there was -- Mr. Villacorta: Yeah. I got the -- Vice Chair Gonzalez: -- only a motion made and a second. There was no vote. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. Vice Chair Gonzalez: Is that correct? Ms. Thompson: If I can just get clarification. The original motion was made by -- Commissioner Sanchez: Me. Vice Chair Gonzalez: By me. Ms. Thompson: No. Vice Chair Gonzalez: By me. Commissioner Sanchez: No. OK, OK, you made it. Ms. Thompson: That's right, that's right, by Vice Chair Gonzalez, then Commissioner -- Vice Chair Gonzalez: That was about 20 minutes ago. Ms. Thompson: -- so if you want to show as a motion, the mover and the seconder -- Vice Chair Gonzalez: Yes, ma'am. Ms. Thompson: -- then we can proceed to a vote. Commissioner Sanchez: Yes, ma'am. Commissioner Regalado: Exactly. Chair Spence -Jones: All in favor? The Commission (Collectively): Aye. City of Miami Page 26 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 Chair Spence -Jones: None opposed? OK. Ms. Jenkins Fields: Thank you. Chair Spence -Jones: We're going to move to the next item. Thank you very much. Did we address your -- we addresed your -- Mr. Villacorta: I'll contact -- Commissioner Regalado: We didn't need to vote. I mean, I'm just -- I think it's worth it to have the lobbying team -- I mean -- Chair Spence -Jones: OK. Mr. Villacorta: I'll speak to Doug Bruce and -- Chair Spence -Jones: OK. 5 06-02108 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 $125,000, TO ROOTS IN THE CITY, INC. FOR BEAUTIFICATION OF NORTHWEST THIRD AVENUE IN OVERTOWN CONSISTING OF LANDSCAPING AND SIGNAGE, INCLUDING ONE YEAR OF LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE; AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AT HIS DISCRETION, TO DISBURSE THE GRANT FUNDS ON A REIMBURSEMENT BASIS, OR DIRECTLY TO SUB -GRANTEES AND VENDORS, UPON PRESENTATION OF INVOICES AND SATISFACTORY DOCUMENTATION; AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO EXECUTE ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY FOR SAID PURPOSE; ALLOCATING FUNDS FROM SEOPW TAX INCREMENT FUND, "OTHER GRANTS AND AIDS," ACCOUNT CODE NO. 10050.920101.883000.0000.00000. cover memo.pdf financial form.pdf back-up.pdf leg islation. pdf Motion by Vice Chair Gonzalez, seconded by Commissioner Sanchez, that this matter be ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote. Votes: Ayes: 4 - Vice Chair Gonzalez, Commissioner Sanchez, Commissioner Regalado and Chair Spence -Jones Absent: 1 - Commissioner Haskins CRA-R-06-0050 Chair Spence -Jones: All right. We're going to move to item number 5. I wanted to try to at least get everyone in and out of here today. Vice Chair Gonzalez: I'm ready to move item 5. I hope, you know. Chair Spence -Jones: All right, so I have a motion. Do I have a second? City ofMiami Page 27 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 Commissioner Sanchez: Second. Chair Spence -Jones: All in favor? The Commission (Collectively): Aye. 6 06-02133 CRA RESOLUTION A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE SOUTHEAST OVERTOWN/PARK WEST COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY AUTHORIZING FUNDING, IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $25,000, FOR THE BEAUTIFICATION OF THE METRORAIL OVERPASS AT NW 11th STREET AND THIRD AVENUE IN OVERTOWN; DIRECTING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO WORK WITH THE OVERTOWN NET OFFICE TO IMPLEMENT THE BEAUTIFICATION; AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AT HIS DISCRETION, TO DISBURSE THE FUNDS ON A REIMBURSEMENT BASIS, OR DIRECTLY TO CONTRACTORS AND VENDORS, UPON PRESENTATION OF INVOICES AND SATISFACTORY DOCUMENTATION; AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO EXECUTE ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY FOR SAID PURPOSE; ALLOCATING FUNDS FROM SEOPW TAX INCREMENT FUND, "OTHER GRANTS AND AIDS," ACCOUNT CODE NO. 10050.920101.883000.0000.00000. cover memo.pdf financial form.pdf legislation.pdf Motion by Commissioner Sanchez, seconded by Vice Chair Gonzalez, that this matter be ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote. Votes: Ayes: 4 - Vice Chair Gonzalez, Commissioner Sanchez, Commissioner Regalado and Chair Spence -Jones Absent: 1 - Commissioner Haskins CRA-R-06-0051 Chair Spence -Jones: OK We're going to -- any --? OK We're going to move on to number 6. This is all a part of the beautification efforts that we talked about already. Jim, do you want to - -7 James H. Villacorta (Interim Executive Director, Community Redevelopment Agency): This resolution authorizes the executive director to fund the beautification of the Metrorail overpass at Northwest 3rd Avenue and 11 th Street in Overtown. Commissioner Sanchez: So move. Vice Chair Gonzalez: This is only 25,000, right? Chair Spence -Jones: Yes. Vice Chair Gonzalez: It's a piece of cake. Second. Chair Spence -Jones: All in favor? City of Miami Page 28 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 Commissioner Regalado: This should be a match from the County; the Metrorail is County -operated. Chair Spence -Jones: So we want to add that to it? Commissioner Sanchez: Maybe we should debate this for a half an hour. Chair Spence -Jones: Because they're going to -- Vice Chair Gonzalez: Yeah. Chair Spence -Jones: -- they are going to clean it up and -- Commissioner Sanchez: Maybe we should debate this -- Mr. Villacorta: They've offered -- Commissioner Sanchez: -- for an hour. Chair Spence -Jones: -- paint it and all of that. Mr. Villacorta: -- to work with us. I don't know that -- Commissioner Sanchez: Maybe we should debate -- Mr. Villacorta: -- they've offered to -- Commissioner Sanchez: -- this for an hour. Mr. Villacorta: -- put up any -- Chair Spence -Jones: No. Mr. Villacorta: -- money at the moment. Vice Chair Gonzalez: An hour -- Mr. Villacorta: They're going to -- Vice Chair Gonzalez: -- and vote in favor of it. Mr. Villacorta: -- work with the NET (Neighborhood Enhancement Team) office to see what we could accomplish quickly before the Super Bowl, and ultimately, we're putting out a call to artists to do major beautification of the Metrorail overpass. Chair Spence -Jones: OK We have a vote on this already, right? Priscilla A. Thompson (Clerk of the Board): You haven't -- Vice Chair Gonzalez: Yes, ma'am. Chair Spence -Jones: Anything else --? Commissioner Regalado. Commissioner Regalado: No, we haven't vote. City of Miami Page 29 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 Vice Chair Gonzalez: Yes, we did. Commissioner Regalado: I'm just saying this is a County -- I mean, when they wish to build a high-rise in the parking lot, they do it. I'm just saying this should be a joint project, but like Jim said, they haven't offer any money, so I mean, might as well do it because if we don't do it, they won't do it. Chair Spence -Jones: So, Jim, can you work along with transit to see --? I know that we're already working with them. Mr. Villacorta: Yeah. Chair Spence -Jones: This is like an ongoing project, correct, Stephanie -- Ms. van Vark? She's already working hand -in -hand with them to -- Mr. Villacorta: They've come to our meetings and expressed an interest in helping us. This was to quickly put something up before the Super Bowl. Chair Spence -Jones: OK, a mural. Mr. Villacorta: We have a longer range project to beautify the whole area, and transit has said they'll work with us on that; whether they can identify funds and in what amount, we'll have to talk to them about. Chair Spence -Jones: All right. Any other questions on this item? All right, Commissioner Regalado. We'll move on to number 7. Ms. Thompson: I'm sorry. You did not take a vote. Unidentified Speaker: No. Ms. Thompson: You started with your discussion. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. All in favor? The Commission (Collectively): Aye. Chair Spence -Jones: None opposed? 7 06-02134 CRA RESOLUTION A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE SOUTHEAST OVERTOWN/PARK WEST COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO EXECUTE A GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER -AT -RISK AGREEMENT WITH DESIGN -BUILD INTERAMERICAN, IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $752,903.99, FOR THE RENOVATION AND EXPANSION OF JACKSON SOUL FOOD RESTAURANT AT 950 NORTHWEST 3RD AVENUE, MIAMI, FLORIDA, CONTINGENT UPON APPROVAL OF GENERAL COUNSEL; RATIFYING THE EXPENDITURE OF FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $19,500 FOR DBI'S PRE -CONSTRUCTION SERVICES; AUTHORIZING EXPENDITURE OF $7,596.01 FOR REIMBURSABLE EXPENSES INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PERMIT FEES, BONDS, INSURANCE, IMPACT FEES, AND CONTINGENCIES, FOR A TOTAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $780,000; FUNDS TO BE ALLOCATED City ofMiami Page 30 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 FROM SEOPW TIF FUND, "CONSTRUCTION IN PROGRESS," ACCOUNT CODE NO. 10050.920101.670000.0000.00000. cover memo.pdf financial form.pdf back-up. pdf leg islation. pdf Motion by Commissioner Sanchez, seconded by Commissioner Regalado, that this matter be ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote. Votes: Ayes: 4 - Vice Chair Gonzalez, Commissioner Sanchez, Commissioner Regalado and Chair Spence -Jones Absent: 1 - Commissioner Haskins CRA-R-06-0052 Chair Spence -Jones: We're going to move on to number 7, and this is in reference to the Jackson Soul Food project. We're finally moving the project. It's finally moving. Can you give us a quick update on it? James H. Villacorta (Interim Executive Director, Community Redevelopment Agency): Yeah. Chair Spence -Jones: This was already approved in the budget since 1998, correct? Commissioner Sanchez: Executive Director -- Mr. Villacorta: Yes. Commissioner Sanchez: -- could you give us a rundown as to the -- Chair Spence -Jones: Sure. Commissioner Sanchez: -- billboard lawsuit? Mr. Villacorta: The -- at the September 25, 2006 board meeting, the Board voted to separate the two issues, and we had been sued to receive the grant by the Jackson Soul Food, and we had countersued asking for removal of the billboard. The Board agreed to separate the two issues and move forward with the grant, provided that Jackson's dismiss their claim, which they did. Commissioner Sanchez: Which they did? Mr. Villacorta: They did. They dismissed their claim on October 23, 2006, and a -- an order was entered dismissing all claims against the CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) and the City. The CRA is proceeding with its claim for removal of the billboard, and that is scheduled to be heard on November 29, this Thursday, though the attorneys for the Jackson have asked that we postpone it. I'm not sure that we've agreed to that at this point. I got a phone call today. Commissioner Sanchez: What are they asking to postpone? Mr. Villacorta: The hearing on our motion for summary judgment that the deed restriction, which prevents a billboard going up requires the parking lot be used solely for parking. We've -- have a motion for summary judgment saying that that prohibits a billboard on the parking lot. The court agreed to hear that this Thursday. I think there might be a scheduling problem with their attorneys, but that will proceed forward, and the claims against the CRA have been dismissed. City of Miami Page 31 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 Commissioner Sanchez: And what is your recommendation, as the executive director? Mr. Villacorta: Well, the Board passed a motion separating the two issues and said if they dismiss their claim and allow our claim to go forward, we would go forward with the grant. The construction company has agreed to hold the price that they gave us a year ago or 18 months ago, and -- Commissioner Regalado: They're nice. Mr. Villacorta: -- this has been a long-standing project -- Commissioner Regalado: Change order. Mr. Villacorta: -- of the CRA. It's gone through a number of permutations. At this point, I recommend going forward with the construction -- reconstruction of the -- of Jackson Soul Food Restaurant. Commissioner Sanchez: So move. Commissioner Regalado: Second. Chair Spence -Jones: Thank you. OK, all in favor? The Commission (Collectively): Aye. Chair Spence -Jones: None opposed. REPORTS 8 06-02057 CRA REPORT REPORT ON THE BUILD -OUT OF THE NEW ARENA SQUARE RETAIL SPACE cover memo.pdf DISCUSSED Chair Spence -Jones: We're going to move to the next one, which was -- these are just two CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) reports -- or a report, and then actually, a quick, little discussion, then I want to just come back to number 2, if you don't mind. Just real fast, if you can give it to us in a nutshell? The New Arena Square retail space. This is all a part of this major beautification project that we're trying to do on 3rd Avenue, as a part of kind of bringing businesses back to the area, but can you at least give us an update as to where we are because we've been talking about this since last February. James H. Villacorta (Interim Executive Director, Community Redevelopment Agency): Right. We've -- in an effort to revitalize the 3rd Avenue business corridor, we've been working with New Arena Square Apartments. At this point, the owner of New Arena Square has agreed to work with prospective tenants. They will come to him. They will work out, as the landlord and tenant, their agreement for renovation of the space. They can either use his architect and contractor or secure their own architect and contractor, and then they would come to the CRA for grants to offset a portion of the costs of putting businesses into the spaces. There's nine retail spaces at present. There's issues concerning the common areas and whether common bathrooms will be required or not, but those are things that the businesses would be required to work out with the landlord and come back to us for a -- for individual grants to offset a portion of their City of Miami Page 32 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 construction costs. This is different than how Jackson Soul Food is being handled, where we are actually going in and hiring the -- we hired the architect and the contractor, and we will be overseeing building out of the space. This puts us more on a businesslike footing where these tenants -- these businesses would deal with the landlord as they would in a normal project, only they will be coming back to us to ask for a grant to offset a portion of the construction costs. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. Any other questions on number 8 at all? Vice Chair Gonzalez: No. Chair Spence -Jones: OK, so it's a report, so we don't need a vote, correct -- Priscilla A. Thompson (Clerk of the Board): That's correct. Chair Spence -Jones: -- Commissioner Gonzalez? Mr. Villacorta: Correct. DISCUSSION ITEMS 9 06-02058 CRA DISCUSSION DISCUSSION REGARDING CHANGING THE DATE OF THE DECEMBER CRA BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MEETING cover memo.pdf MOTION A motion was made by Commissioner Sanchez, seconded by Vice Chair Gonzalez, and was passed unanimously, with Commissioner Haskins absent, to reschedule the CRA meeting currently scheduled for Monday, December 25, 2006 to Monday, December 18, 2006. Vice Chair Gonzalez: And I'm opposing to number 9. I want the meeting to be held on December 25. Commissioner Sanchez: Como? (Comment in Spanish not translated). Vice Chair Gonzalez: I'm opposing number 9. I want the meeting to be held on December 25. James H. Villacorta (Interim Executive Director, Community Redevelopment Agency): With Christmas lights. Commissioner Sanchez: You'll be here alone. Vice Chair Gonzalez: Huh? Chair Spence -Jones: Christmas lights. Commissioner Sanchez: You'll be here alone. Chair Spence -Jones: Mr. Executive Director, what --? Mr. Villacorta: The last Monday in December is December 25. Perhaps, the Commissioners would like to move the meeting to the -- to coincide with the City Commission meeting on December 14? City of Miami Page 33 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 Commissioner Regalado: Zoning, zoning. Chair Spence -Jones: No. That's a busy -- Commissioner Sanchez: Zoning. Chair Spence -Jones: -- one, yeah. Mr. Villacorta: OK. Chair Spence -Jones: You need a -- Mr. Villacorta: Well, the -- Commissioner Regalado: It's up to the Chairman, but -- Chair Spence -Jones: No. Vice Chair Gonzalez: It's a big agenda. Commissioner Regalado: -- it's a zoning, and I mean, they going to pack the agenda. Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah. Vice Chair Gonzalez: Yeah. Commissioner Regalado: It's better to come here some other day. I mean, you know, because -- Mr. Villacorta: Well, then -- Commissioner Regalado: -- or whatever. Mr. Villacorta: -- the 18th of December would be the -- Commissioner Sanchez: Eighteenth a good -- Mr. Villacorta: -- second to the last Monday. Commissioner Sanchez: -- it's a good day to have a little Christmas party. Mr. Villacorta: OK. Chair Spence -Jones: Yes. Commissioner Regalado: Yeah. Chair Spence -Jones: With lights. Commissioner Regalado: No. I mean, it is -- Commissioner Sanchez: Bring your own food. Mr. Villacorta: At the Lyric. City of Miami Page 34 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 Commissioner Regalado: -- difficult because the CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) needs to have public input and all that, and then you're going to have a major project. I think the Mercy project is coming up, and you're going to have -- Chair Spence -Jones: Oh, yes. Commissioner Regalado: -- a lot of people wanting to -- and you don't want the Chairman blood pressure to go -- Vice Chair Gonzalez: To go up, to go up. Chair Spence -Jones: OK, so we -- December the 18th, it is? Mr. Villacorta: December 18. Vice Chair Gonzalez: December the 18th. Chair Spence -Jones: OK, so we're finished with the whole agenda. I just want to go back -- Priscilla A. Thompson (Clerk of the Board): No. Chair Spence -Jones: I'm sorry. I got -- Ms. Thompson: If you're changing your meeting date -- Chair Spence -Jones: Oh. Ms. Thompson: -- you need a -- Commissioner Sanchez: Need a vote. Ms. Thompson: -- motion. Commissioner Sanchez: So move. Chair Spence -Jones: I need a motion. Vice Chair Gonzalez: Second. Chair Spence -Jones: All in favor? The Commission (Collectively): Aye. Chair Spence -Jones: That's why you -- that's why we love you, Madam Clerk. You keep us on the ball. NA.1 06-02179 CRA DISCUSSION DISCUSSION REGARDING CRA BOARD MEETING PROTOCOL. DISCUSSED Commissioner Sanchez: Madam Chairman [sicJ, if I -- Chair Spence -Jones: Yes. City of Miami Page 35 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 Commissioner Sanchez: -- could just have one item -- Chair Spence -Jones: Sure. Commissioner Sanchez: -- before we get into the agenda? Chair Spence -Jones: Sure. Commissioner Sanchez: I just want to take the opportunity -- not long ago, this agency had a terrible reputation, and we have worked very hard to set it back on the path of transparency and efficiency and productivity. Recently, I have had some concerns pertaining to the agenda arriving too late to review. Just for example, this agenda was presented to my office Wednesday, about 4 o'clock we stamped it in, and I don't think that board members have had an opportunity to review the agenda. I just want to caution the executive director to make sure that agendas are provided on time so we could make a determined, intelligent decision based on the background material that we have. I also want to state that, once again, we do have a sworn duty to protect the public's dollars, so for the record, I want to put a couple of things on the record, and I would ask the executive director to look into, and then, of course, the Board should follow these recommendations that I will put forth. We must have a printed agenda in our hands within five days, working -- five working days of the meeting so our staffs could review it, and then, of course, our staff needs to meet with the executive director for any questions pertaining to the items. We, as a board, shall not vote in favor of any pocket items or expenditures that do not appear on the printed agenda, distributed five business days prior to the CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency). We also should not vote in favor of any items that transfer from a discussion item into an expenditure item during the meeting, and we would ask that any item that is discussed and not on the agenda and voted on be put on the agenda, one, to have public participations in these meetings, which is very important, and above all, to protect the integrity of the Chair, the Board, and the CRA in itself. I also want to make it very clear that we should not be having emergency meetings called simply to meet deadlines for creation when someone comes in front of this board. Things should be very, very, very, you know, studied by the executive director, which he has the responsibility, as well as we do -- a fiduciary responsibility to this board. If an expenditure is for an event, we should only vote in favor of it if the item appears on the CRA agenda no later than 60 days, and that gives us plenty of time not only to be on the budget, but gives us plenty of time to have exactly where the money's coming from, and once again, plenty of time to have public discussions on the item. I would strongly prefer that the CRA select a grant participant, as a lot of the things that are coming forth in front of the CRA -- we want to make sure that these organizations -- which they are good organizations (UNINTELLIGIBLE) -- we want to make sure that we pre -identify [sic] the needs and then set up a process to select the best qualified providers. A perfect example is Bayfront Park, where we set money at the beginning of the year, giving the executive director plenty of time to meet with these organizations and know exactly what we're getting out of it, know exactly what is it that the CRA's getting out of these participants that are coming in front of us asking for money, and we are compelled at times because of the need and the emergency to make a decision, not based on what is considered best practices that we need to be considering. I also want to make very clear that the executive director should review every document, and we should go into a system where we reimburse the people that -- or organizations or whoever that comes in front of us for work that we have a reimbursement system, which has been very effective in the past, in that way we know exactly what they're doing, and we're not paying out just a blank check and not following through what their services are, so having said that, Madam Chair, I want to take the opportunity for allowing me -- for me to say these things. I know that we have a large task ahead of us, but I think that, as we work through your leadership and this board, that we try to regain the public trust, and I know that once you lose the public trust, it's very hard to regain it. I think we've done a very good job at the CRA to regain it. I just don't want to end up losing that public trust again, so once again, as the Chair, I want to ask my -- the board members, and my colleagues, and the executive director to make sure that we do have a process in safe -- in place City of Miami Page 36 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 to protect the integrity of the CRA. Thank you. Chair Spence -Jones: OK Before we do that, I do want to make some adjustments to some of the comments -- not even adjustments. I just want to bring -- first of all, does any of my colleagues have any comments before I do that? OK. On the -- Jim, I -- you and I've had this discussion a couple of times because one of the concerns I have regarding some of the items, you know, that we bring in front of the CRA is that once these items are already approved in the budget from the very beginning, I just want to be clear why they have to come back again because I think that that's where a lot of the confusion comes a lot of the times because, for instance, in the County and other municipalities, once the projects or activities are funded throughout the budget for the whole year, they never have to come back in front of the County Commission. I think that where the issue comes -- and I think that my colleague has just brought up a very good point -- is that once we approve something, then we should leave it up to the executive director to work out the details regarding the issues, or regarding, you know, what is expected from them as a part of us giving dollars to whatever activities or events or projects that are taking place within the neighborhood. If it's already in the budget already, I think that it should remain in the budget, and the details should be worked out with the executive director. I'm going to give you a perfect example -- we're going to take it up later -- which is item number 4 is a perfect example of the Black Archives and something we started last year that we put in the budget with the former executive director, Frank Rollason, for the research institute out of New York to do the exhibit that goes from February to May. It's already in the budget, so I could -- for me, every time we -- these items have to keep coming back, to me, it creates that -- it creates a issue for me, number one, because then I have people from the community calling me saying, well, why can't we have dollars to do things that we need to do also? And that's because they're -- they probably, in the beginning, were not included in the budget process, or their events or activities were not included in the beginning, and I just think it creates a bigger issue, so I would like to make sure that if the project has already been approved in the budget, just as the County does, that the executive director then works out the details with whatever the agency or organization that is doing the events or activities or whatever it is that they're doing, special projects or whatever the case may be, that the executive director works out the details with them regarding the item or regarding the line item because it is an issue. I mean, just today I got three phone calls on issues on projects that are coming in front of us today saying, well, I have something that I'd like to do, and this particular item has -- was already approved in the budget by the Commission or by the CRA in the beginning of the budget, so I'd like to at least make sure that once that happens that we don't have to keep bringing it back if it's already dealt with in the budget. James H. Villacorta (Interim Executive Director, Community Redevelopment Agency): I think -- Commissioner Gonzalez: All right. Chair Spence -Jones: That was one issue that I wanted to add onto what you have stated, and then the other part that I have to definitely make sure that I say -- because when we talk about reimbursements -- and I understand that it's really important that agencies have the ability to show how they match dollars and they're able to get projects done, but the reality, in my district - - I can't really speak for any other area -- or the reality in many of the projects that are taking place within the Overtown area, I can't ask many of these people to do reimbursements because they don't have -- a lot of times don't have the necessary funds to do everything that they need to do, so for me to agree to, you know, having them pay something and then having the City pay them back or the CRA pay them back, I think that if we made an agreement to, you know, provide them with the funding to do whatever their project is, I don't have -- I don't even have a problem with it coming back in front of us, for whatever reason, for the agency or organization to present what their project is and why they need the change, or whatever the case may be, but I -- I'm not in favor with asking these agencies or many of these organizations that are struggling to do whatever little projects that they have in the area to do it based upon a reimbursement, so I would ask my colleagues to reconsider that request because I think it would be very difficult for City of Miami Page 37 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 my community to do. Commissioner Sanchez: Yeah, but -- and that's perfectly fine. I mean, the executive director could come up with a system in place -- the only thing that I want to do is to protect us from cutting somebody a check to do something and they don't do it. Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah. Commissioner Sanchez: In other words, if you could give them a start-up, and then they could come back and provide the proper documentation and we could provide more funding -- I just -- I think that we have learned in the past that if we don't -- look, we live in a nation of laws. We need to have rules and regulation. We want to work with people to make sure that they accomplish what they want to accomplish, but we have to have the mechanism in place to assure accountability, transparency; those are the things that we need to focus on, so the executive director come up -- can come up with something where if somebody's going to do a repair, you give them upfront "X" amount of dollars, but in order to get the other amount of dollars, they need to come in and provide the proper documentation. Chair Spence -Jones: Well, I think -- Commissioner Sanchez: Those things could be worked out. Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah, and I think that the executive director can do that, and I think that -- first of all, any dollars, to my understanding, that leave the CRA, there has to be a contract or some sort of agreement before that happens anyway, so a part of that contract or that agreement, you can definitely put whatever things that you need to have attached to make sure that the CRA is protected. I don't have a issue with that. I just don't want to make a blanket statement today saying that any activity, project, or anything that takes place, that the agency or organization has to submit invoices for them to be reimbursed on because I know it will be extremely difficult within my community to make that happen. That's my only statement on it, and if the board's feeling on it is we will allow for the executive director to work and put together an agreement that makes sense for -- based upon him reviewing and seeing the needs of that particular agency or organization, you know, I don't have a problem with that, giving him the flexibility to do that, but I don't want to put -- be in a situation where many of the organizations that, a lot of times, within my district or within my particular community, they don't have all the access to resources or corporations or companies that could provide the necessary resources to do projects within our areas, so a lot of times, they have to rely on the CRA and other government agencies to assist them with what they're doing. I do think that we need to be accountable and everybody needs to be accountable for whatever dollars we give, but I think that that's up to the executive director making sure that he puts together an agreement that outlines what their responsibility is, but if we've already approved it within the budget, then that's what it should be. Commissioner Sanchez: I don't have a problem -- if it's approved in the budget and we set up the budget at the beginning of the year, that's perfectly fine. I still say and I disagree that it should come to this Commission for a vote. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. Commissioner Sanchez: That's the standard how it should be, and it's just, once again, the last thing that we want to do -- and it's not pertaining to anything -- is the last thing that we want to do is get eggs on our face. Chair Spence -Jones: Right. When you said -- I just want to be clear and I don't want to spend a lot of time because I want to do -- I do want to stick to the agenda today. Just so that I'm clear, Commissioner Sanchez, are we saying that once it is approved in the budget, that we'll leave it City of Miami Page 38 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 up to the executive director to work out the details, as far as the agreement is concerned, for whatever agency or organizations? You're fine with that, as long as it --? Commissioner Sanchez: I am not fine -- I am fine with him working out the details and bringing it to us and meeting with each and every one of us where we're at a point where we are comfortable. I rely -- wearing the hat that we wear here today as the board member, I rely on the executive director. Under the Sunshine Law, we cannot speak as Commissioners -- Chair Spence -Jones: Right. Commissioner Sanchez: -- but we can speak with the executive director and his staff and my staff could sit down with them. It is up to the executive director -- Chair Spence -Jones: Right. Commissioner Sanchez: -- to provide the proper documentation, not only verbally, but also written, with the background material and the agenda that we get, which is very important and paramount for us making a decision. He should present it to us. Once he comes to us and he clearly explains everything, there shouldn't be a problem. It's -- the -- limited discussion on the item; so move, as we've done in the past. Chair Spence -Jones: OK, and I'm fine with that. I just want to make sure that once it is approved in the budget, that we're on the same page; that Jim, at that particular time, you know, can -- Commissioner Sanchez: The funding is approved at the beginning of the year and it's set -- the money's set aside on the budget. However, the executive director needs to put it on the agenda. It needs to come to a vote, and then we vote for it. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. I'm just trying to understand -- and that was the reason why I brought this up as an issue in the beginning and not -- again, this is not an agenda item, so I don't want to go back and forth with you on it at this point, and I definitely don't want to make -- take a vote on something that I'm very uncomfortable with doing, based upon the fact that I already have an issue with this from the City standpoint. If we approve something within the budget, just like other municipalities do, that we should leave it up to staff to work out the details, unless there's - - there needs to be some additional changes made on the item for whatever reason, and the executive director can do that. Commissioner Sanchez: But you're saying that you don't want to bring it up to the Board for a vote? Chair Spence -Jones: No. What I'm saying is if it's already been voted on -- I'm giving you an example. Number 4. Number 4 is the Schomburg. Commissioner Sanchez: When did we vote on that? Chair Spence -Jones: It was a part of your budget. Commissioner Sanchez: Yeah, but we approve a budget; doesn't mean we approve every item on the budget. Chair Spence -Jones: It was a line item in the budget. Commissioner Sanchez: All that -- Michelle -- City of Miami Page 39 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 Chair Spence -Jones: Um -hum. Commissioner Sanchez: -- Commissioner Spence -Jones -- Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah. Commissioner Sanchez: -- all that does is sets that -- those funds aside for that project. Chair Spence -Jones: Right. Commissioner Sanchez: Still every action that we take, we have a responsibility to vote on that item that needs to come in front of this board. Chair Spence -Jones: And again, I'm stating to you, based upon what other municipa -- and I -- if that is something that we want to do, I don't have an issue with it, but I'm simply telling what other municipalities do is that once the item has been voted on and approved, as far as a line item in the budget, that it is officially approved so -- Commissioner Regalado: If I -- see, this we do all the time at the City Commission. We have a line item, but when the contract is finalized, it has to come back to -- Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah, and I'm fine with that. Commissioner Regalado: -- and I think -- Chair Spence -Jones: I'm fine with that. Commissioner Regalado: -- Commissioner Sanchez is right. I mean -- Commissioner Sanchez: It has to come to a vote. Commissioner Regalado: -- it has to come -- Chair Spence -Jones: Oh, I'm fine with that. I just want to make sure that we're not bringing it back -- if the item is already approved in the budget, I'm trying to make sure that we're not having the item come back to approve the actual dollar amount or what -- if we've already approved the item in the budget, I don't want it to be a situation where we approve it and then we're taking away from an agency that we've already agreed in the budget that we were going to fund for projects, and I'm leaving that discretion up to the executive director to put together the agreements or the contracts. I don't -- that's not my responsi -- Commissioner Sanchez: It's his job. Chair Spence -Jones: Right. Commissioner Sanchez: Yeah. Chair Spence -Jones: That's his responsibility. I just want to make sure that that is actually happening that way. Vice Chairman Sanchez: Executive Director, you -- speak or forever hold your peace. Mr. Villacorta: I think, in the past, this agency made a distinction between budgeting the money and -- City of Miami Page 40 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 Commissioner Sanchez: Yeah. Mr. Villacorta: -- appropriating it, and maybe that's what the other Commissioners feel a little trepidation with is that just because an item was in the budget didn't mean it necessarily got spent that way, and if we had half a million dollars set aside for building renovations, as we let those individual contracts out, the Commissioners would like to see -- Chair Spence -Jones: Oh, yeah. Mr. Villacorta: -- those contracts come back in front of them as they're awarded -- Chair Spence -Jones: And I have no question on that. Mr. Villacorta: -- and that might also have been what was happening when the financial officer was speaking, that we had 50,000 and 100,000 unencumbered. We have other funds that are budgeted for items such as streetscape improvements or water main improvements, but no contract has been let, but we've locked those monies down to show that they're no longer available, but they will still come before the Commissioners as each contract is let to do the water main improvements to -- Chair Spence -Jones: And I agree with that. Mr. Villacorta: -- building facades. Chair Spence -Jones: That definitely needs to happen. I'm not speaking -- again, I'm not speaking from the perspective of contracts like that. I'm just speaking on behalf of, like I said, item number 4 that we're going to take up. You know, once we put it in the budget and approved for this agency to get the dollars to present this exhibit that they're doing, this should be set aside for them to do -- they're doing their planning based upon what we said that we were going to do to support their events or their activities. I don't want them to plan around something, and then we turn around and change it for whatever reason. I think that we have to keep our commitment to the folks that have agencies and organizations in the area that plan throughout the whole year. I'm not talking about contracts and -- from the standpoint of building and roadway improvements and those type of things. By all means, we should see every contract that comes in front of us before it's approved. I don't have an issue with that. Commissioner Sanchez: That's his job. Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah, but -- Mr. Villacorta: We all -- Chair Spence -Jones: -- that's Jim's role. Mr. Villacorta: I think we also have a budget item called "Other Grants and Aids." Whether that was broken down specifically to show the Schomburg exhibit, I'm not sure, but that's what is being brought now is -- the Schomburg exhibit is coming back before the -- the Commissioners, they've approved a budget for grants and aids, and this is showing the Commissioners where that particular amount of money -- Chair Spence -Jones: OK Mr. Villacorta: -- out of that budget is going. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. I just wanted to make sure that I added on, and that -- and I don't City of Miami Page 41 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 want to spend a lot of time on this because I do -- Commissioner Sanchez: There's budgeting and appropriation. Chair Spence -Jones: Right. Commissioner Sanchez: Two different items. Chair Spence -Jones: OK. All right, so can we move to the --? Commissioner Sanchez: Yeah, yeah. Chair Spence -Jones: OK Commissioner Sanchez: It's just a recommendation that I want to make sure the executive director follows to assure that, you know, things are run smoothly. Chair Spence -Jones: And your feeling on reimbursements, before we hand off of that? Commissioner Sanchez: Reimbursements, I just want to make sure that, you know, we -- when we provide assistance, if he wants to come up with a way where it's -- if it's 50,000, you give them 25 up front or whatever, and they got to come up with the proper documentation how they use that money, where they're at, and then we'll provide the amount of money. Chair Spence -Jones: I'm fine with that too. Commissioner Sanchez: The last thing that we don't want to do is write somebody a check and then they don't what they're supposed to, and let me tell you, any organization that comes in front of us has to go with the standards and regulation that we put forth. If they can't do that, then -- Chair Spence -Jones: OK Commissioner Sanchez: -- we can't help them. We want to help the good organizations. Chair Spence -Jones: Right, so basically, this is a directive to you, Jim. Mr. Villacorta: Well, usually the resolutions say that we can -- we'll pay on a reimbursement basis to the vendor, or we'll pay their suppliers and vendors directly upon receipt of invoices, so if they were ordered -- to order materials and would receive the invoice, they can either pay it and submit it to us for reimbursement, or if they don't have the money, submit it directly to us to pay the vendor, and that's worked well for us -- Commissioner Sanchez: And those are good -- Mr. Villacorta: -- over the last -- Commissioner Sanchez: -- practices. Mr. Villacorta: -- few years. Chair Spence -Jones: Yeah, and I'm fine with that. Commissioner Sanchez: We should continue those practices. All right. City of Miami Page 42 Printed on 12/27/2006 SEOPW and OMNI Community Redevelopment Agencies Meeting Minutes November 27, 2006 Chair Spence -Jones: Fine with that. Commissioner Sanchez: Thank you, Madam Chair. Chair Spence -Jones: No problem, sir. City ofMiami Page 43 Printed on 12/27/2006