HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC 2013-03-14 MinutesCity of Miami
City Hall
3500 Pan American Drive
Miami, FL 33133
www.miamigov.com
Meeting Minutes
Thursday, March 14, 2013
9:00 AM
REGULAR
City Hall Commission Chambers
City Commission
Tomas Regalado, Mayor
Marc David Sarnoff, Chair
Wifredo (Willy) Gort, Vice Chair
Frank Carollo, Commissioner District Three
Francis Suarez, Commissioner District Four
Michelle Spence -Jones, Commissioner District Five
Johnny Martinez, P.E., City Manager
Julie O. Bru, City Attorney
Todd B. Hannon, City Clerk
City Commission
Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
CONTENTS
PR - PRESENTATIONS AND PROCLAMATIONS
AM - APPROVING MINUTES
MV - MAYORAL VETOES
CA - CONSENT AGENDA
PH - PUBLIC HEARINGS
SR - SECOND READING ORDINANCES
FR - FIRST READING ORDINANCES
RE - RESOLUTIONS
BC - BOARDS AND COMMITTEES
DI - DISCUSSION ITEMS
PART B
PZ - PLANNING AND ZONING ITEM(S)
MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS' ITEMS
M - MAYOR'S ITEMS
D1 - DISTRICT 1 ITEMS
D2 - DISTRICT 2 ITEMS
D3 - DISTRICT 3 ITEMS
D4 - DISTRICT 4 ITEMS
D5 - DISTRICT 5 ITEMS
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City Commission
Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
9:00 A.M. INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Present: Vice Chair Gort, Chair Sarnoff, Commissioner Carollo, Commissioner Suarez and
Commissioner Spence -Jones
On the 14th day of March 2013, the City Commission of the City of Miami, Florida, met at its
regular meeting place in City Hall, 3500 Pan American Drive, Miami, Florida, in regular
session. The Regular Commission Meeting was called to order by Chair Sarnoff at 9:26 a.rn.,
recessed at 12:01 p.m., reconvened at 2:40 p.m., recessed at 5:45 p.m., reconvened at 5:54 p.na.,
recessed at 7:39 p.m., reconvened at 7:49 p.m., and adjourned at 8:16p.m.
Note fbr the Record: Commissioner Spence -Jones entered the Commission chambers at 9:34
a.m.
ALSO PRESENT:
Julie O. Bru, City Attorney
Johnny Martinez, P.E., City Manager
Todd B. Hannon, City Clerk
Chair Sarnoff: I want to welcome everybody. Welcome to the March 14, 2013 meeting of the
City ofMiami Commission in these historic chambers. The members of the City Commission are
Wifredo Gort, Vice Chair, Frank Carollo, Francis Suarez, Michelle Spence -Jones, and me, Marc
David Sarnoff; the Chairman. Also on the dais are Johnny Martinez, the City Manager; Julie O.
Bru, the City Attorney; and Todd Hannon, the City Clerk, although we have seen ow: other City
Clerk, the former City Clerk. Where is she? Why don't you stand up for a second?
Applause.
Chair Sarnoff • Well just refer to her as the woman in red. The meeting will be opened with a
prayer by Reverend Betty Wright and followed by a second prayer by Commissioner Suarez. So
Reverend Wright. The pledge of allegiance will be followed [sic] by Commissioner Gort.
Invocation and pledge of allegiance delivered.
PRESENTATIONS AND PROCLAMATIONS
PR.1
13-00299
PRESENTATION
Honoree Presenter Protocol Item
Gun Buy -Back Sponsors Mayor Regalado Certificates/Appreciation
& Chief Orosa
Miami Bicycle Month Mayor Regalado Proclamation
National Women's History Month
- Alice Bravo Mayor Regalado Certificate
- Renita Ross Samuels -Dixon Chair Sarnoff Certificate
- Sonia Succar-Ferre Vice Chair Gort Certificate
- Marta Gonzalez de Cardenas Commissioner Certificates
Elisa M. Juara Carollo
Rita Marin
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City Commission
Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
- Barbara Wade
Commissioner
Suarez
Certificate
- Georgia Ayers Commissioner Living Legend
Dr. Dorothy Fields Spence -Jones Living Legend
A'Nari Taylor Certificate/Honor
- Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall Mayor Regalado Julia Tuttle Award
- Maribel Balbin Mayor Regalado Trailblazer Award
Centennial of Delta Sigma Mayor Regalado Proclamation
Theta Sorority
Scherley Busch Mayor Regalado Certificate
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Miami Chair Sarnoff Commendation
the Spa @ Mandarin Oriental
13-00299 Protocol Item.pdf
PRESENTED
Chair Sarnoff: Well now make the presentations and proclamations.
Presentations made.
1) Mayor Regalado proclaimed the month of March in the year 2013, Miami Bicycle Month,
calling for increased bicycle usage, an opportunity to educate bicyclists and motorists as to the
proper and safe operation of -bicycles, to promote health and wellness and to address the
problem of greenhouse gas emissions.
2) Mavor Regalado presented a Special Certificate of Appreciation to various sponsors honoring
their wonderful commitment to civic responsibility and communal welfare through their generous
support of the Gun Buy-Back'Project in the City of Miami, a collaborative effort to reduce
violence in our neighborhoods.
3) In celebration of National Women's History Month and in honor of this year's theme, Women
Inspiring Innovation Through Imagination;' the City of Miami Mayor and Commissioners paid
trihute to the following women for their courageous vision in the use of resources, expertise and
talent to elevate the quality, of life of our community: Mayor Regalado - Alice Bravo; Chair
Sarnoff - Renita Ross Samuels -Dixon; Vice Chair Gort - Sonia Succar-Ferre; Commissioner
Carollo - Elisa M. Juara, Marta Gonzalez De Cardenas, and Rita Marin; Commissioner Suarez -
Barbara Wade; Commissioner Spence -Jones - Georgia Ayers, Dr. Dorothy Fields,andA Nari
Taylor; Julia Tuttle A ward - Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall; and Trailblazer Award - Maribel
Balbin.
4) Mayor Regalado paid tribute to the Miami Alumnae and Dade County Alumnae Chapters of
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority in celebration of their Centennial; further recognizing their service
as proud mentors to thousands of young ladies and as public servants in education and state,
local and national government, transforming lives and impacting communities.
5) Mayor Regalado saluted Scherley Busch honoring her contributions to preserving Florida
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City Commission
Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
history through her artistic vision as she used her resources, expertise and talents to document
and interpret Florida landscapes and to capture unique photographic visions of its leadership.
6) Chair Sarnoff honored the Five -Star Spa at the Mandarin Oriental Miami in praise of the
outstanding leadership of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, who have emphasized the
importance of working together as a team to welcome the new Miami visitor who cares about
service.
APPROVING THE MINUTES OF THE FOLLOWING MEETING:
Motion by Commissioner Carollo, seconded by Vice Chair Gort, to APPROVE PASSED by
the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 3 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff and Carollo
Absent: 2 - Commissioner(s) Suarez and Spence -Jones
MAYORAL VETOES
Chair Sarnoff: Do we need to approve any minutes?
Todd Hannon (City Clerk): Yes, sir. I have for your consideration an approval of the minutes for
February 14.
Chair Sarnoff: Do I have a motion?
Commissioner Carollo: Sn moved.
Chair Sarnoff • We have a motion. Do we have a second? Hearing a second, any discussion?
No discussion. All in favor, please say aye."
"
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
END OF APPROVING MINUTES
NO MAYORAL VETOES
Chair Sarnoff.• Mr. Clerk, are there any mayoral vetoes?
Todd Hannon (City Clerk): Chair, there are no mayoral vetoes.
ORDER OF THE DAY
Chair Sarnoff.• All right, we're ready to begin the meeting. We'll now begin the regular meeting.
The City Attorney will state the procedures to be followed during the course and scope of this
meeting.
Julie O. Bru (City Attorney): Good morning, Mr. Chair, members of the Commission, Mr.
Mayor, Manager, Mr. City Clerk, and members of the public. Any person who is a lobbyist must
register with the City Clerk before appearing before the City Commission. A copy of the code
section about lobbyists is available in the City Clerk's office. The material for each item on the
agenda is available during business hours at the City Clerk's office and online at
www.miamigov.com. Anyone wishing to appeal any decision made by the City Commission for
any matter considered at this meeting may need a verbatim record of the item. Please, no cell
phone or other noise -making devices. Silence those now. Any person who makes an offensive
remark or who becomes unruly may he barred from attending further Commission meetings. And
anyone with a disability who requires auxiliary aids, please contact the City Clerk. The lunch
recess will begin at the conclusion of deliberation of the agenda item being considered at noon,
unless the Chairman indicates otherwise. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
Chair Sarnoff: Thank you, Madam City Attorney.
[Later...]
Chair Sarnoff.' All right, we're back in session. Mr. Manager, I didn't do this at the inception,
butt do need to do this now. Is there any items that the Administration wishes to pull? And then
I will get to any items that the Commissioners wish to pull.
Johnny Martinez (City Manager): Yes, Mr. Chair.
Chair Sarnoff: Go ahead. Pm writing them down.
Mr. Martinez: Okay. FR.1, continue to April 11; RE.1, withdraw; and RE.2, continue to April
11.
Chair Sarnoff • Any others?
Mr. Martinez: That's it.
Chair Sarnoff: Are there any items any Commissioners wish to withdraw, change, amend? All
right, do 1 have a motion? Wait, I'm sorry. You want to -- do you have --?
Commissioner Carollo: Yeah. Ijust want to confirm what are the items. If you could say -- if
you could repeat the items?
Mr. Martinez: Yes, sir. FR.1 --
Commissioner Carollo: Uh-huh.
Mr. Martinez: -- continue to April 11.
Commissioner Carollo: Okay.
Mr. Martinez: RE.1, withdraw.
Commissioner Carollo: Okay.
Mr. Martinez: And RE.2, continue to April 11.
Commissioner Carollo: Okay.
Chair Sarnoff: Is there a motion?
Commissioner Carollo: Sn moved.
Chair Sarnoff • All right, we have a motion. Is there a second?
Vice Chair Gort: Second.
Chair Sarnoff: Hearing no discussion, all in favor, please say aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
[Later...]
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Chair Sarnof f: All right. Anybody else have any discussion, D issues that they need to talk
about tonight?
Commissioner Suarez: Can I just --
Vice Chair Gort: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
Chair Sarnoff: Okay.
Commissioner Carollo: And by the way, that's another legislative liaison issue. And you know, I
-- don't get me started.
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CONSENT AGENDA
CA.1 RESOLUTION
13-00195
Department of A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION AUTHORIZING THE
Purchasing PROCUREMENT OF GUARDRAIL REPLACEMENT AND INSTALLATION,
FROM VARIOUS VENDORS, ON A CITYWIDE, AS -NEEDED CONTRACTUAL
BASIS, UNDER THE EXISTING SOUTHEAST FLORIDA GOVERNMENTAL
PURCHASING COOPERATIVE CONTRACT NO. 11-12-035, EFFECTIVE
THROUGH OCTOBER 31, 2014, SUBJECT TO ANY EXTENSIONS OR
REPLACEMENT CONTRACTS BY THE SOUTHEAST FLORIDA
GOVERNMENTAL PURCHASING COOPERATIVE; ALLOCATING FUNDS
FROM THE VARIOUS SOURCES OF FUNDS FROM THE USER
DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES, SUBJECT TO THE AVAILABILITY OF
FUNDS AND BUDGETARY APPROVAL AT THE TIME OF NEED.
13-00195 Summary Form.pdf
13-00195 System for Award Managements.pdf
13-00195 Contract Award.pdf
13-00195 Award Notice.pdf
13-00195 Addendum No. 1.pdf
13-00195 Invitation to Bid.pdf
13-00195 Legislation.pdf
This Matter was ADOPTED on the Consent Agenda.
Votes: Ayes: 3 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff and Carollo
Absent: 2 - Commissioner(s) Suarez and Spence -Jones
R-13-0075
CA.2 RESOLUTION
13-00176
Department of Public A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
Facilities ATTACHMENT(S), ESTABLISHING A NEW SPECIAL REVENUE FUND
ENTITLED "HAITIAN HERITAGE ARTS" ("PROJECT"), IN THE AMOUNT OF
$75,000, CONSISTING OF A GRANT FROM THE JOHN S. AND JAMES L.
KNIGHT FOUNDATION; AUTHORIZING THE LITTLE HAITI CULTURAL
CENTER, A CITY OF MIAMI FACILITY, TO RAISE A ONE-TO-ONE
REQUIRED CASH MATCH FROM OUTSIDE SOURCES (NON -CITY OF
MIAMI DOLLARS), IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $75,000;
AUTHORIZING THE ALLOCATION FOR THE TOTAL PROJECT COST, IN AN
AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $150,000; FURTHER AUTHORIZING THE CITY
MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE GRANT AGREEMENT, IN SUBSTANTIALLY
THE ATTACHED FORM, AND ANY OTHER NECESSARY DOCUMENTS, IN A
FORM ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, FOR THE ACCEPTANCE,
IMPLEMENTATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF SAID GRANT, AND THE
ACCEPTANCE AND APPROPRIATION OF SAID MATCHING FUNDS,
SUBJECT ONLY TO BUDGETARY APPROVAL.
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13-00176 Summary Form.pdf
13-00176 John S. & James L. Knight Foundation.pdf
13-00176 Legislation.pdf
13-00176 Exhibit 1.pdf
This Matter was ADOPTED on the Consent Agenda.
Votes: Ayes: 3 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff and Carollo
Absent: 2 - Commissioner(s) Suarez and Spence -Jones
R-13-0076
CA.3 RESOLUTION
13-00175
Department of Public A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
Facilities ATTACHMENT(S), ESTABLISHING A NEW SPECIAL REVENUE FUND
ENTITLED " NEA GRANT -OUR TOWN 2012-2013" ("PROJECT"), IN THE
AMOUNT OF $50,000, CONSISTING OF A GRANT FROM THE NATIONAL
ENDOWMENT OF THE ARTS; AUTHORIZING THE ALLOCATION OF THE
REQUIRED MATCHING OF NON-FEDERAL FUNDS AND IN -KIND
SERVICES, IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $50,000, FOR A TOTAL
PROJECT COST NOT TO EXCEED $100,000; AUTHORIZING THE CITY
MANAGER TO EXECUTE ANY AND ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS, IN A
FORM ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, FOR THE ACCEPTANCE,
IMPLEMENTATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF SAID GRANT, THE
EXECUTION OF THE GRANT BASED ON THE AWARD LETTER AND
GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS ATTACHED, AND THE ACCEPTANCE
AND APPROPRIATION OF SAID MATCHING FUNDS, SUBJECT ONLY TO
BUDGETARY APPROVAL.
13-00175 Summary Form.pdf
13-00175 Letter - Grant Award.pdf
13-00175 Legislation.pdf
13-00175 Exhibit 1.pdf
CA.4
13-00177
This Matter was ADOPTED on the Consent Agenda.
Votes: Ayes: 3 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff and Carollo
Absent: 2 - Commissioner(s) Suarez and Spence -Jones
R-13-0077
RESOLUTION
Department of A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
Fire -Rescue ATTACHMENT(S), PURSUANT TO SECTION 18-82 (A) OF THE CODE OF
THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS AMENDED, CLASSIFYING SIXTY (60)
BUNKER GEAR SETS, EIGHTY-ONE (81) HELMETS, FIFTY-EIGHT (58)
PAIRS OF BOOTS AND MISCELLANEOUS AMKUS EXTRACTION TOOLS,
WITH NO APPRECIABLE RESALE VALUE, AS "CATEGORY A" SURPLUS
STOCK; APPROVING SAID ITEMS TO BE DONATED TO BARTOW MEDICAL
AND FIRE ACADEMY ("BARTOW"), WHO AGREES TO ACCEPT SAID
DONATION AND BECOME THE SOLE PROPERTY OWNER, WITH SAID
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DATED PROPERTY BEENING DEEMED BEYOND VIABLE USE FOR CITY
OF MIAMI PURPOSES AND ITS DONATION TO BARTOW GREATLY AIDING
THEIR PROGRAM FOR THE TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION OF
STUDENTS WORKING TOWARDS BECOMING VOLUNTEER
FIREFIGHTERS.
13-00177 Summary Form.pdf
13-00177 Donation of Equipment for Bartow.pdf
13-00177 Legislation.pdf
13-00177 Exhibit 1.pdf
This Matter was ADOPTED on the Consent Agenda.
Votes: Ayes: 3 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff and Carollo
Absent: 2 - Commissioner(s) Suarez and Spence -Jones
R-13-0078
Adopted the Consent Agenda
Motion by Vice Chair Gort, seconded by Commissioner Carollo, including all the preceding
items marked as having been adopted on the Consent Agenda. The motion carried by the
following vote:
Votes: Ayes: 3 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff and Carollo
Absent: 2 - Commissioner(s) Suarez and Spence -Jones
END OF CONSENT AGENDA
Chair Sarnoff: Okay, so now we are up to PH.1, CDBG (Community Development Block Grant)
obligation.
Commissioner Carollo: Aren't we doing the CA (Consent Agenda) items?
Chair Sarnoff: Oh, I'm sorry. My apologies. I wasn't sure we had CAs.
Commissioner Carollo: I'm sorry, Chairman. I want to move this sucker along.
Chair Sarnoff: No, you're right. All right, so u'e have CA.1 through 4. Does anybody wish to
pull any CA items? All right, is there a motion on the CAs?
Vice Chair Gort: Move it.
Chair Sarnoff: We have --
Commissioner Carollo: Second.
Chair Sarnoff: -- a motion by Commissioner Gort, second by Commissioner Carollo. Any
discussion? Hearing no discussion, all in favor, please say aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
9:00 A.M.
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
PH.1 RESOLUTION
13-00178
Department of A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
Community and ATTACHMENT(S), AUTHORIZING THE DE -OBLIGATION OF COMMUNITY
Economic DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT ("CDBG") FUNDS FROM THE LITTLE HAITI
Development HOUSING ASSOCIATION, INC., IN THE AMOUNT OF $53,000; ALLOCATING
SAID FUNDS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT CDBG ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT RESERVE ACCOUNT
FOR FUTURE ACTIVITIES, AS SPECIFIED IN EXHIBIT "A", ATTACHED AND
INCORPORATED; AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE
NECESSARY DOCUMENTS, IN A FORM ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY
ATTORNEY, FOR SAID PURPOSE.
13-00178 Summary Form.pdf
13-00178 Notice to the Public.pdf
13-00178 Pre-Legislation.pdf
13-00178 Legislation.pdf
13-00178 Exhibit 1.pdf
Motion by Vice Chair Gort, seconded by Commissioner Carollo, that this matter be
ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 3 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnotfand Carollo
Absent: 2 - Commissioner(s) Suarez and Spence -Jones
R-13-0079
Chair Sarnoff Okay, now we have PH 1.
George Mensah: Good afternoon, Commissioners. George Mensah, director of Community
Development. PH.1 is a resolution authorizing the deobligation of Community Development
Block Grants from Little Haiti Housing Association in the amount of 53,000.
Chair Sarnoff Is there a motion?
Vice Chair Gort: Move it.
Chair Sarnoff: Public hearing. We have a motion. Let's get the second.
Commissioner Carollo: Second.
Chair Sarnoff: We have a second. This is a public hearing. Anybody wishing to be heard on
PH.1, PH.1, please step up. This is deallocation of the Haiti Housing Association, in the amount
of $53, 000. Hearing none, seeing none, the public hearing is now closed, coming back to this
Commission. Any discussion, gentlemen? Hearing no discussion, all in favor then, please say
aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
PH.2 RESOLUTION
13-00179
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
Department of
Community and
Economic
Development
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION AUTHORIZING THE
ACCEPTANCE OF STATE HOUSING INITIATIVES PARTNERSHIP ("SHIP")
FUNDS, IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF $100,743, FOR FISCAL YEAR
2012-2013, FOR THE STRATEGIES UNDER THE CURRENT SHIP LOCAL
HOUSING ASSISTANCE PLAN; AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO
EXECUTE THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS, IN A FORM ACCEPTABLE TO
THE CITY ATTORNEY, FOR SAID PURPOSE(S).
13-00179 Summary Form.pdf
13-00179 Notice to the Public.pdf
13-00179 Pre-Legislations.pdf
13-00179 Legislation.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Carollo, seconded by Commissioner Spence -Jones, that this
matter be ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 3 - Commissioner(s) Gott, Sarnoff and Spence -Jones
Absent: 2 - Commissioner(s) Carollo and Suarez
R-13-0080
Chair Sarnoff: PH.2.
George Mensah (Director, Community Development): PH2 is authorizing the acceptance of
State Housing Initiative Partnership funds, in the total amount of 100, 743, for fiscal year 2012 to
2013.
Chair Sarnoff: Okay. PH.2, is there a motion?
Commissioner Carollo: So move.
Chair Sarnoff: We have a motion by Commissioner Carollo, second by Commissioner
Spence -Jones. It's a public hearing. Anybody wishing to be heard, PH.2. It is SHIP (State
Housing Initiative Partnership Program), in the amount of $100,743. Hearing none, seeing
none, the public hearing is now closed. Any discussion?
Commissioner Carollo: Mr. Chairman.
Chair Sarnoff: You're recognized for the record, then Commissioner Spence -Jones.
Commissioner Carollo: Thank you. Ijust want to verify. Are these findings [sic] already
spoken for or can it be discussed to see, you know, what's the best way to use these fundings
[sic]? I know it's only 100, 000, but 100,000 still.
Mr. Mensah: Yeah. These -- typically, we have strategies that we've already been approve by
Commission and these are typically used for homeowner rehabilitation and it will help maybe
three homeowners because we provide up to $35,000.
Commissioner Carollo: Have the three homeowners been identified already?
Mr. Mensah: No, no. It's part of our -- we have a wait list that we have to go through.
Commissioner Carollo: Okay.
Chair Sarnoff: Commissioner Spence -Jones, you're recognized fbr the record.
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Commissioner Spence -Jones: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The only thing that I wanted to
mention, George, I think it's really important for you to maybe perhaps put on the record any
updates on the HUD (Department ofHnusing and Urban Development) issue 'cause we can't
talk as a group but we can talk you know, as a group here. Any updates at all on the HUD
timeliness spending issue?
Mr. Mensah: Yes. I believe in the last Commission meeting, we did discuss a little bit about
timeliness, and we did indicate that HUD gave us an opportunity to talk to them. We had a
conference call with the Manager and the Mayor on Tuesday, I believe, at 12 p.m. We spoke to
HUD and we explained to HUD the reason why we did not meet the timeliness test, and we
explained to them what we are doing to ensure that the timeliness test is met by next year. We
know that they will get back to us within two weeks, but we had the assurance from the district
office, I believe Mr. Manager, that they will recommend that we get our full funding.
Johnny Martinez (City Manager): The district administrator said that they were not in favor (if.
recapturing any, funds from us, but they would officially let us know in two weeks.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Okay, good. So it was a good conversation. I think it was
important for all of the Commissioners and the public to know, you know, that we're not going to
have that as an issue.
Mr. Mensah: Yes. Thank you.
Chair Sarnoff.' All right. All in favor, please say iye'bn PH.2.
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Chair Sarnoff: All right, we have a unanimous (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
Vice Chair Gort: Let me add a little something, George. I want you to know when the -- when it
came out in the newspaper that we had $5 million we were going to lose, I got, I think it was,
about 100 calls of people telling me, look, I have this -- how we can use it and so on. So it's
important -- and I'm glad, Commissioner, you brought it up, for the people to understand that
funds don't go that easy, okay. They have certain restriction. Thank you.
Mr. Mensah: Yes. Thank you.
END OF PUBLIC HEARINGS
ORDINANCES - SECOND READING
SR.1 ORDINANCE Second Reading
12-01418
Department of AN ORDINANCE OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION AMENDING CHAPTER
Building 10/ARTICLE 1 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS
AMENDED, ("CITY CODE") ENTITLED "BUILDINGS/IN GENERAL", MORE
PARTICULARLY BY CREATING A NEW SECTION 10-6, TO RATIFY THE
BUILDING OFFICIAL'S SCHEDULE OF ELEVATOR/ESCALATOR FEES AND
FINES FOR NON-COMPLIANCE FOR INCLUSION IN CHAPTER 10 OF THE
CITY CODE; CONTAINING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE AND PROVIDING FOR
AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
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12-01418 Summary Form SR.pdf
12-01418 State Statute FR/SR.pdf
12-01418 Dade County Fees FR/SR.pdf
12-01418 State Interagency Agrmt. FR/SR.pdf
12-01418 Legislation FR/SR.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Spence -Jones, seconded by Vice Chair Gort, that this matter be
ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 3 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff and Spence -Jones
Absent: 2 - Commissioner(s) Carollo and Suarez
13365
Chair Sarnoff: All right, SR.1. SR.1, Mr. Manager.
Mariano Fernandez: Mr. Chairman, this is a -- Mariano Fernandez, Building director. This is a
second reading for the ordinance to codify what the City of Miami is charging for elevators.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: So moved.
Chair Sarnoff: We have a motion by Commissioner Spence -Jones, a second --
Tice Chair Gort: Second.
Chair Sarnoff: -- by Commissioner Gort. This is a public hearing. Anybody wishing to be
heard on SR.1, SR.1, elevators and escalators, I think, corning up? Hearing none, seeing none,
the public hearing is now closed, coming back to this Commission. Madam City Attorney, it is
an ordinance.
The Ordinance was read by title into the public record by the City Attorney.
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): Your roll call on item SR.1.
A roll call was taken, the result of which is stated above.
Mr. Hannon: The ordinance passes on second reading, 3-0.
Mr. Fernandez: Thank you.
SR.2 ORDINANCE Second Reading
13-00058
Office of Management AN ORDINANCE OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION AMENDING CHAPTER
and Budget 18/ARTICLE VIII, OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS
AMENDED ("CITY CODE"), ENTITLED "FINANCE/STORMWATER UTILITY
FEES AND FUNDS", MORE PARTICULARLY BY AMENDING ARTICLE VIII,
ENTITLED "STORMWATER UTILITY FEES AND FUND" BY CHANGING THE
TITLE TO "STORMWATER UTILITY FEES" AND CHANGING THE
EXCLUSIVE USE OF STORMWATER UTILITY FEES COLLECTED FROM
THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS TO BE USED FOR THE GENERAL
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM; FURTHER AMENDING THE
ARTICLE TO COMPORT WITH SAID PURPOSE; AND AMENDING CHAPTER
22.5/ ARTICLE VI, OF THE CITY CODE ENTITLED "SOIL EROSION,
WATERWAY SEDIMENTATION, AND AIRBORNE DUST GENERATION
CONTROL", TO ALLOW FOR THE MONIES COLLECTED TO BE PLACED
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
INTO A DESIGNATED ACCOUNT IN THE GENERAL FUND; CONTAINING A
SEVERABILITY CLAUSE AND PROVIDING FOR AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE
DATE.
13-00058 Summary Form SR.pdf
13-00058 Legislation (Version 2) SR.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Spence -Jones, seconded by Vice Chair Gort, that this matter be
ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 4 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff, Suarez and Spence -Jones
Absent: 1 - Commissioner(s) Carollo
13366
Chair Sarnoff: SR.2
Daniel Alfonso (Director): Danny Alfonso, Office of Management and Budget. SR.2 is an
ordinance to amend the descriptions --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: So moved.
Chair Sarnoff: We have a motion --
Vice Chair Gort: Second.
Chair Sarnoff • -- by Commissioner Spence -Jones, second by Commissioner Gort. It's a public
hearing. Anybody wishing to be heard on SR.2, SR.2, please step up. Hearing none, seeing
none, coming back to this Commission. Any discussion? Hearing no discussion, Madam City
Attorney, it is an ordinance.
The Ordinance was read by title into the public record by the City Attorney.
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): Roll call on item SR.2.
A roll call was taken, the result of which is stated above.
Mr. Hannon: The ordinance passes on second reading, 4-0.
SR.3 ORDINANCE Second Reading
12-01452
Department ofPublic AN ORDINANCE OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION AMENDING CHAPTER
Facilities 53/ARTICLE I/ OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS
AMENDED, ENTITLED "STADIUMS AND CONVENTION CENTERS/IN
GENERAL," MORE PARTICULARLY BY AMENDING SECTION 53-1,
ENTITLED "TICKET SURCHARGE ON PAID ADMISSIONS TO EVENTS", TO
INCLUDE CITY OF MIAMI ("CITY") OWNED MARINAS AS CITY FACILITIES
FOR PURPOSES OF REQUIRING A TICKET SURCHARGE ON PAID
ADMISSIONS TO SIGHTSEEING BOAT TOURS; CONTAINING A
SEVERABILITY CLAUSE AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
13-01452 Summary Form SR.pdf
13-01452 Mooring & Dockage Agrmt. SR.pdf
13-01452 Legislation (Version 2) SR.pdf
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
Motion by Vice Chair Gort, seconded by Commissioner Spence -Jones, that this matter be
ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 3 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff and Spence -Jones
Absent: 2 - Commissioner(s) Carollo and Suarez
13367
Chair Sarnoff: All right, so we have SR --
Commissioner Carollo: 4.
Chair Sarnaff: -- 3.
Mr. Torre: 3.
Chair Sarnoff 3, yeah, I think it's where we left off.
Mr. Torre: Henry Torre, director of Public Facilities. SR.3 is an ordinance commending City
code Chapter 53, establishing a ticket surcharge for sightseeing tour boats at Miami Marina.
Vice Chair Gort: Move it.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Second.
Chair Sarnoff.• We have a motion and we have a second.
Mr. Torre: SR.3.
Chair Sarnaff: SR.3 is a public hearing. Anyone from the public wishing to be heard on SR.3,
please step up. SR.3. Hearing none, seeing none, coining back to this Commission. Madam
City Attorney, it is an ordinance.
The Ordinance was read by title into the public record by the City Attorney.
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): Roll call on item SR.3.
A roll call was taken, the result of which is stated above.
Mr. Hannon: The ordinance passes on second reading, 3-0.
SR.4 ORDINANCE Second Reading
12-01316
Miami Parking AN ORDINANCE OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION AMENDING CHAPTER
Authority 35/ARTICLE IV OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS
AMENDED, ENTITLED "MOTOR VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC/PARKING
RATES," MORE PARTICULARLY BY AMENDING SECTIONS 35-191
THROUGH 35-196, TO UPDATE RATES AND FACILITIES; CONTAINING A
SEVERABILITY CLAUSE AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
12-01316 Summary Form SR.pdf
12-01316 Legislation (Version 2) FR/SR.pdf
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
Motion by Commissioner Spence -Jones, seconded by Vice Chair Gort, that this matter be
ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 3 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff and Spence -Jones
Noes: 1 - Commissioner(s) Carollo
Absent: 1 - Commissioner(s) Suarez
13368
Chair Sarnoff: SR.4.
ArtNoriega: Good afternoon. ArtNoriega, Miami Parking Authority. This item is a -- an
amendment to the -- to article -- Chapter 35/Article 4, Code of Miami, as relates to motor
vehicles and traffic and parking rates.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: So moved.
Chair Sarnoff We have a motion by Commissioner Spence -Jones and --
Tice Chair Gort: Second.
Chair Sarnoff: -- a second by Commissioner Gort. It is a public hearing. Anybody wishing to
he heard on SR.4, SR.4, please step up. Hearing none, seeing none, coming hack to this
Commission. Any discussion? Hearing no discussion, Madam City Attorney, it is an ordinance.
The Ordinance was read by title into the public record by the City Attorney.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: So moved.
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): Commissioner Carallo, would you like to be included on this
vote?
Commissioner Carollo: Yes.
Mr. Hannon: Okay, sir.
Commissioner Carollo: Yes, I would like to be included in the vote.
Mr. Hannon: Roll call on item SR.4. Commissioner Carollo?
Commissioner Carollo: Nope.
Mr. Hannon: Vice Chair Gort?
Vice Chair Gort: Yes.
Mr. Hannon: Commissioner Spence -Jones?
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Yes.
Mr. Hannon: Chair Sarnoff?
Chair Sarnoff Yes.
Mr. Hannon: The ordinance passes on second reading, 3-1.
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
SR.5
13-00108
ORDINANCE
Second Reading
Miami Parking AN ORDINANCE OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION AMENDING CHAPTER
Authority 54/ ARTICLE I/SECTION 54-9 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI,
FLORIDA, AS AMENDED, ENTITLED "STREETS AND SIDEWALKS/ IN
GENERAL/ PLACING SIGNS ON ANY PORTION OF THE PUBLIC
RIGHT-OF-WAY, STREET, OR SIDEWALK SURFACE, MORE
PARTICULARLY BY AMENDING SUBSECTION (A) TO ALLOW THE
DEPARTMENT OF OFF-STREET PARKING OF THE CITY OF MIAMI
("DOSP") TO PROCURE CERTAIN SIGNAGE SUBJECT TO SPECIFIED
TERMS, CONDITIONS AND LIMITATIONS; FURTHER ADDING A NEW
SUBSECTION (G) TO PERMIT THE PLACEMENT OF SIGNAGE OR
ADVERTISEMENTS ON CITY OF MIAMI OWNED, OR DOSP OWNED,
PARKING METERS AND/OR PARKING PAYMENT MACHINES WITHIN THE
PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY; CONTAINING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE AND
PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE
13-00108 Summary Form SR.pdf
13-00108 Legislation (Version 2) SR.pdf
DISCUSSED
Chair Sarnoff: SR.5.
Art Noriega: SR.5. As we referenced in the first reading, there was some -- it was a
much -discussed item relative to specific language within the amendment, as well as some
suggestions made both by the public as well as the dais. And we subsequently went back, made
revisions to the section, as well as modified the mockup, which I present here. It's in front of you.
More specifically, the changes we made, as we were specifically instructed, relate to limitations
on the advertisements, more specifically the size, the type of advertising, as well as --
Vice Chair Gort: Show it to the public.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: And there was ads in the public message interest only.
Mr. Noriega: Yeah, and the fact that the ads would get rotated on a quarterly basis. That was
the third item.
Vice Chair Gort: Can you explain about the map?
Mr. Noriega: Yeah. hi this particular example, the purpose initially was to identify an
opportunity to sort of combine both potential revenue stream, which would certainly offset some
of the costs associated with maintaining and replacing our equipment on street, but as well as a
public service component. So we -- after some discussions with the organization that initially
presented this idea to us, we put together a walking map, one of which already really exists in the
Grove. So the idea was this would be instituted as a pilot program. The walking map would
obviously serve a public service as well as, if you look at the bottom third of what'll be the future
wrap around the meter, we've put a section in for• community events as well as key phone
numbers so that this really, really is providing a public service as well as a potential income
stream. We really reduced the size of the advertising hased on the feedback we got. We think this
is a pretty fair compromise to a lot of the suggestions made and, in general, really kind of meets
all of the criteria as per the recommendations at our last meeting.
Chair Sarnoff: All right. Is there a motion?
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
Commissioner Spence -Jones: So moved.
Vice Chair Gort: Second.
Chair Sarnoff • We have a motion by --
Peter Ehrlich: Is this a public hearing?
Chair Sarnoff: Yeah. It's an ordinance. We have a motion by Commissioner Spence -Jones,
second by Commissioner Gort. It's a public hearing. Anyone from the public wishing to be
heard, please step up.
Mr. Ehrlich: Yes. Good evening, Mr. Chair, Commissioners. My name is Peter Ehrlich, 770
Northeast 69th Street. I'm speaking in opposition to this item. My first comment is this really
should he being heard as a first reading item and not a second reading since the hulk of the item
has been completely changed. The main paragraph that's in your handout for second reading is
ahnost completely new from the item that was noticed and provided to the public on first reading
a month ago. In addition, if you're going to go through with this, we ask that you not put as on
parking meters, which is what is written here in your legislation for second reading. If you have
to do it, at least just do it on parking pay machines and not on parking meters, as the language
in the legislation asks. In addition, I didn't see any reference to what the signs would actually he
on these things, at least in the legislation. We ask that you not use any lighting other than the
normal street lighting that exists on the streets. The legislation should state that these do not
become LED (Light -Emitting Diode) billboards. We didn't see that in the legislation. There
didn't seem to any limit on the size -- in the legislation of the size of these ads or the quantity.
There could be hundreds on each block or thousands in each neighborhood. If ,you're going to
approve it -- and I advise against it -- you should at least have a limit on the number of ads per
machine or limit on the number in each neighborhood. Otherwise, you're just increasing the
amount of visual pollution. Thank you very much.
Chair Sarnoff: Mr. Noriega, the one thing I do agree with having been said was you did put
parking meters there. Is there any reason you need to use language of parking meters?
Mr. Noriega: No. 1 mean, it can just be pay stations.
Chair Sarnoff: What --
Mr. Noriega: That was sort of just to catch it.
Chair Sarnoff: As part of the legislative history of this, what is -- what do you call these things,
parking kiosk payment machines?
Mr. Noriega: Parking payment machines.
Chair Sarnoff: Parking payment -- So ifI go to put a credit card in something, that is a parking
payment machine?
Mr. Noriega: Correct.
Chair Sarnoff: And that is what you want to put --
Mr. Noriega: What we -- what 1 think he's referencing -- and 1 would be happy to make that
amendment -- would he any single-space meter, is what he's really referencing. Because
technically, single-space meters can take credit cards now too. The technology exists. So I
wouldn't tie it back to a credit card transaction. I'd just say it's not allowed in any single-space
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meter. How about that?
Chair Sarnoff Just for my own sake, what's the model number of the machines you have? K-37
-- I don't know.
Mr. Noriega: Well, we have three different vendors --
Chair Sarnof f: Okay.
Mr. Noriega: -- within the City of Miami, so they're all referred to as different -- we have
Digitals, we have MacKays, we have (UNINTELLIGIBLE). They're all different manufacturers,
so I couldn't tie it to that either, but --
Chair Sarnof f: So -- but we're only talking about the ones that replace the parking meters.
Mr. Noriega: Correct.
Chair Sarnoff.' In other words, you don't have parking meters --
Mr. Noriega: They're pay stations that address multiple --
Vice Chair Gort: Pay station.
Chair Sarnoff. Okay, and then --
Mr. Noriega: They're multi -space machines.
Chair Sarnoff: -- I've never seen hundreds of these on streets. Usually, it's two on a street.
Mr. Noriega: Most we ever have on any one block is two, correct.
Chair Sarnof f: So there couldn't he hundreds on streets.
Mr. Noriega: No.
Chair Sarnoff. Okay. Do you have any intention --?
Mr. Noriega: We only have hundreds citywide, basically, yeah.
Chair Sarnoff: Right. Do you have any intentions of backlighting these things?
Mr. Noriega: We don't -- they don't have the power to be able to do that. We barely can power
the machine with the solar power --
Chair Sarnoff Would you --
Mr. Noriega: -- we use now.
Chair Sarnoff: -- concede, for purposes of an amendment, that these would not be backlit
(UNINTELLIGIBLE) --?
Mr. Noriega: Absolutely.
Chair Sarnoff. Okay. Would the maker of the motion accept that amendment? Would the --
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Vice Chair Gort: Yes.
Chair Sarnoff: -- seconder accept? All right. Anybody else in the public wishing to he heard?
Go ahead.
Ginger Vela: Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Ginger Vela, and I live at 920 Northeast
86th Street. And I would like to reiterate what Peter said, especially the fact that I think this
should he a first hearing because it's so different. I actually sent an e-mail (electronic) this
morning, hut it may have been a little hit late, so maybe some of ,you didn't get it. Because this is
so substantially changed from the first thing that you had on the agenda, that I think it should be
really a first hearing and a not a second. Thank you.
Chair Sarnoff: Thank you. All right, Commissioner Suarez, you're recognized.
Commissioner Suarez: Yeah. I was just going to say that I got a couple of calls on that issue,
that specific issue, that the legislation has changed very dramatically from first to second
reading, and that it should be -- if we vote on it today, it should be voted on as a first reading. I
don't see the harm in doing that. I don't know if anyone else has any issue with that. So that's --
that was one issue. The second issue is, the way that it looks there, to me looks -- I guess I
shouldn't just say things off the cuff 'cause everything here has to be measured, but it looks pretty
harmless. But I can understand that there is a suspicion in everything that we do in terms of
wanting to proliferate advertising. So I guess I share the concern that there -- I don't know if the
legislation actually limits size -wise how many ads, etcetera, etcetera.
Mr. Noriega: It doesn't limit the size of the ads. It liminates [sic] the size of the advertising
section to one-third of the face --
Commissioner Suarez: One-third of the whole thing.
Mr. Noriega: -- which is demonstrated here, correct.
Commissioner Suarez: Which is -- that's the full one-third?
Mr. Noriega: Correct.
Commissioner Suarez: So you couldn't -- I mean, it doesn't matter how many ads you cram in
there, but it's -- you -- that --
Mr. Noriega: No. It could he one ad or --
Commissioner Suarez: Right.
Mr. Noriega: -- divide that space into three ads or six ads.
Commissioner Suarez: Three or six or --
Mr. Noriega: But it's all going to be confined in the same --
Commissioner Suarez: Okay.
Mr. Noriega: -- geometry, so to speak.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Mr. --
Chair Sarnoff: Go ahead. You're recognized.
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Commissioner Spence -Jones: Mr. Chairman, I would he more than willing, if fmy fellow
colleague wants to make this a first reading because he would like to have more time to --
because this item has changed a bit. Is that your recommendation?
Commissioner Suarez: 1 think it's changed completely from --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Okay.
Commissioner Suarez: -- the, first reading --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: So I don't have a problem --
Commissioner Suarez: -- in terms of draft.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: -- with that, Mr. Chairman. I just want to be clear about, you
know, my role and my support of the project. To my understanding, this is supporting a lot of
businesses that are in the area. These small businesses, any advertisement that they can get to,
you know, draw people to their restaurants, that's what we're trying to do. So I support the small
businesses or the businesses in the area 100 percent, so that's the reason why I'm supporting the
item. I do understand Peter's and his group concern about having too much. of it --
Mr. Noriega: Sure.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: -- and wanting to have more time to delve into the ordinance. I
don't have a problem with making the adjustment on that until the next meeting, so I don't have a
problem with -- ifvnu need me to withdraw or amend or whatever way you want me to do it, Mr.
Chairman, I'm cool with that.
Chair Sarnoff: Commissioner Gorts recognized.
Vice Chair Gort: My understanding also is --for example, in my district, I have the Health
District, where they have several hospital and several courts and facilities that people have to
visit, and they're all around with a cluster of a couple of blocks. A lot of people will park and
will not he aware -- my understanding is this map will show the locations where people can go to
Mr. Noriega: Correct.
Vice Chair Gort: -- besides all the other benefit. Now, Madam Attorney, in checking with you,
my understanding is -- and correct me if I'm wrong -- the changes that were made here, that it
was made at ow request.
Mr. Noriega: Correct.
Vice Chair Gort: We're the one that requested to make those changes. 1 don't think there's that
major -- and I keep hearing -- getting e-mail that we are listening to this illegally, so I want your
opinion on this two items.
Julie O. Bru (City Attorney): If, as a matter of policy, the Commission wants to consider this a
first reading and hring it hack again, you may do so as a matter of policy. Legally, under the
case law, under the test, you're not required to do because the ordinance -- the general intent of
the ordinance, the general purpose of the ordinance, continues to he the same. It's to authorize
the placement of advertising in parking structures. It's just been refined, amended, nuanced, but
the general purpose is the same. So, legally, you're not required to. If as a matter of policy you
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want to, that's a policy decision.
Mr. Noriega: Yeah, ifI may, Mr. Chair. I think that far purposes of -- and Commissioner Suarez
-- I think that certainly the overall intent hasn't changed a bit. 1 mean, we haven't modified what
our initial goal was. I think we modified it in terms of the scope and redefined it specifically as a
result of the commentary made at our last public meeting, and we came back specifically with
those recommendations. We didn't deviate from that, so we didn't modify the intent. So I would
certainly appreciate at least some further consideration to this being a second reading, as
opposed to a first.
Chair Sarnoff • And if you remember, I think I said -- I don't know about you all, but there are
certain people you feel more comfortable here at the City as presenters than others. And I think
Art Noriega has, at least in my mind, earned my respect that when he says he's going to do
something, he pretty well does it, and that's, I think, what I said at the last meeting, so I was
comfortable with him making the change at the meeting and coming before us. Now, if we want
to bring Art Noriega back for one of our long sessions on another day -- and that's okay with me.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: I will yield to Commissioner Suarez because if a fellow
Commissioner has made a statement and is concerned about something, then, you know, I would
respect you guys the same way so --
Commissioner Suarez: You know, 1 think I agree with what Art said, that the -- what Mr. Noriega
said, that the objective has not changed, but the substance of the ordinance has changed in terms
of its drafting. And I think if citizens -- it's really not about Commissioner Suarez. If citizens are
expressing a desire to want to have a second crack at the apple -- for lack of a better word -- and
we're already making modifications, we're kind of making modifications to it here even on second
reading in terms of it -- you know, making it a better legislation, not -- it not being backlit,
etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: So I support you and the citizens.
Commissioner Suarez: Yeah. I just don't -- I don't think it's such a big deal. Sometimes a minor
request turns into --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: And not that I don't support Art.
Commissioner Suarez: -- what appears to a major request. But I think Commissioner Carollo
has had to deal with that sometimes too.
Commissioner Carollo: Mr. --
Chair Sarnoff.' What does the sec --? Well, let me find out what the seconder wants to do.
Commissioner Carollo: Mr. Chairman, it's a minor request.
Vice Chair Gort: I want to listen to everybody. 1 mean, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) --
Chair Sarnoff.' Go ahead. You're recognized.
Commissioner Carollo: It's a minor request. Just --
Chair Sarnoff: What's that?
Commissioner Carollo: It's a minor request. I --
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Chair Sarnoff: No. I -- Commissioner, I just want to make sure the seconder's okay with it.
That's all. All right, so apparently we're on a first reading. All right, so Madam City -- public
hearing is now closed' Mr. Clerk. Madam City Attorney, it is an ordinance on first reading.
Commissioner Suarez: Thank you.
Ms. Bru: Okay. And who was the mover on first reading?
Commissioner Suarez: Good question.
Chair Sarnoff • First reading, Commissioner Spence -Jones, and the seconder was Commissioner
Gort.
Ms. Bru: Okay. And this would he amending Chapter 54/Article I, Section 54-9, of the Code of
the City ofMiami, Florida, as amended' entitled --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: But Commissioner Gort is not here.
Commissioner Carollo: He could still --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Is he second --?
Commissioner Suarez: It's all right.
Chair Sarnoff: He could still second and leave.
Commissioner Carollo: Yeah.
Commissioner Suarez: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Chair Sarnoff: In utter disgust.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: But did he second for this change?
Commissioner Carollo: He can second and leave without voting --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: But he --
Commissioner Carollo: -- is my understanding.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Did he second and leave?
Ms. Bru: Todd.
Commissioner Suarez: Yeah, yeah, yeah. It okay, it's okay. Let's go.
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): Chair, Commissioners, yes. The --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Okay. Ijust want to make sure. I'm sitting on the side of him; I
didn't hear it, but go ahead.
Chair Sarnoff: Yeah. His mike wasn't on, but it was -- we heard.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Oh, okay.
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The Ordinance was read by title into the public record by the City Attorney.
Ms. Bru: And I believe that that was amended to delete reference to the parking meters.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Yes.
Mr. Hannon: Roll call on a first reading ordinance. Commissioner Carollo?
Commissioner Carollo: No.
Mr. Hannon: Commissioner Suarez?
Commissioner Suarez: Yes, on first.
Mr. Hannon: Vice Chair Gort?
Tice Chair Gort: No.
Mr. Hannon: I'm sorry, sir, no?
Commissioner Suarez: I think he was pretty clear.
Mr. Hannon: Commissioner Spence -Jones?
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Why'd you second it? Second -- I mean, yes.
Vice Chair Gort: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) first reading.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Right.
Mr. Hannon: Chair SarnofJ?
Chair Sarnoff: Yes.
Mr. Hannon: The ordinance passes on first reading, as amended, 3-2.
END OF ORDINANCES - SECOND READINGS
ORDINANCES - FIRST READINGS
FR.1 ORDINANCE First Reading
13-00188
Department of AN ORDINANCE OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION AMENDING CHAPTER
Purchasing 18/ARTICLE III OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS
AMENDED, ENTITLED "FINANCE/ CITY OF MIAMI PROCUREMENT
ORDINANCE", MORE PARTICULARLY BY AMENDING SECTION 18-72
ENTITLED "APPLICATION AND EXCLUSIONS," TO UPDATE OBSOLETE
INFORMATION WITH CURRENT INFORMATION AND TO ADD SEVERAL
EXCLUSIONS; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 18-73 ENTITLED
"DEFINITIONS," TO ADD SEVERAL NEW DEFINED TERMS AND TO
UPDATE SEVERAL EXISTING DEFINED TERMS; CONTAINING A
SEVERABILITY CLAUSE AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
FR.2
13-00194
13-00188 Summary Form FR.pdf
13-00188 Local Office Definitions - Municipal Comparisons FR.pdf
13-00188 Legislation (Version 2) FR.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Carollo, seconded by Vice Chair Gort, that this matter be
CONTINUED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 3 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff and Carollo
Absent: 2 - Commissioner(s) Suarez and Spence -Jones
ORDINANCE
First Reading
District2- AN ORDINANCE OF THE MIAMI COMMISSION AMENDING CHAPTER
Commissioner Marc 18/ARTICLE III OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS
David Sarzzoff AMENDED, ENTITLED "FINANCE/ CITY OF MIAMI PROCUREMENT
ORDINANCE", MORE PARTICULARLY BY AMENDING SECTION 18-94,
ENTITLED "QUALIFICATIONS AND DUTIES OF CONTRACTUAL PARTIES",
TO PROVIDE FOR A DETERMINATION OF RESPONSIBILITY, AND
SECTION 18-95, ENTITLED "DETERMINATION OF RESPONSIBILITY", TO
PROVIDE THAT A PROSPECTIVE CONTRACTUAL PARTY DECLARED IN
DEFAULT OF A CITY OF MIAMI ("CITY") CONTRACT OR OWING MONEY TO
THE CITY WILL BE DETERMINED AS NONRESPONSIBLE; CONTAINING A
SEVERABILITY CLAUSE AND PROVIDING FOR AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE
DATE.
13-00194 Legislation (Version 2) SR.pdf
Motion by Chair Sarnoff, seconded by Commissioner Spence -Jones, that this matter be
PASSED ON FIRST READING PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 3 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff and Spence -Jones
Noes: 2 - Commissioner(s) Carollo and Suarez
Chair Sarnoff: Okay. Now we are on FR.2.
Kenneth Robertson: Good afternoon, Commissioner. Kenneth Robertson, Purchasing director.
FR.2 is sponsored by you, Mr. Chairman. I'm not sure if you want to provide a brief
introduction, or if want me to read it into the record?
Chair Sarnoff: I'm going to let you do it, if you don't mind.
Mr. Robertson: Okay. FR.2 is an amendment to the procurement code, Sections 18-94 and
18-95, to provide that a prospective contractual party that has previously been declared in
default of a City of Miami contract or owing money to the City will be determined as
non -responsible unless the full amount of such monies due to the City have either been deposited
with a court of competent jurisdiction or are placed in escrow pursuant to an escrow agreement.
Chair Sarnoff All right. Is there a motion? I'll move my own.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Second for discussion.
Commissioner Carollo: Second far discussion.
Vice Chair Gort: Second. Discussion. You're recognized.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Okay. Ijust wanted to ask you one quick question. I know why
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
you're doing it, and I think it's a great idea. I just wanted to he clear, though. Wouldn't it be
better to put the burden on the bidder, like to put --
Chair Sarnoff: What do you mean?
Commissioner Spence -Jones: -- their money in escrow during the app -- or along with the
application? Make sure you explain it because I think that maybe in our briefings, we were not
clear. It seems as though that -- if a person is bidding, then they should just put the money in
escrow.
Chair Sarnoff • Yeah, and I think that's the -- I think that's what it says, if I'm not mistaken.
Mr. Robertson: The intent of the ordinance is that if they do not put the money in escrow or on
deposit with the court, that they would be found non -responsible.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: But --
Mr. Robertson: So it's their burden of proof to do that first.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Right, but prior to the what? You don't think that this is going to
cause any delays or any confusion on it at all?
Mr. Robertson: It may cause some due diligence processing time when we're reviewing the
proposals because during the advertisement phase, we wouldn't necessarily know who is
proposing. Upon receipt of the proposals, we would need to verify if there are any monies due
the City. If that happens, we would then verify that those monies then are on deposit, either in
escrow or with the court.
Chair Sarnoff • Commissioner Spence -Jones --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Yeah. Can von just --
Chair Sarnoff: -- yeah, I'll try.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: -- elaborate so --? 'Cause I think I'm not the only one that --
Chair Sarnoff: Okay.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: -- wants to he clear on this.
Chair Sarnoff • Here is what it comes down to.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Yes.
Chair Sarnoff: If ,you ever feel like there's a revolving door around here where somebody says
this guy didn't perform, and you'll hear somebody in the background say, Oh, and he didn't
per form in this contract. No, he didn't perform in this contract. And you think to yourself
Private sector, would you ever hire somebody that broke your kitchen sink and then say to him
years later, Oh, come hack and fix my kitchen sink? Of course, you wouldn't. But in the City of
Miami, we do it all the time. And it's simply because we don't have a provision in our code that
says, if you don't perform now, we're not going to have you come hack and ask you to perform
again. And there are safeguards in this so that good faith disputes -- 1 love everybody going to
court. You know why? You got to hire a lawyer; just kidding. But you have your opportunity to
go to court. And if you owe the City money, you still get to be a bidder. You just have to escrow
your money. And you go to court and a court says, you're dead right. Get your money backfi^om
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escrow; City was wrong. On the other hand, the court could go, you know, I think you owe the
City that money. In which case, guess what? You could still win the hid and get your money
back from the Cit -- and get your money becauseynu'll have been successful. So, you know, I
think this is just a little bit of what we talked about earlier when Commissioner Carollo said, I'm
just a little sick and tired of people not performing. This is a good -- by the way, this ordinance
comes from about 70 other municipalities in the United States that, under what they call the good
governance practices, operate that way, but we don't.
Commissioner Carollo: Mr. Chairman.
Tice Chair Gort: Yes, you're recognized.
Commissioner Carollo: Thank you. Listen, I don't pretend to be an expert in this, but I've looked
into it a little hit. And it seems to me that under Section 18-107, we have certain safety nets that
if someone owes us money, we don't need to continue a contract with them or allow them. to hid.
Now again -- and 1 think it's under Section A and number 9. It's contractual party who has
defaulted under the terms of a contract with the City or any of its boards, agencies, trusts,
authorities, councils, or committees, and has failed to cure such default, then it appears to me
that they cannot bid if the City Manager shall also have the authority to disband the contractual
party from consideration for award of City contracts if there's probably cause of disbarment.
And the debarment is that they are a party that are in default with the City. Now it appears like
there's something here already. Again, 1 don't profess to be an expert in this. And then where 1
have a problem with it -- and I said it earlier -- they put the money in escrow and then they bid
again, and let's say it's another contract for five, ten years. I don't know. I don't know if I really
want to, you know, continue doing business with someone that I'm in litigation with, I'm in court
with, I'm fighting with. So, you know, I think, at that point, if they haven't -- if we haven't fixed
our differences by the time that another hid goes out, I think, in all fairness, we need to part our
ways. And let me tell you where it happened, and I'll give you an example where it happened.
And I'm not so sure that in this case we should have parted ways, but we did; with the affordable
housing in the Gusman Theater. The City sued them, and the truth of the matter is, we came to
some agreement that, listen, they didn't owe us extra money. However, they kept doing, you
know, the management all this time. They kept paying us the amounts that, you know, they
thought that they had to pay us, but once we settled with them, we parted ways. And I'm not so
sure we should have parted ways, but anyways, we parted ways. The bottom. line is, if I'm in
litigation with someone 'cause we believe they owe us money, I don't know if I want to allow
them to put it in escrow and continue the litigation on and on and on and then give them another
bite at the apple where they enter another contract for many, many years. Now -- and let me tell
you something, one thing have seen -- and I tell you, in Bayfront Park Management Trust, we
actually -- Listen, you owe us money, there is no bidding. There is no more work with us. There
is no -- there's nothing. And that has caused a lot of companies, a lot of agencies to actually pay
up, so --
Chair Sarnoff: Yeah. I'm not (UNINTELLIGIBLE), so it's up to him.
Vice Chair Gort: Anyone else?
Commissioner Suarez: Oh, yeah. Let me --
Vice Chair Gort: Commissioner Suarez.
Commissioner Carollo: And by the way, discussion is healthy. This is part of discussing it --
Commissioner Suarez: Yeah, yeah.
Chair Sarnoff: I agree.
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Commissioner Carollo: -- you know. This is part of discussing it.
Vice Chair Gort: Commissioner Suarez.
Commissioner Suarez: Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think there's some things about this that I like. I
think there's some things about it that I have issues with. It's a little different from his, actually.
I like, obviously, the fact that we'll he clearly articulating a policy so that there's no issue that
this is political or this is being done to favor one guy or favor the other guy, etcetera, etcetera, so
we all know the rules of the game. And so, obviously, that is something that I favor
tremendously. I almost see it a little bit differentfrom the way you see it in that, Iguess, being a
lawyer -- and I think you're trying to strike a middle ground. When you say people owe money to
the City, that's a determination. That's -- there's finality to what you're saying. You are, in effect,
saying that you've gone through whatever the issue is, whatever the litigation is. You've already
determined that the person owes money. I guess this is why, being a lawyer, you go through the
process, right? What 1 think is unfair is people sue people for everything in this society. We
have the most litigious society that you could ever possibly imagine. And so, for me, I think it's
very cumbersome and -- not cumbersome is the right word. It's very burdensome, I guess, is the
word I'm looking for, to force people to put the money for an unliquidated claim in escrow every
time they're bidding just because somebody thinks they owe money. And I'll give you an
example. It's one thing, let's say -- and not to hring it hack to this thing that we did earlier
today, but it's one thing to say that you awe money -- that they owed money because they hadn't
been paying the money. Let's say they weren't paying for two or three or four months and you
said, Look, these people are not performing; they're not paying. We had a situation like that with
Flagstone, and you were very -- yeah, not to bring up a sore subject for you, but you were very
adamant about it. It's a different thing to say, We think you owe "X, " and they think we owe
"Y, " you know. So you it's -- when you say owe money, you know, we just, all qf a sudden, after
20 years, decided you owe "Y" and not "X. " You owe "Y. " So, you know, it's not that you owe
money in the traditional sense, you haven't been paying, you know, or you've been -- what's
happened with the solid waste, where we went in and audited them and we found out that they
were really underreporting what it was. You know, if these people had come and said, you know,
we're doing much more in sales of our fuel than what we were reporting, that's a whole nother
issue. This is just about applying a standard. So from my perspective, that's the only heartburn
that I have on it. I want to be consistent with my earlier vote and say that I do -- 1 like the fact
that we're being clear and we're making it a policy. I don't like the, fact that on that one item,
which I believe is D2 (District 2), if I'm not mistaken, that if it's an unliquidated claim, you have
to put the money in escrow. And I understand why you would want to put the money in escrow
because it's an unliquidated claim. You want to make sure that you have protection lithe claim
becomes liquidated. You have something to liquidate it against. But I think it just creates -- you
know, it shifts a burden --
Vice Chair Gort: Commissioner Spence -Jones.
Commissioner Suarez: I'm sorry?
Vice Chair Gort: No, no. Go ahead, go ahead.
Commissioner Suarez: No, no. I just think it shifts a burden, you know -- and you know,
anybody can sue anybody for anything, and that's just been my experience so.
Vice Chair Gort: Thank you. Commissioner Spence -Jones, you're recognized.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Again, I second this item 'cause I support Marc's -- the motivation
around why he's doing it and the intentions around why he's doing it, trying to correct obviously
a problem that we have. My original question was really for the Procurement director, which
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was the issue for me around the issue, Marc, was, you know, the cause of delays, so -- you know,
delays of confusion. And you kind of put on the record that, yeah, it would cause some delays
and it would cause, you know -- delays. Pin not going to say confusion. I'll say delays. So if you
could just walk me through. So what happens, let's say, if a person wins the bid, right, Jim -
garbage trucks, they win the bid, but they're disputing -- even though their money is in escrow --
u'hat is owed. What is the next step if the City can't come to an agreement, you know, or the City
then decides -- I'm assuming we'll decide -- they're going to sue them? I mean, like -- I'm just
trying to understand the steps in between. So I win the bid, right? But the City's saying I owe
them for something right. I win it, but now at this point -- there's always heen a dispute 'cause I
told you in the beginning there was a dispute, and the City said that there's a dispute, so what
happens in between? I mean, is -- does that mean everything is in limbo? Does it go to the
second bidder, the third bidder? I mean, how does that work out?
Mr. Robertson: Commissioner, the way we would currently address that -- and we're going
through that situation currently with one of our procurements. After the proposals are received
and tabulated, if there is an issue of monies owed to the City, that's part of our responsibility
verification that we perform currently. Right now our solicitations contain similar language in
the fact that we are confirming right nou' that they are indeed responsible. This ordinance is
attempting to codes that which we already have in our procurement solicitations. Our due
diligence process would not change that much. We would still be confirming the same
information. It's just we're putting into code what we already have in our general terms and
conditions.
Tice Chair Gort: Let me answer your question.
Commissioner Carollo: Yeah, but --
Vice Chair Gort: Your question -- your answer is --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: You're not answering my question really. It's kind of like you went
off --
Vice Chair Gort: To answer your question is, if the person -- my understanding and the attorney
can correct me if I'm wrong. My understanding is, if the person gets the bid, well have to go to
litigation or well have to go to mediation. Whoever wins, if the City wins, we keep the funds.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Yeah, but in the meantime --
Vice Chair Gort: If the other person --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: -- u'e have a roadway project or a --
Commissioner Carollo: Yep.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: -- something, you know, that you're trying to get done in your
district. It's delayed because there's this confusion --
Vice Chair Gort: No.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: -- about whether or not you owe or not.
Vice Chair Gort: That's not nay understanding. My understanding, it does not get delayed.
What happens is --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: No. He said it gets delayed. He said it gets delayed. He said
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there's a delay.
Mr. Robertson: When we're --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: That's why we're having this conversation.
Vice Chair Gort: Madam Attorney.
Mr. Robertson: -- confirming responsibility, if there is a determination of non -responsibility,
that triggers a protest process. If the proposer truly feels that they are responsible, they have
opportunity to respond to a, finding of non -responsibility, and the code defines that procedure.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: But you can't --
Mr. Robertson: We would handle that in the same protest procedure as we do all of our other
bids.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: But Mr. Procurement Director, you could see how we're going
back and forth because then the question -- I mean, there's so many issues around a dispute.
There's a question as to whether or not -- how much I do owe.
Mr. Robertson: Correct. And if that --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Okay, so what about -- you say, yeah, I owe $100 -- $1,000 or
$10, 000, then -- and I say, No, I only owe five. So we're haggling hack and forth between -- and
then in the meantime, whatever you're bidded -- whatever you won the hid on is in a delay.
Mr. Robertson: Correct.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: So I'm just --
Mr. Robertson: It would be in limbo.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: -- a little concerned about -- you know, and I support what Marc
is trying to do. I want to be very clear on that. I just don't want us to create more confusion on
top of something when kind of what Commissioner Carollo stated is a true -- kind of a true fact.
It's like, if owe, you pay, you know. And I understand what Commissioner Suarez -- I can
feel his vibes all the way on this side. But what about if there's a dispute about what you owe?
So, it's, you know -- hut if there is a dispute, maybe that's the better way to handle it. If there is a
dispute, then you can't bid. 14n not really sure, but I just -- I am stuck on the delays 'cause
already without this here -- Marc, you know this and everybody sitting up here -- we already
have crazy delays anyway when --
Chair Sarnof f: What this is --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: -- we're trying to get stuff done.
Chair Sarnoff.' -- is a codification of a practice he goes through right now. So what you have is
an ungoverned manner of dealing with things and you're creating governance. You're putting it
in a matter of law of ordinance. And just to digress for a moment, Commissioner Spence -Jones,
with regard to the Gusman situation, there couldn't he a hetter example because we were suing
the housing developer, for the Gusman because they owed us money. At some point, we made a
determination -- and I remember Madam City Attorney and I sitting down there. We did an asset
search. There was going to be no asset to go after in the event we won a big lawsuit against
them, and we would have won that lawsuit. So we made the determination, we're not going to go
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on. But take Commissioner Carollo's example. Now let's say they wanted to bid for another 15
years of management. What this ordinance would have required them to do was to escrow that
money -- 'cause if you want to continue to do business with the City ofMiami and you want to
continue to win contracts, you have to escrow the money that we believe you owe us. So we
would have had a resource, an amount of money to go after that we don't have presently if the
people want to continue to do business with the City of Miami. That's what this is all about. Any
slow -down? None. He's already doing the process. He's already employing those practices, but
he's doing it not so much in the sunshine. This brings it in the sunshine.
Vice Chair Gort: Okay, any further discussion?
Commissioner Spence -Jones: I mean, I really would like to talk about it a little -- 'cause I think
Marc added another --
Vice Chair Gort: Okay.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: -- layer on the discussion.
Vice Chair Gort: Yes, ma'am.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: I think that it -- he's making it a lot more clear. So just so that I'm
on the same page as you, Marc -- l mean, Commissioner Sarnoff -- so you're saying that despite
what the issue is, okay, the money's already sitting basically in escrow. So even if he wins the
bid, the City -- does that mean that the --? Ijust want to be clear. The City is still engaging in
business with him or her.
Chair Sarnoff: The person wants to continue to engage in business with the City.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: But what -- okay, right.
Chair Sarnoff: So they're saving -- and Alice Bravo says to them, Well, wait a minute. You're a
nonperformer in this contract. You owe us $20,000.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: So that money --
Chair Sarnoff.: No, no.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: -- goes into escrow.
Chair Sarnoff: Correct.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Okay, but -- Can Ijust ask you a question?
Chair Sarnoff: Sure.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: So what happens if the person goes to -- gets another contract
and, ,for whatever reason, he has not or she has not lived up to their, full -- our full potential or
what we wanted them to do, which puts up back -- which put -- which was the reason why they
were in this situation with us in the first place? So how do we address that issue?
Chair Sarnoff: The intention here is to allow a person, as Commissioner Suarez would say, the
opportunity to vet a good faith dispute. And the vetting of the good faith dispute -- you know, we
don't take that many crazy positions here as a city. We're pretty liberal in the treatment of our
vendors. So what this does is it's saying to a person, look, we have a $20,000 dispute; escrow
that money. Go to court or a resolution process that Madam City Attorney approves us. You can
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still continue to hid on this process. You're not disqualifying them. You're giving them a good
faith opportunity to fix what's broken. But now you have this res of money -- a lot of these
companies, Commissioner Spence -Jones, are called single purpose entities, SPEs. Some of them
have very small bank accounts. And if they want to continue doing business with the City -- 14n
so confident, Madam City Attorney, I'm right, here's my $20,000. Commissioner Spence -Jones, I
believe I'm a good vendor. Please approve my garbage truck. Well, City Attorney says, you
know what, Commissioner, they put the money in escrow. I'm going to sit down with them and
try and work it out. We can't work it, I'm going to go to Judge -- I don't know -- Rodriguez and
Rodriguez will make a determination.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: I got you.
Chair Sarnoff: I actually think it affords a lot of protections and puts it in the sunshine.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Madam City Attorney, please give us your thoughts.
Julie O. Bru (City Attorney): I would recommend that -- this is here on first reading -- between
first and second, that your Purchasing director prepare some kind of matrix that shows you
examples, real examples on how this would apply to a typical bid process, and that way you can
see, you know, the different scenarios. This is scenario A. This is scenario B. Under this
scenario, this entity would he precluded from continuing to participate. I think that -- I think if
you spread it out into a matrix with the scenarios and the consequences of applying this
regulatory scheme, it would make more sense. And I think you should also -- to address
Commissioner Carollo's concerns is to reconcile your current debarment procedure --
Mr. Robertson: Yes.
Chair SarnofW: Right.
Ms. Bru: -- with this new proposal and see how this would all work in a typical bidding
scenario. That's my recommendation. And then maybe it'll make more sense.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: So you're saying we're going to move this -- we'll support it on
first reading and come back by second reading. And if we're not happy with it, then we cannot
vote on it.
Vice Chair Gort: That's correct. You can make -- from first reading to second reading, you're
allowed to make a lot of changes as we instruct the Administration to do so. That's why we have
two readings so we can make changes, okay? Any further discussion? It's a ordinance, ma'am.
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): Excuse me, Vice Chair. Do you want to open this up, far your
public hearing?
Vice Chair Gort: Anyone in the public would like to address this issue? Being none, call the
roll.
The Ordinance was read by title into the public record by the City Attorney.
Mr. Hannon: Roll call on item FR.2. Commissioner Suarez?
Commissioner Suarez: No, on first.
Mr. Hannon: Commissioner Carollo?
Commissioner Carollo: No, on first.
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FR.3
13-00250
Office of the City
Attorney
Mr. Hannon: Commissioner Spence -Jones?
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Yes.
Mr. Hannon: Chair Sarnoff?
Chair Sarnoff: Yes.
Mr. Hannon: Vice Chair Gort?
Vice Chair Gort: Yes.
Mr. Hannon: The ordinance passes on first reading, 3-2.
Chair Sarnoff: It's good to know who your friends are.
Commissioner Suarez: Oh, come on. Give me a break.
Chair Sarnoff: All right. I'm teasing, I'm teasing. Don't worry.
ORDINANCE
First Reading
AN ORDINANCE OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, BY A FOUR -FIFTHS
(4/5THS) AFFIRMATIVE VOTE, ABOLISHING THE DISTRICT 1 HOUSING
ADVISORY BOARD, MORE PARTICULARLY BY REPEALING IN ITS
ENTIRETY CHAPTER 12.5/ ARTICLE I/ DIVISION 5, ENTITLED
"COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION/COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION
DISTRICTS/DISTRICT 1 HOUSING ADVISORY BOARD", SECTIONS 12.5-131
THROUGH 12.5-139, OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS
AMENDED ("CITY CODE"), AND BY AMENDING CHAPTER 2/ARTICLE
XI/DIVISION 2, OF THE CITY CODE, ENTITLED
"ADMINISTRATION/BOARDS, COMMITTEES, COMMISSIONS/STANDARDS
FOR CREATION AND REVIEW OF BOARDS GENERALLY," BY AMENDING
SECTION 2-892(4)(0) ALL AS STATED HEREIN; CONTAINING A
SEVERABILITY CLAUSE AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
13-00250 Memo - Office of the City Attorney SR.pdf
13-00250 Legislation FR/SR.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Suarez, seconded by Commissioner Carollo, that this matter be
PASSED ON FIRST READING PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 5 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff, Carollo, Suarez and Spence -Jones
Chair Sarnoff: I'll tell you what, why don't we do redistricting? I mean, you guys --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Well, can we just get rid of the agenda? We're almost done.
Commissioner Carollo: Let's knock out --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: 'Cause that's going to take a minute.
Commissioner Corolla: I think we should knock out the agenda.
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Commissioner Spence -Jones: Yeah. Let's get -- we're almost done. You only have --
Chair Sarnoff: Want to knock out the agenda?
Commissioner Spence -Jones: -- RE.4 --
Commissioner Carollo: Yeah. Let's knock it out.
Chair Sarnoff: All right. So, all right, we have FR.3.
Commissioner Carollo: FR.3.
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): Chair, FR.3 is essentially cleanup of the code. It involves a board
that has never been active. It does not have any members assigned to it.
Commissioner Suarez: Move it.
Mr. Hannon: And it --
Commissioner Carollo: Second.
Chair Sarnaff: We have a motion by Commissioner Suarez, second by Commissioner Carollo.
It's a public hearing. Anyone in the public wishing to be heard on FR.3, please step up. Hearing
none, seeing none, the public hearing is now closed, corning hack to this Commission. Madam
City Attorney, it is an ordinance.
Julie O. Bru (City Attorney): If you may, Chairman, can you read it for me? I can't find it.
Chair Sarnoff • Sure.
The Ordinance was read by title into the public record by Chair Sarnoff:
Chair Sarnoff: Roll call.
Mr. Hannon: Roll call on item FR.3.
A roll call was taken, the result of which is stated above.
Mr. Hannon: The ordinance passes on first reading, 5-0.
Chair Sarnoff • Hey, can I get city attorney pay for that?
Commissioner Suarez: Reimbursement. You got to put it in escrow.
Chair Sarnoff: Right.
FR.4 ORDINANCE First Reading
13-00288
District4- AN ORDINANCE OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION AMENDING CHAPTER
Commissioner 10/ARTICLE I OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS
Francis Suarez AMENDED, ENTITLED "BUILDINGS/IN GENERAL", MORE PARTICULARLY
BY AMENDING SECTION 10-4 , ENTITLED, "BUILDING PERMIT FEE
SCHEDULE," IN ORDER TO SET THE SCHEDULE OF BUILDING PERMIT
FEES AT $45.00, FOR RESIDENTIAL IMPROVEMENTS COSTING LESS
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THAN $2,500; CONTAINING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE AND PROVIDING
FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
13-00288 Legislation FR.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Carollo, seconded by Commissioner Spence -Jones, that this
matter be DEFERRED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 5 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff, Carollo, Suarez and Spence -Jones
Note for the Record: Item FR.4 was deferred to the April25, 2013 Commission Meeting.
Chair Sarnoff: FR.4. It's yours.
Commissioner Carollo: FR.4 --
Commissioner Suarez: No, it's mine. Oh, yeah, I'm sorry. We can't change it on second reading,
by the way, guys. You got to keep it light here a little hit sometimes. Okay, I'm going to move to
defer this. I think it was two Commission meetings. Is that correct, Madam City Manager?
Commissioner Carollo: Move it.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Second.
Commissioner Suarez: Thank you. Let me just say, though, that I've been -- the reason why I'm
deferring it for two Commission meetings is because I haven't gotten the information that
requested on the fiscal impact, and I've been asking for it for a while. 1-- you know --
Commissioner Carollo: Welcome to the club.
Commissioner Suarez: Yeah. I, you know, specifically told the Building director and Budget
that, you know, I will respectfully defer this one last time, but with the caveat that, you know, we
need that information, and I've been asking for it for -- mean, since the first time 1 brought this
up, which I believe was at least two Commission meetings ago.
Alice Bravo (Chief of Infrastructure/Assistant City Manager): They're pulling that information
together.
Commissioner Suarez: 1 sincerely hope so.
Chair Sarnoff: These guys aren't in the penalty box, are they?
Commissioner Carollo: Welcome --
Chair Sarnoff: All right.
Commissioner Carollo: Now you know -- you thought was joking about the penalty box.
Chair Sarnoff: I don't know. I've never seen Suarez in the box with you before, so --
Commissioner Carollo: Oh.
Chair Sarnoff: It's like he said --
Commissioner Carollo: Now we're not joking, huh?
Chair Sarnoff: RE (Resolution) --
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Commissioner Carollo: Now we're not joking, huh?
Commissioner Suarez: I'm getting used to it. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) used to it.
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): Excuse me, Chair. I have a mover for the deferral.
Chair Sarnof f: Oh, I'm sorry. You're right, deferral.
Commissioner Suarez: 1 think it was Commissioner Carollo.
Commissioner Carollo: Yeah, I moved it.
Chair Sarnof f: We have a mover, Commissioner Carollo. Second is Commissioner
Spence -Jones.
Commissioner Corolla: For the second meeting in April.
Chair Sarnof f: Any discussion? All in --
Commissioner Suarez: Yeah.
Chair Sarnoff • - favor, please say "aye. "
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Mr. Hannon: So, Chair, the second meeting in April, that'll he April 25.
Commissioner Suarez: That's fine.
END OF FIRST READING ORDINANCES
RESOLUTIONS
RE.1 RESOLUTION
12-01075
Department of Public A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
Facilities ATTACHMENT(S), AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A
REVOCABLE LICENSE AGREEMENT ("AGREEMENT"), IN SUBSTANTIALLY
THE ATTACHED FORM, BETWEEN THE CITY OF MIAMI ("CITY") AND THE
NATIONAL JOURNALISTS' ASSOCIATION OF CUBA IN EXILE, INC., A
FLORIDA NON-PROFIT CORPORATION ("LICENSEE"), FOR THE USE OF
APPROXIMATELY 520.5 SQUARE FEET OF CITY -OWNED PROPERTY
LOCATED AT 970 SOUTHWEST 1ST STREET, OFFICES 400-401, MIAMI,
FLORIDA, FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING OFFICE SPACE FOR THE
UNIFICATION OF CUBAN JOURNALISTS LIVING IN EXILE, COMMENCING
FROM THE EFFECTIVE DATE, WITH THE LICENSEE TO PAY A MONTHLY
USE FEE TO THE CITY OF TWO HUNDRED SIXTY-EIGHT DOLLARS AND
06/100 ($268.06), PLUS STATE OF FLORIDA USE TAX (IF APPLICABLE),
WITH ADDITIONAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS AS MORE PARTICULARLY
SET FORTH IN SAID AGREEMENT.
City of Miami Page 37 Primed on 4/4/2013
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
12-01075 Summary Form.pdf
12-01075 Short Form - Exempt 2011 Tax Returns.pdf
12-01075 Legislation.pdf
12-01075 Exhibit 1.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Carollo, seconded by Vice Chair Gort, that this matter be
WITHDRAWN PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 3 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff and Carollo
Absent: 2 - Commissioner(s) Suarez and Spence -Jones
RE.2
12-01307
Department of
Planning and Zoning
RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
ATTACHMENT(S), APPOINTING TWO (2) ADDITIONAL PRE -QUALIFIED
SPECIAL MASTERS, AS LISTED IN "EXHIBIT A", ATTACHED AND
INCORPORATED, PURSUANT TO REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS NO.
320284, AUTHORIZED BY RESOLUTION NO. 12-0294, ADOPTED
SEPTEMBER 13, 2012, TO PROVIDE SPECIAL MASTER SERVICES ON A
CITYWIDE, AS -NEEDED CONTRACTUAL BASIS; AUTHORIZING THE CITY
MANAGER TO EXECUTE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENTS, IN
SUBSTANTIALLY THE ATTACHED FORM(S), FOR AN INITIAL PERIOD OF
TWO (2) YEARS, WITH THE OPTION TO RENEW FOR TWO (2)
ADDITIONAL ONE (1) YEAR PERIODS; ALLOCATING FUNDS FROM THE
VARIOUS SOURCES, SUBJECT TO BUDGETARY APPROVAL AT THE TIME
OF NEED.
12-01307 Summary Form.pdf
12-01307 Award Recommendation Form.pdf
12-01307 Martiza Alvarez, PA- Resume.pdf
12-01307 Victor H. De Yurre, ESQ Resume.pdf
12-01307 Pre-Legislation.pdf
12-01307 Cost Analysis - 01/24/13.pdf
12-01307 Legislation.pdf
12-01307 Exhibit 1.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Carollo, seconded by Vice Chair Gort, that this matter be
CONTINUED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 3 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff and Carollo
Absent: 2 - Commissioner(s) Suarez and Spence -Jones
RE.3 RESOLUTION
13-00210
Office of the City A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION DIRECTING THE CITY
Attorney ATTORNEY TO TAKE ANY AND ALL ACTIONS AUTHORIZED IN LAW OR IN
EQUITY, NECESSARY OR PERMITTED TO COLLECT ALL UNPAID MONIES
DUE TO THE CITY OF MIAMI FROM GROVE KEY MARINA, INC. OR ITS
SUCCESSOR -IN -INTEREST.
13-00210 Memo - Office of the City Attorney.pdf
13-00210 Legislation.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Carollo, seconded by Vice Chair Gort, that this matter be
ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
Votes: Ayes: 4 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff, Carollo and Spence -Jones
Noes: 1 - Commissioner(s) Suarez
R-13-0074
Chair Sarnoff: Okay. 1 did promise somebody before 12 o'clock, but I don't see him out here. Is
the attorney --? It was RE.3, the Grove Fuel Fee. Is the attorney here, because he wanted this to
be heard before noon?
Vice Chair Gort: RE.3?
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Are we -- is this him. running in?
Chair Sarnoff: Okay. So RE.3. And this is, I believe, a City Attorney sponsored item.
Julie O. Bru (City Attorney): Mr. Chair, this item was continued at the last Commission meeting.
This is simply a request for authority to file a lawsuit to collect certain monies that are owed to
the City under a contract that has expired.
Chair Sarnoff: All right. Is there a --? This is not a public hearing. And I'm going to ask
Madam City Attorney, is there anything you can express to me with regard to whether I should
allow a public hearing on this?
Ms. Bru: Well, 1 would recommend that you don't. 1 briefed each of you individually on the
City's claim, the factual basis for the City's claim, the legal theories under which the City can
pursue the claim, and the risk and benefits pursuing the claim. And the only thing that's left to
do is just to take a vote up or down.
Chair Sarnoff: All right. Is there a motion?
Vice Chair Gort: What's the City recommendation?
Chair Sarnoff: She's asking us to give her authorization to collect the amount that's owed.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Can -- so that means we can't have any discussion on it? Is that
Chair Sarnoff. No, we can -- we can --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Oh, okay.
Chair Sarnoff: 1 think she's advising us not to, but she does not want a --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Oh.
Chair Sarnoff -- public hearing. We can discuss it. But I want to do so first with -- if there's a
motion.
Commissioner Carollo: I make a motion to approve the --
Chair Sarnoff: All right, we have a motion. Is there a second?
Vice Chair Gort: Move it fir discussion.
Chair Sarnoff • Second by Commissioner Gort. And I'm going to recognize Commissioner Gort
first.
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Vice Chair Gort: No. Go ahead.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: No.
Chair Sarnoff. All right, Commissioner Spence -Jones.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Okay. And I just want to be clear because I know that in the last
meeting we had, I had some concerns about why we were even doing this, okay, and I still have
those concerns. But l just want to be clear, from my City Manager's standpoint and from my City
Attorney's standpoint -- I'm assuming that you put this on this agenda because there's a reason
for it. Correct?
Ms. Bru: The professionals that the City has that determine whether or not there's performance
under a contract have determined that there was a breach under a contract. Based on the
professional judgment of your auditor general and your Public Facilities' manager [sic], there is
money that is owed to the City. My role as your City Attorney is to take it to court. We made a
demand. The money hasn't been paid. It is -- you are the client. You make a decision as to
whether you want to litigate or not. It is based on the recommendation of your professionals.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: All right. Mr. Manager, do you have any comments on it?
Johnny Martinez (City Manager): I just believe it's incumbent upon us to -- if we believe there's
money owed to us, to go out and try to pursue it. We tried to do it one on one; it didn't happen,
so therefore, the judicial system should decide whether the money's owed to us or not or anything
in between. I do believe we should pursue this.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: And they still have the right, no matter what, to apply or to --?
Mr. Martinez: Yes.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: So they're still having that right to do it?
Mr. Martinez: Yes.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Even in the midst of the suit, Madam City Attorney?
Ms. Bru: You know, Commissioner, this lawsuit should not he in any way, shape, or form
discussed in context with the hid.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Okay.
Ms. Bru: Because, really, the two things are independent of each other.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: No problem. I got it.
Ms. Bru: You know, to answer your question, does any individual have the right to bid? Well, if
they comply with the bid requirements, they do.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Okay.
Ms. Bru: That's -- that would have to be determined based on the proposal submitted.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Okay. And last but not least, Henry, can you step to the mike for
me.
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Henry Torre: Henry Torre, director of Public Facilities.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: And this has your full recommendation?
Mr. Torre: Absolutely, Commissioner.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: All right. All right.
Chair Sarnoff: Commissioner Gort's recognized for the record.
Tice Chair Gort: The question that I have, my understanding, the stipulation going around that
this was done on purpose for political reasons. My understanding is, these audits have been
taking place for a long time. Matter of fact, this is a contract that began hack in 1977. A lot of
amendments have been made throughout the years. So my understanding is, this is not
something new. This is something been going on for a while. Am 1 correct?
Ms. Bru: This has been going on for a while.
Vice Chair Gort: Okay. Thank you.
Chair Sarnoff: Commissioner Carolla.
Commissioner Carollo: I'll yield.
Commissioner Suarez: No, no. Go ahead.
Chair Sarnoff: Commissioner --
Commissioner Suarez: Make our way. We'll make a way this way.
Chair Sarnof f: Commissioner Carollo.
Commissioner Carollo: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And by the way, thank you, because 1
requested a deferral in the last meeting in order to he able to speak with the auditor general, our
independent auditor, with the City Attorney's office. And after speaking with them, you know, it
became pretty apparent to me that it appears the City has a good case and money is owed. And I
think we need to send a strong message that whenever money is owed, we are going to go after it
and not just with them, with everyone else.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Everybody.
Vice Chair Gort: Yes.
Commissioner Carollo: And let me -- and everyone else, everyone else. And --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: No special considerations.
Commissioner Carollo: Everyone. If you owe the City money, we are going to go after it.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Everybody.
Commissioner Carollo: Now -- everybody. Now, with that said, if right now there are
contractual terms and the City for some reason missed or hasn't calculated correctly' or so forth
and we start doing audits and we figure this out, we're going to go after it also, you know. So
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listen, the amount isn't for the 20 some years. The amount is for four years or whatever amount
it is because the statute of limitations, and you know, I'm upset about that 'cause it should be for
the whole time. But regardless, the bottom line is if you owe the City of Miami money, the City of
Miami, this Commission, 1 think needs to stand strong and say we are going to go after it. And
I'll go a step further. I particularly -- and I understand in this certain case, there's a lot of notion
whether it's political or not. In my personal view, if you owe the City money, realistically, you
don't pay up, I want to part ways. I don't want to allow you to bid for another contract for
another K'humber of ,years. I want to part ways until you pay us, which, by the way, is what we
do in the Bayfront Park Management Trust. And, Commissioner Suarez, when you mentioned
how good we have done, you know, how much we've built up our reserves, listen, we just run it
as a business. So I'm not even too comfortable with the part that, Well, we put it in an escrow
account and this and that, 'cause I'll be honest with you. Listen, if they owe us money -- and this
is just a four hundred and some thousand dollars. I'm actually concerned also with the property
taxes. And I understand we're in litigation, but in all fairness, that's still monies that the City
may he liable for. So, listen, I think we need to approve this and we need to send a strong
message. lfyou owe the City of Miami money, we are going to go after it, and no more bidding,
no more allowing you to bid for a future contract, and that's it. It's final. Why would the City of
Miami be in litigation with you and then want to continue some type of contractual negotiation
or contractual relationship in the future? We need to part ways. Thank you.
Chair Sarnoff Thank you. Commissioner Suarez, you're recognized for the record.
Commissioner Suarez: Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think that's a very compelling argument, what
Commissioner Carollo makes. Obviously, he makes it with a lot of passion andl respect him for
that. I think it kind of presupposes that they do owe the City money. So I mean, it's -- you're kind
of a little bit putting the cart before the horse in the sense of; you know, this hasn't been decided,
hasn't heen determined so, obviously, the other side doesn't feel that they owe the City ofMiami
money; otherwise, you wouldn't be here talking about it. We would have simply -- they would
have written a check potentially. And we've had that situation occur on a variety of different
cases, you know, since I've been here, definitely. I know in one particular that I can think of -- it
was similar to this. It was a solid waste company, and there was a dispute as to whether they
owed money and, if so, how much money they owed. And there was going to be a
recommendation by the City Attorney to litigate. And I think kind of cooler minds prevailed and
the parties -- and by and through the Manager's negotiation -- and 1 think it was a Mr. Carswell
at the time -- sat with the parties, worked together. In many cases, whether they began with
litigation or whether they -- or settled through litigation are oftentimes settled before litigation
with the parties kind of getting together and trying to work it out. That's what would urge in
this case. I'm going to -- I'm setting my personal feelings aside in terms of what I think has
transpired. I think everybody knows it. I've heen very clear on what I see as some suspicious
timing, given the facts of the case. But 1 don't know that any kind of real substantive settlement
negotiations have transpired in this case, other than just making a simple demand and then
going to litigation. That's not typically the way things are handled in the legal world. You don't
just rush to litigate; you -- you know, because there is a backside risk, which is that the City -- if
the City were to lose, they would be responsible for attorney's fees, and I know that that applies
to both sides. So there's a risk to both sides on that issue. And certainly, sometimes filing a
lawsuit does give you leverage in terms of negotiating posture, and 1 think that's something that
needs to be taken into account. I know the City Attorney gave us -- our office some cases and we
reviewed them. Some of the cases seem to indicate that the governments will not be estopped --
cannot be estopped in cases where they've acted in, you know, a certain pattern, but then it
seems like some of the other cases give the indication that the City or the state could be estopped.
So I don't think -- if it were a nondisputed matter, I don't think we would be here. Obviously, we
would have both sides, you know, agreeing to cut a check or whatever. This is obviously a
pattern of conduct that has persisted for 20 years, and I don't think that's particularly
insignificant. As far as going after people that owe the City of Miami money, I'm 100 percent on
board with every single Commissioner here, that we have to do that and we have to do it
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aggressively. I just feel that there should be a process for doing that. I don't think we should
necessarily rush to litigate in a situation where -- you know, it's different -- even -- it's even
different from that solid waste company. 'Cause in the case of that solid waste company, we're
auditing their records, and we were seeing that they were under reporting what their tonage was
on the basis of an interpretation of the contract. In this particular case, we blew, as a city, that
we were getting these payments. We -- there's some, you know, correspondence, whether it's --
binds the City or not, I guess, is the issue legally. But we knew, you know, what payments we
were getting. We accepted those payments. And now we're saying that that wasn't the right
schedule; that it was a different schedule. So it -- you know, I know that -- sometimes saying
owing the City money is a very dramatic way of putting it, but fact of the matter is, there's a
dispute as to what was the collection mechanism and, you know, clearly, both sides are at odds.
I don't know that any sort of attempts have been made and it hasn't really been articulated on the
record. Maybe it has. I don't know. And I haven't had a chance to talk to the relevant parties on
this to settle the case. So I don't know if that's something that this Commission would consider.
Maybe giving them a period of time, you know, two weeks, a month, to get together and try to
settle the case in a way that is amicable for the City. And if that doesn't happen, then maybe at
that point we can authorize litigation. We've done that before and it's been successful.
Vice Chair Gort: Mr. Chairman.
Chair Sarnoff: Commissioner Gort.
Vice Chair Gort: 1f1 recall, 1 think I'm the one that asked,for the -- not to go to court with the
sanitation department, and I think we did worked out a transaction and there was certain
disagreement. So I don't know if Administration have tried to meet with the individuals and see if
they can come to some kind of agreement.
Mr. Torre: Commissioner, to answer that question, Ow attempts have been made. Initial
demand letter was sent out I believe in June of last year. There were subsequent conversations
where they were adamant that they would not pay so.
Chair Sarnof f: Let me just say something because there have been times up here I've been less
proud of things that we've said and other times when I've heen more proud. I'm pretty proud
today of what I'm hearing. One of the times that I've been up here that I've been least proud was
probably the last time this issue came up because in no shape or form are we making a
determination as to whether they do or do not owe the money. We are simply setting in course a
policy statement that if in fact, this Administration believes in good faith that it is owed money,
that we allow them to pursue it. This City wears two hats. This City wears the hat of a service
provider to its residents and that's its primary function and role. We're going to make sure you're
safe. If you fall and you have a heart attack, we're going to do the best we can to rescue you.
We're going to provide you garbage services. That's called the service provider hat the City has
to its residents and that is probably 85 percent of what we do. But we wear a second hat, and the
second hat is as a business proprietor. We don't always act very business -like. But in this
circumstance we have the opportunity to he businessmen. And let me remind you of a
circumstance. I know everyhody was up here for this situation, and that was at the college of
policing. And if you remember, during the college of policing, somebody ordered furniture
without authorization from the City of Miami. A person, a director thought that he had the right,
the ability to order -- I think it was 85,000 or $100,000 worth offurniture.
Commissioner Suarez: No, it was way more than that. It was way more.
Chair Sarnoff: Was it a lot more than that?
Commissioner Suarez: I think so.
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Chair Sarnoff: Okay. And that person learned very quickly that the person that authorizes
changes, the person that authorizes purchases in excess of $25,000, not the Mayor, not the
Manager; it's the City Commission. It's not Commissioner Suarez. It's not Commissioner
Carollo. It's Commissioner Sarnoff Carollo, and Suarez when we're sitting here in the sunshine
and we vote. Could equally be Spence -Jones, Gort; and hopefully, it'll be the five of us, but it
won't always be. But the point is that is the check and balance of this government. This
government doesn't believe that we should vest in one person extreme authority beyond, Mr.
Chairman, $25,000. That is the check and balance. Now, somebody will say $407,000. What
does that mean? I could tell you it means six police officers fully staffed with vehicles. That's a
lot of money. And somebody else -- I'll be honest with you. Where's Robert Soler. Robert Soler
this morning comes in and says to me, Why don't you just compromise with them?"Well, the only
way we'll be able to compromise with them is if we put ourselves in a position to compromise
with them, and maybe we will and maybe we won't, but that's what the City Attorney's job is to
do. You allow her to say, Commissioner, in Chicago they do things this way. They have 37
aldermen. And by the way, Commissioner, did you know that each one of those aldermen can
contractfor the City of Mia -- City of Chicago and enter into a contract and bind that city? But
did you know, Commissioner --
Commissioner Suarez: That's not a great idea.
Chair Sarnoff: -- that nfvnur small, little five Commission, no one nfvou are capable of
entering into a contract with the City of Miami and binding it? And more so, no director is
authorized, on behalf of the City of Miami, to make any change, term, or condition to alter a
contract. And I know some of you have a feeling that this has gone on for a very long time. Let
me just say something I think Commissioner Carollo would like. I'm using this hypothetically so
don't anybody say I did this. For 25 years I filedfraudulent tax returns. Does that mean the
government is estopped from looking into my tax returns? No.
Commissioner Carollo: No.
Chair Sarnoff: But for seven years they will go hack because Pilled the tax return because of the
statute of limitations. My point is that all we're doing is going hack to the statute of limitations.
They're not going hack all the way to try in perpetuity ofthis particular contract. And we're
saying, look, you cannot estop us into a position 'cause if that were the rule and that were the
way it was, then we would tell everyone that's doing business with the City of Miami, just count a
couple of years and say we've just changed the terms and conditions of your contract because
you're paying us at a different rate and we haven't caught you.
Commissioner Carollo: But fraud' they could go all the way hack.
Chair Sarnoff • It can go back all the way with fraud? Okay. Sony about that. See, I shouldn't
venture into your neighborhood. But my point is today, all we're doing -- we're not being -judge.
We're not being jury. And we're not being executioner. We're simply saying go to a court, go to
a man or a woman that wears a robe and let them make that determination. Yes, Commissioner
Spence -Jones.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: I just want to quickly just make two very small points. And I'm
glad that we're going to take a vote on this item because I think it's become a lot bigger than
what it needs to become. But I think that it's important to understand how we got here. And I
think, you know -- I think we're all in agreement, if anybody owes the City, they should pay the
City. I don't think that no one sitting up here is not going to support our City Attorney in doing
that. That's her jab. Her jab is to make sure she protects the investments of the City. 1 think
we're all on the same page. I think where the confusion became -- and I'm just keeping it all the
way real -- is the motivation behind it and the fairness. And what I'm saying motivation, I'm
saying what motivated this to happen. I think that caused this feeling, Okay. Well, why are we
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doing this now when we don't do it all the time? So the question became about the motivation.
The second part of that is fairness. Well, if we are going to do it, are we applying this across the
board? Are we doing this to everyone? Are we auditing everyone? Are we, you know, digging
in every, you know, contract that we have to make sure that if you owe the City, you pay? So I
think it's the -- I think it's important to say that 'cause our job as City Commissioners up here is
to make sure that we do what's fair and right, what's, you know, just, you know, and make great
sound decisions using our wisdom, you know, in these matters. And I think what you might have
heard from me and I know you might have heard from Commissioner Suarez was what was
motivating this now? So I think that that's -- that was the issue, and I think we cleared it up
today. I don't think that there's any more confusion on the issue. It's just, let's be, fair across the
board. And Tin always going to push, far fairness, and that was my concern, and what motivated
it. So I just wanted you to be clear of that, Mr. Chairman. That's the only reason why I said wait
a minute. Why are we doing it? And when you can't give me a straight answer as to why we're
doing it and why we're not applying it across the board, then for me it becomes a little fishy.
Commissioner Suarez: Mr. Chair, if 1 may?
Chair Sarnoff.' You're recognized.
Commissioner Suarez: Thank you. I think hypotheticals are risky --
Chair Sarnoff: Yeah, I saw that one.
Commissioner Suarez: -- particularly when --
Chair Sarnof f: I was going pretty well and then I blew it.
Commissioner Suarez: And I think it's always risky because you're also, you know -- sometimes
you may leave out a perfect correlation between the hypothetical that you're trying to create and
the actual circumstance. I think one of the things that we may be under appreciating as a board
and one of the reasons why I think it may be prudent for us to maybe give the parties an
opportunity to try to settle this case within the next two weeks to a month is that we do have a
risk of loss. And if we do lose this case, we -- and again, it applies both ways, and I understand
that and -- but I think it could easily cost the City of Miami $100,000 in legal fees, maybe
$200,000 in legal fees. So we go -- we swing the pendulum from one situation where we -- where
we're trying to recover money for the residents of the City of Miami in good faith to a situation
where we actually have to pay one of these parties money. So I think there is a reason why
people don't rush to litigation in many circumstances. I always like to say, one of the reasons
why I like to be a transactional lawyer rather than a litigating attorney is at the end of the
transaction, you get to do something positive; that everyone gets to come together, you give them
the keys to your home -- to their new home or whatever. In litigation, oftentimes all the parties
leave upset with each other. Whether they win, whether they lose, they rarely ever get what they
want, and then they have to try to collect at the end of the day. So collection, you know, is also
another potential, you know, issue. But that's just my personal opinion. I mean, I have personal
feelings on this, which I think I've already expressed in the last Commission meeting and I don't
think 1 need to repeat.
Vice Chair Gort: Mr. Chairman.
Chair Sarnof f: Yes.
Vice Chair Gort: I'm not an attorney so 1 need to ask you a question. Even if we do file for suit,
they can still get together and come up with an agreement.
Mr. Torre: Yeah.
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Commissioner Carollo: Exactly.
Chair Sarnoff: Right.
Tice Chair Gort: And I think this might give us some leverage. Yeah, we might lose but they
might lose too so. I think everybody needs to understand that. And the best thing is, hey, no --
any time we go to litigation, like you stated before, not everybody's happy. But maybe if get
together and sit down and come out to an agreement, everybody comes out okay.
Chair Sarnoff • I agree. And by the way, just on a word on attorney's fees, Madam City Attorney,
I would hope -- and I think you've said this to me in the past -- we can stipulate to, if not all the
facts, 99 percent of these facts because I don't think there is a material dispute of fact. There is a
material dispute as to what the law is. So I have to believe the risk the City of Miami might be
facing is 10 to $15,000 in attorney's fees to collect $407,000, plus interest. That's a risk that I'm
willing to take. But I know you and 1 know the City Attorney in good faith consistently and
persistently always tries to stipulate the facts because that just makes it a more efficient
operation. Having said that, let's call the question. All in favor, please say aye."
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Ave.
Commissioner Carollo: Aye.
Chair Sarnoff.' Aye.
Commissioner Suarez: No at this point.
Chair Sarnoff: Anyone registering a no?
Commissioner Suarez: No at this point.
Chair Sarnoff: All right, we have one no. All right, I think -- it's 12 o'clock. Commissioner
Spence -Jones --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Yeah. I think I have a very --
Chair Sarnoff: -- you wanted Southwest Overtown/Park --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: It's just a short, little item..
Chair Sarnoff • Yeah, that's, fine. So well adjourn this meeting. Well have a two -minute recess
Todd Hannon (City Clerk): Yeah. Well recess the Commission meeting. And if could just
give us two minutes to change the tape, well he ready to go. Thank you, Commissioners.
RE.4 RESOLUTION
13-00180
Office of Grants A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
Administration ATTACHMENT(S), AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO SUBMIT AN
APPLICATION FOR GRANT FUNDING TO THE FLORIDA INLAND
NAVIGATION DISTRICT WATERWAYS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, IN AN
AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $37,500, FOR THE DESIGN AND PERMITTING
OF THE VIRGINIA KEY NATURE CENTER SEAWALL AND KAYAK LAUNCH
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
RAMP ("PROJECT"); AUTHORIZING THE ALLOCATION OF THE REQUIRED
MATCHING FUNDS FOR FIFTY PERCENT (50%) OF THE PROJECT COSTS,
IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $37,500, AVAILABLE UNDER THE CITY
OF MIAMI PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT CONSOLIDATED
ACCOUNT; AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE ANY AND
ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS, IN A FORM ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY
ATTORNEY, FOR THE SUBMISSION OF SAID GRANT APPLICATION, THE
EXECUTION OF GRANT OR DEED AGREEMENTS AND AMENDMENTS,
AND THE ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FUNDS, IN THE EVENT OF THE
AWARD OF THE GRANT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2013-2014.
13-00180 Summary Form.pdf
13-00180 Legislation.pdf
13-00180 Exhibit 1.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Spence -Jones, seconded by Commissioner Carollo, that this
matter be ADOPTED WITH MODIFICATIONS PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 5 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Samoff, Carollo, Suarez and Spence -Jones
R-13-0081
Chair Sarnof f: All right, F -- RE. 4.
Lillian Blondet: Good afternoon. Lillian Blonder, Office of Grants Administration. I have five
items today. They're all have to do with the Florida Inland Navigation grant application. They
require a 50 percent match. And what 111 do is mention the source of the match, since that's a
question from all the Commissioners, also as Igo through the resolutions. I'm also going to ask
you ill can do RE.15 after RE.8 so we can cover them all at once.
Chair Sarnoff Not a problem.
Ms. Blondet.• RE.4 -- also, let me start by saying there's a scrivener's error.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: So moved.
Commissioner Carollo: Second.
Chair Sarnoff: All right. We have a motion and we have a second. Any discussion? Hearing no
discussion --
Commissioner Suarez: As amended.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Do you want to put the scrivener's --?
Ms. Blondet: As amended.
Chair Sarnoff As amended, right?
Ms. Blondet: As amended.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Do you want to put the scrivener --? Yeah.
Chair Sarnoff The amendment is 37,500 --
Ms. Blondet: Yes.
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
Chair Sarnoff: -- for those of you that didn't hear Lillian say it. All in favor, please say aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
RE.5 RESOLUTION
13-00181
Office of Grants A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
Administration ATTACHMENT(S), AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO SUBMIT AN
APPLICATION FOR GRANT FUNDING TO THE FLORIDA INLAND
NAVIGATION DISTRICT WATERWAYS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, IN AN
AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $190,050, FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION AND
REPAIRS OF THE BOAT RAMP AT CURTIS PARK ("PROJECT");
AUTHORIZING THE ALLOCATION OF THE REQUIRED MATCHING FUNDS
FOR FIFTY PERCENT (50%) OF THE PROJECT COSTS, IN AN AMOUNT
NOT TO EXCEED $190,050, AVAILABLE UNDER CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT
PROJECT B-35806; AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE ANY
AND ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS, IN A FORM ACCEPTABLE TO THE
CITY ATTORNEY, FOR THE SUBMISSION OF SAID GRANT APPLICATION,
THE EXECUTION OF GRANT OR DEED AGREEMENTS AND
AMENDMENTS, AND THE ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FUNDS, IN THE
EVENT OF THE AWARD OF THE GRANT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2013-2014.
13-00181 Summary Form.pdf
13-00181 Legislation.pdf
13-00181 Exhibit 1.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Spence -Jones, seconded by Vice Chair Gort, that this matter be
ADOPTED WITH MODIFICATIONS PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 5 - Commissioners) Gort, Sarnoff, Carollo, Suarez and Spence -Jones
R-13-0082
Chair Sarnoff: RE.5.
Lillian Blondet (Director, Grants Administration): RE.5, it's -- same thing. There's a scrivener's
error. It should be $190,000 -- $190,050.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: So moved.
Chair Sarnoff: We have a motion by Commissioner Spence -Jones.
Vice Chair Gort: Second.
Chair Sarnoff: Second by Commissioner Gort. Any discussion? Hearing no discussion, all in
favor, please say liye. "
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
RE.6 RESOLUTION
13-00182
Office of Grants A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
Administration ATTACHMENT(S), AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO SUBMIT AN
APPLICATION FOR GRANT FUNDING TO THE FLORIDA INLAND
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
NAVIGATION DISTRICT WATERWAYS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, IN AN
AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $75,000, FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE
DINNER KEY MARINA DINGHY DOCK ("PROJECT"); AUTHORIZING THE
ALLOCATION OF THE REQUIRED MATCHING FUNDS FOR FIFTY
PERCENT (50%) OF THE PROJECT COSTS, IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO
EXCEED $75,000, AVAILABLE UNDER CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
40-B30735 AWARD 1437; AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO
EXECUTE ANY AND ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS, IN A FORM
ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, FOR THE SUBMISSION OF SAID
GRANT APPLICATION, THE EXECUTION OF GRANT OR DEED
AGREEMENTS AND AMENDMENTS, AND THE ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT
FUNDS, IN THE EVENT OF THE AWARD OF THE GRANT FOR FISCAL
YEAR 2013-2014.
13-00182 Summary Form.pdf
13-00182 Legislation.pdf
13-00182 Exhibit 1.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Spence -Jones, seconded by Vice Chair Gort, that this matter be
ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 5 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff, Carollo, Suarez and Spence -Jones
R-13-0083
Lillian Blondet (Director, Grants Administration): RE.6 is for the construction of the Dinner
Key Marina dinghy dock. It's a project cost --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: So moved.
Chair Sarnoff • We have a motion by --
Vice Chair Gort: Second.
Commissioner Carnllo: Second.
Chair Sarnoff • -- Commissioner Spence -Jones, second by Commissioner Gort. Any discussion?
Hearing no discussion, all in favor, please say aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
RE.7 RESOLUTION
13-00183
Office of Grants A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
Administration ATTACHMENT(S), AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO SUBMIT AN
APPLICATION FOR GRANT FUNDING TO THE FLORIDA INLAND
NAVIGATION DISTRICT WATERWAYS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, IN AN
AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $325,000, FOR THE MANATEE BEND PARK
SEAWALL RESTORATION AND BOAT LAUNCH RAMP INSTALLATION -
PHASE 2 ("PROJECT"); AUTHORIZING THE ALLOCATION OF THE
REQUIRED MATCHING FUNDS FOR FIFTY PERCENT (50%) OF THE
PROJECT COSTS, IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $325,000, AVAILABLE
UNDER THE BISCAYNE BAY-MIAMI RIVER LAND ACQUISITION LAND
ACQUISITION TRUST FUND; AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO
EXECUTE ANY AND ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS, IN A FORM
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, FOR THE SUBMISSION OF SAID
GRANT APPLICATION, THE EXECUTION OF GRANT OR DEED
AGREEMENTS AND AMENDMENTS, AND THE ACCEPTANCE OF
MATCHING FUNDS, IN THE EVENT OF THE AWARD OF THE GRANT FOR
FISCAL YEAR 2013-2014.
13-00183 Summary Form.pdf
13-00183 Legislation.pdf
13-00183 Exhibit 1.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Spence -Jones, seconded by Commissioner Carollo, that this
matter be ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 5 - Commissioner(s) Gott, Sarnoff, Carollo, Suarez and Spence -Jones
R-13-0084
Chair Sarnoff: RE.7.
Lillian Blondet (Director, Grants Administration): RE.7 is for a project in Manatee Bend Park's
seawall restoration and boat launch.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: So moved.
Chair Sarnoff • We have a motion by --
Commissioner Suarez: Second.
Commissioner Carollo: Second.
Chair Sarnoff • -- Commissioner Spence -Jones, second by Commissioner Carollo. Any
discussion? Hearing no discussion, all in favor, please say aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
RE.8 RESOLUTION
13-00185
Department of A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION AUTHORIZING THE
Purchasing PROCUREMENT OF STRUCTURAL FIRE FIGHTER PROTECTIVE
CLOTHING, FROM MUNICIPAL EMERGENCY SERVICES, INC., UTILIZING
AN EXISTING NATIONAL PURCHASING PARTNERS ("NPP") D/B/A
FIRERESCUE-GPO CONTRACT, FOR STRUCTURAL FIRE FIGHTER
PROTECTIVE CLOTHING, CONTRACT # 804, EFFECTIVE THROUGH JULY
31, 2014, SUBJECT TO ANY FURTHER RENEWALS, EXTENSIONS OR
REPLACEMENT CONTRACTS BY FIRERESCUE-GPO, FOR THE
DEPARTMENT OF FIRE -RESCUE, TO BE UTILIZED BY VARIOUS CITY OF
MIAMI ("CITY") DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES, ON AS -NEEDED
CONTRACTUAL BASIS, SUBJECT TO THE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS AND
BUDGETARY APPROVAL AT THE TIME OF NEED; FURTHER
ACKNOWLEDGING THE COOPERATIVE PROCUREMENT BENEFITS OF
THE NPP PROGRAM THAT ENABLES THE CITY TO AGGREGATE ITS
PURCHASING VOLUME WITH THAT OF OTHER PARTICIPATING AGENCIES
IN ORDER TO REALIZE A LARGER PERCENTAGE DISCOUNT PRICING
STRUCTURE TO THE FINANCIAL BENEFIT OF THE CITIZENS OF THE
CITY; FURTHER AUTHORIZING PIGGYBACKS OF OTHER AND FUTURE
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RE.9
13-00190
COOPERATIVE NPP D/B/A FIRERESCUE-GPO CONTRACTS, WITHOUT
ADDITIONAL CITY COMMISSION AUTHORIZATION UPON DETERMINATION
BY THE CHIEF PROCUREMENT OFFICER THAT SAID PIGGYBACKS ARE IN
COMPLIANCE WITH SECTION 18-111 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF
MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS AMENDED, SUBJECT TO THE AVAILABILITY OF
FUNDS AND BUDGETARY APPROVAL AT THE TIME OF NEED.
13-00185 Summary Form.pdf
13-00185 FireRescue - GPO.pdf
13-00185 Initial Purchase Approved.pdf
13-00185 Award Recommendation Form.pdf
13-00185 Quotation - MES.pdf
13-00185 Cooperative Purchasing Agrmt.pdf
13-00185 Structural Fire Fighter - Contract 804.pdf
13-00185 Request For Proposals.pdf
13-00185 Legislation.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Spence -Jones, seconded by Commissioner Carollo, that this
matter be ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 4 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff, Carollo and Spence -Jones
Absent: 1 - Commissioner(s) Suarez
R-13-0085
Chair Sarnof- Okay, now we're going back then to --
Commissioner Carollo: RE.9?
Chair Sarnof f: -- RE. 9. RE.8.
Commissioner Carollo: I'm sorry.
Chair Sarnoff.' That's all right. RE.8. Chief
Reginald Duren: Yes, sir. Reggie Duren, deputy fire chief. RE.8 is a resolution of the Miami
Commission authorizing the procurement of structural firefighting protective clothing, otherwise
known as --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: So moved.
Deputy Chief Duren: -- bunking gear.
Chair Sarnof- Motion by Commissioner Spence -Jones.
Commissioner Carollo: Second.
Chair Sarnof f: Second by Commissioner Carollo. Any discussion? Hearing no discussion, all
in favor, please say aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
RESOLUTION
City of Miami
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
Department of Capital A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
Improvements ATTACHMENT(S), ACCEPTING A PAYMENT TO THE CITY OF MIAMI, IN THE
Program AMOUNT OF $657,579.88, FROM ARCHITECTS & ENGINEERS INSURANCE
COMPANY, INC., THE INSURANCE CARRIER FOR TIMOTHY HAAHS &
ASSOCIATES, INC. ("HAAHS"), IN FULL SETTLEMENT OF ALL CLAIMS AND
DEMANDS AGAINST LEO A. DALY AND HAAHS, ARISING OUT OF, OR
RELATED TO, DEFECTS IN THE INTERFACE BETWEEN THE ELEVATED
SLABS AND THE COLUMNS OF THE PARKING GARAGES LOCATED AT
MARLINS STADIUM; ALLOCATING SAID FUNDS TO CAPITAL
IMPROVEMENT PROJECT NO. B-30648; AUTHORIZING THE CITY
MANAGER TO EXECUTE A SETTLEMENT AND RELEASE AGREEMENT, IN
SUBSTANTIALLY THE ATTACHED FORM, AND ALL NECESSARY
DOCUMENTS, IN A FORM ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, TO
EFFECTUATE THE SETTLEMENT.
13-00190 Summary Form.pdf
13-00190 Pre-Legislation.pdf
13-00190 Legislation.pdf
13-00190 Exhibit 1.pdf
Motion by Vice Chair Gort, seconded by Commissioner Carollo, that this matter be
ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 4 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Satnoff, Carollo and Spence -Jones
Absent: 1 - Commissioner(s) Suarez
R-13-0086
Chair Sarnaff: RE.9.
Mark Spanioli: Good afternoon, Commissioners. Mark Spanioli, director of Capital
Improvements. RE.9 is a settlement and release agreement with Architects & Engineers
Insurance Company for the Marlins Stadium garage structural deficiencies. This is the final
release, in the amount of $657, 579.
Vice Chair Gort: Move it.
Chair Sarnoff. Motion by Commissioner Gort --
Commissioner Carollo: Second.
Chair Sarnoff: -- second by Commissioner Corolla. Any discussion?
Commissioner Carollo: I just want to put for the record, was all the repairs done?
Mr. Spanioli: Yes, they've been completed.
Commissioner Carollo: And did it cost the City of Miami any extra money?
Mr. Spanioli: No, it did not.
Commissioner Carollo: No. This is just the monies that was being given to the City for those
repairs, correct?
Mr. Spanioli: That's correct.
Commissioner Carollo: Okay.
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RE.10
13-00191
Department of Capital
Improvements
Program
Chair Sarnof f: Okay. Any further discussion? All in favor, please say aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION AUTHORIZING THE
CITY MANAGER TO EXERCISE THE CITY OF MIAMI'S ("CITY'S") FIRST
OPTION TO RENEW THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH
TRANSPORTATION AMERICA, INC., TO PROVIDE ON -DEMAND
TRANSPORTATION SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE CITY FOR THE LOW
INCOME ELDERLY AND/OR DISABLED, FOR AN ADDITIONAL ONE (1)
YEAR PERIOD, IN THE NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT OF $256,103;
ALLOCATING FUNDS FROM THE CITY'S SHARE OF THE TRANSIT
SURTAX.
13-00191 Summary Form.pdf
13-00191 Pre-Legislation.pdf
13-00191 Legislation.pdf
Motion by Vice Chair Gort, seconded by Commissioner Carollo, that this matter be
DEFERRED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 4 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff, Carollo and Spence -Jones
Absent: 1 - Commissioner(s) Suarez
Note for the Record: Item RE.10 was deferred to the April 25, 2013 Commission Meeting.
Chair Sarnoff: RE. 10
Mark Spanioli (Director, Capital Improvements Program): Commissioners, RE.10 is the first
renewal option for the on -demand transportation services to Transportation America, in the
amount of -- not to exceed $256,103. It's a one-year renewal option.
Commissioner Carollo: Move it.
Chair Sarnoff: We have a motion by Commissioner Carollo.
Vice Chair Gort: Wait a minute, wait a minute. For discussion.
Chair Sarnoff: Second by Commissioner Gortfor discussion. And the Chair recognizes
Commissioner Gort.
Vice Chair Gort: I was understanding that I was going to receive some information of the
procedures, how they're doing, and how much we spent and all that. I have not received that so
I'mnot ready to vote on this.
Mr. Spanioli: I was not able to compile the information. I just received it just recently, so I was
not able to get it to you yesterday.
Vice Chair Gort: 'Cause this is one we discussed quite a bit. I even have -- I just received a
message for a lady -- a senior citizen that wanted to go to the doctor's appointment. She made
the phone call. She made the appointments, and she has not been picked up. So 1 want the
records, how many -- how much we spent, the total we spent.
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RE.11
13-00249
Mr. Spanioli: I have the numbers.
Vice Chair Gort: And I was supposed to have gotten a report, butt don't need it now.
Mr. Spanioli: Okay.
Vice Chair Gort: But I'm not ready to vote for this.
Chair Sarnoff So the seconder withdraws his motion -- his second. And I take it that you would
like to do a motion to defer this to --
Tice Chair Gort: Defer this, yes.
Chair Sarnoff -- the second meeting in April?
Vice Chair Gort: Yes.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: And 1 just want to be clear -- and 1 support, you know, his motion.
But 1 just want to make sure -- the contract continues, though, right?
Vice Chair Gort: Yeah.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: All right. I want to make sure the seniors are still going to be
picked up.
Vice Chair Gort: No, no. The seniors will be still --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Okay.
Vice Chair Gort: -- picked up.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: All right.
Vice Chair Gort: And any complaints will be given to you all.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Okay.
Chair Sarnoff Is there a second on Commissioner Gort's motion to defer?
Commissioner Carollo: Second.
Chair Sarnoff We have a second. Any discussion? Hearing no discussion, all in favor, please
say "aye."
RESOLUTION
District2- A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
Commissioner Marc ATTACHMENT(S), URGING THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF
David Sarnoff PUBLIC WORKS AND WASTE MANAGEMENT TO ACCEPT AND
IMPLEMENT THE "TRADITIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD DESIGN" CRITERIA OF
THE FLORIDA GREENBOOK AS ATTACHED; DIRECTING THE CITY CLERK
TO TRANSMIT A COPY OF THIS RESOLUTION TO THE OFFICIALS STATED
HEREIN.
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13-00249 Legislation.pdf
13-00249 Exhibit 1.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Spence -Jones, seconded by Commissioner Carollo, that this
matter be DEFERRED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 5 - Commissioners) Gort, Sarnoff, Carollo, Suarez and Spence -Jones
Note for the Record: Item RE.11 was deferred to the March 28, 2013 Commission Meeting.
Chair Sarnoff: All right, gentlemen, I'm going to try and move some things around because we
had some time certains. Elizabeth Plater-Zyber [sic] is going to go at the -- well, I was going to
say at the 9:30 moment, but it's -- we're way past that. So we're going to go to RE.11. It's urging
the County to adopt traditional neighborhood design criteria. Followed by that, DI3, the state
of the real estate in the City of Miami, and I have a few comments I want to make about that. But
I just wanted to give us a little bit of an agenda of where we'll be for the next two items. Ms.
Plater-Zvberk, you're recognized fbr the record.
Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk: Thank you, Commissioner. Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, 1023 Southwest
25th Avenue. This item is to allow the City to use a new standard for the design and
dimensioning of city streets. You may not -- most people don't understand that the standards for
the dimensions and performance of our streets, our public spaces, are generally set at the state
level with something that's known as the Greenbook, the Department of Transportation standards
for road design. These apply best to suburban and rural places, but they trickle down into the
County standards, which then becomes the City standard, unless the City agrees to set its own
standards, which is rare here in Dade -- Miami -Dade County. Recently, Chapter 19 was
introduced into the state standard, which provides for an urban standard for public space design.
The Greenbook standards generally are written far moving vehicular traffic through suburban
and rural areas based on minimum speeds, which are higher than you normally want in city
streets. These state standards frequently do not correspond with our urban conditions, and they
are primarily related to dimensions such as lane widths, on -street parking, radius of curbs at
intersections. And what this new standard will allow is for street designs to recognize pedestrian
and bicycle use and safety more than the old standard does. So this is essentially just opening
the door for the City to be able to use this new standard. It has to be passed city by city --
approved city by city in order to be used. And I would just add the comment that probably traffic
congestion in quantity is here to stay, and our best bet to deal with it over time is to try to
influence its behavior through the design of our streets. So I would hope that you all would
approve this and engage Public Works to work with us on it. It's a Coconut Grove BID initiative,
the Business Improvement District, but it would benefit the whole City.
Chair Sarnoff: Is there a motion?
Commissioner Spence -Jones: I would -- I definitely -- I mean, I have all the -- all of the ten
items on it, but would like to hear from my Public Works Department, if we can, on this. So I'm
not going to be prepared, Liz, to really, you know, say yes on this because I want to make sure it
doesn't affect anything else that we're trying to do. I know it's just a criteria but --
Nzeribe Ihekwaba (Director, Public Works): Good morning. Could 1 get the question again?
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Okay. Have you had a chance to review the recommendations?
Mr. Ihekwaba: I have not had a chance vet.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Okay. 1-- Commissioner Sanity"— Chairman Sarnoff, I think that
he should as a part of Public Works. This should be a step that goes to them first before we vote
on the item. I know it's --
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Chair Sarnoff: That's fine.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: -- design criteria, but since I've been dealing with streets far the
last two weeks, I'm really cautious about what 1 do, from a street perspective now. Is there any
way, Commissioner Sanf, we can --?
Chair Sarnoff: We could bring this back, but I -- Francisco, are you there? Because I thought
we had agreed that everyone from the Administration looked at this, so could you explain --?
Francisco Garcia: Happy to. For the record, Francisco Garcia, Planning & Zoning director.
And certainly, I will defer to Zerty Jhekwaba on this matter. I will say, however, that in terms of
applying the guidelines and standards that are being proposed to you today, the City of Miami
presently, as part of its Public Works guidelines and standards, abides by these principles. My
understanding was that the intent of this ordinance -- or resolution, rather, was to have
Miami -Dade County --
Chair Sarnoff : Right.
Mr. Garcia: -- as the global agency to adopt them as well. And I'll point out very briefly one of
the issues that frequently comes up that we have to deal with that we find very disheartening,
especially as pertains to developers, so they crone into the City, they present their plans. We --
and in this particular case, the Public Works Department -- reviews their proposal for
improvements in the public right-of-way pursuant to our standards, and they comply with them,
and we're satisfied with that. But because it is in the case that, as you know, in the City of
Miami, many rights-of=way are actually under County jurisdiction, if that particular property
happens to front a City ofMiami right-of:way and a County right-of:way, the treatment of both
of those rights -of -way can at times he inconsistent and incompatible and that has created some
level of discord, at least in our processing of these permits, but 171 defer to Mr. Ihekwaba on that
as well.
Mr. Ihekwaba: What -- morning again. Zerry Ihekwaba. What Mr. Francisco just described
pertains to the exclusivity of the jurisdiction that Miami -Dade County maintains on all
right-of-ways [sic], regardless whether they are City or County. Currently, the process we adopt
is that all right-of-way improvements need to conform to minimum standard and criteria, and the
County has a major role to play. Now, in regards to any specific instances where the -- an
individual has come to us, we usually consider the criteria that is established in the Greenbook
before we route the set of plans to the County for concurrence. However, the ultimate
jurisdiction for approving permits rests with the City's Public Works, regardless whether they're
City right-ofway or County. County does not issue permits far any type of improvements, hut
they give the approvals.
Chair Sarnoff.' Well, here's what I suggest 'cause I want Commissioner Spence -Jones to be a
positive vote on this. I would like you, Mr. Ihekwaba, to give Francisco Garcia and Elizabeth
Plater-Zvber [sic] an hour of ,your time in the next two weeks. I think to bring this back to the
next Commission meeting, I'd like you to understand it and, i f you can, to support it; if you
cannot, tell us why you cannot support it. I'm a little surprised, a little disappointed at the
Administration because I was told this was ready to go. I know a lot of Commissioners have had
issues with the County and the way that they address the movement. We used to call them non --
Commissioner Suarez: Arterial.
Chair Sarnoff: No. What is it? Nonmotor -- we are considered --
Commissioner Suarez: Nonresidential traffic?
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Chair Sarnoff: -- nonautomotive vehicles is what we're considered to the County. Just like at the
state level, we're a nonautomotive unit, better known as a pedestrian. And --
Commissioner Suarez: That's right.
Chair Sarnoff.' -- the Greenbook -- right -- which is now a part of the County's Greenbook, is not
looked at by the County as part of their process. And my understanding is that each city
individually is now passing these resolutions to require the County to start treating us not as
nonautomotive units hut as pedestrians. So come hack to us -- give Mr. Garcia and Ms. Zyher
[sic] an hour of your time.
Mr. Ihekwaba: Okay.
Chair Sarnoff: Go over it and then come hack. And if ,you can't agree to it, let us know why you
can't agree to it.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Yeah. And --
Mr. Ihekwaba: Will do.
Commissioner Suarez: Mr. Chair.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: -- ',just want to be clear on my side, Commissioner Sarnoff --
Chairman Sarnoff. I'm not saying that I agree or disagree with it. Ijust think that one of the
important steps, if you're talking about things that are going to affect Public Works, that they
should he in the loop. That's it. In my briefings yesterday, we talked about everything else, but
we didn't talk about this as an issue. And the only -- because we're dealing with another issue, I
just don't want to say yes to something that, quite frankly, we may need to change because it's
affecting something else we're trying to do. So I just really, you know, would like to at least have
him go through it and be clear on it, and I'm sure I'll be in support of it. Ijust want to make sure
that that's the case.
Chair Sarnoff: Commissioner Gort's recognized.
Vice Chair Goat: We, ourself had a lot of questions and haven't been answered yet, so I hope
you do in the future. But the one thing -- my understanding, what we're saying is the -- you have
certain criterias [sic] that we use for our development, and then when it comes to the County
and the facility (UNINTELLIGIBLE) both the City and the County, you have -- you don't have
any flexibility to maintain these same standards.
Mr. Ihekwaba: We don't have that flexibility because of the requirements of the County code.
Vice Chair Gort: County completely different. That's -- so that part I understand. Also, what
we're trying to do is bring down the speed of automobiles within the city streets.
Mr. Ihekwaba: Yes.
Tice Chair Gort: Okay.
Chair Sarnoff: Commissioner Suarez is recognized for the record.
Commissioner Suarez: Thank you, Mr. Chair. First of ail, 1 want to commend you for bringing
this to the Commission. It's something that I think we've all been talking about and discussing
for -- since I got here. And it's something that I routinely hear the residents complain about.
There is a huge disconnect between what the County is trying to do and get cars from one side of
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City Commission
Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
the County to the other and what our residents desire when they come home from work in terms
of the livability of the community and the ability to walk your dog, to walk with your children, to
walk -- if you're elderly. We -- I don't know why it's taking so long far us to bridge that divide.
It's just -- we continue -- we pass resolutions. We've passed resolutions urging FOOT (Florida
Department of Transportation) to do it. We've passed resolutions urging the County to do it.
We're implementing these principles. I don't know what else we can do. And maybe we need to
picket or something. I don't know. But I commend you for doing this. And I know Public Works
and our CIF (Capital Improvements Program) Department has continually heard our cries, our
continual cries, and is trying to do everything they can, I think, you know, to really create an
environment in our entire City, not just in one district, in one area, that reflects these principles.
I mean, it's really the biggest no-brainer that I've had to deal with since I've been here. And I
just want to, again, commend you for doing this. I support you wholeheartedly. And anything
that I -- we can do together as a body or in the sunshine to make this happen, you know, you
have my full support. Thank you.
Chair Sarnoff: And just so you know, to take a page out of Commissioner Carollo's playbook --
he's probably wondering what I'm talking about now -- when it comes to Florida Department of
Transportation, I'll be going up to Tallahassee on Wednesday and Thurs -- I'm -- Tuesday and
Wednesday of next week and dealing with it on a different type of way so that who cares if we fix
the County if fwe don't fix the state roads.
Commissioner Suarez: That's true.
Chair Sarnoff. But I think across the boards, what happened is for about 35 to 40 years, Miami
was "Oh, and Miami," as opposed to being the biggest and most important city in the state of
Florida. And I just don't think we were ever treated that way.
Commissioner Suarez: And I think there's another phenomenon, which is that 30 years ago there
was urban sprawl, you know, the County was growing from the core outward, and so getting
from one side of the County to the other side of the County really was an important objective. I
think now what we're starting to see is infill and we're starting to see people who now work at
home, in many cases, because of technology, and they want -- their whole entire society revolves
around where they live. They want to he able to walk to the grocery store, walk -- you know,
walk to the department stores or whatever. They want to be able to walk everywhere and just --
they're confined to the area where they can walk to and from.
Chair Sarnoff: All right. Commissioner? No. All right, so Mr. Ihekwaba, I hope you can come
back. I think we're going to need a motion to defer this to the next meeting.
Vice Chair Gort: Second.
Commissioner Carollo: Second.
Chair Sarnof f: We have a motion. We have a second. Mr. Ihekwaba, do I have your
commitment to spend an hour on this?
Mr. Ihekwaba: Yes, sir.
Chair Sarnoff: Thank you.
Mr. Ihekwaba: Yes.
Chair Sarnoff • All in favor; please say aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
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Page 58 Panted on 4/4/2013
City Commission
Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
RE.12
13-00192
Department of Capital
Improvements
Program
Chair Sarnof f: All right.
RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
ATTACHMENT(S), ACCEPTING THE BID RECEIVED FEBRUARY 20, 2013,
PURSUANT TO INVITATION TO BID ("ITB") NO. 12-13-021, FROM KAILAS
CORPORATION D/B/A KAILAS CONTRACTORS, THE LOWEST
RESPONSIVE AND RESPONSIBLE BIDDER, FOR THE NORTHWEST 12TH
AVENUE LINEAR PARK AND ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT,
B-30883, IN THE AMOUNT OF $829,927, FOR THE SCOPE OF WORK, PLUS
ATEN PERCENT (10%) OWNER CONTINGENCY AMOUNT OF $82,992.70,
FOR A TOTAL NOT TO EXCEED AWARD VALUE OF $912,919.70;
ALLOCATING FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $912,919.70, FROM CAPITAL
IMPROVEMENT PROJECT NO. B-30883; AUTHORIZING THE CITY
MANAGER TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT, IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE
ATTACHED FORM, CONSISTING OF THE ITB DOCUMENTS AND
ATTACHMENTS, FOR SAID PURPOSE.
13-00192 Summary Form.pdf
13-00192 Legislation.pdf
13-00192 Exhibit 1.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Spence -Jones, seconded by Commissioner Carollo, that this
matter be ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 5 - Commissioners) Gort, Sarnoff, Carollo, Suarez and Spence -Jones
R-13-0087
Chair Sarnoff: Okay, RE --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: 12?
Chair Sarnoff: -- 11, we did, right?
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Right.
Chair Sarnoff • RE.12.
Mark Spanioli: Good afternoon again, Commissioners. Mark Spanioli, director of Capital
Improvements. RE.12 is a contract award to the Kailas Corporation for the Northwest 12th
Avenue linear park, in the amount of $912, 919. It a District 5 project. It's a linear park that
goes along Northwest 12th Avenue, from Northwest 62nd Street to Northwest 7lst Street.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: So moved. Discussion.
Chair Sarnof f: We have a motion --
Vice Chair Gort: Second.
Commissioner Carollo: Second.
Chair Sarnof f: -- by Commissioner Spence -Jones, second by Commissioner Carollo. Any
discussion?
City of Miami
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City Commission
Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
RE.13
13-00193
Department of Capital
Improvements
Program
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Yes. Ijust have one comment.
Chair Sarnoff: Can 1 make a compliment to you first?
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Oh, good. Yeah, I'll take it. I'll take it.
Chair Sarnoff: 'Cause I don't do it much. This was a pretty good plan and pretty good thought
process on how to finance this, so my hats off to you.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Well, I am so grateful to staff 'cause I know I've driven them crazy.
But we're very excited about the linear park. This will be a historical marker, right by the
segregation wall next to Liberty Square. And it will be a memorial park honoring or recognizing
many of the African Americans that have made contributions to Miami, which will include people
like Athalie Range, Garth Reeves, and many others, so that their history --
Mr. Spanioli: That's correct.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: -- is not lost in the city, so we're very excited about it. Thank you
very much, Marc, for that compliment.
Chair Sarnofj: I saw it, and I said, this is something -- I just think it was great planning, great
ideas, and great strategy. That's all. And I just think it should be acknowledged, and you and I
don't always do that that much on the record so.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Thank you, sir.
Chair Sarnoff: Okay. All right, RE.12. We have a motion. We have a second. Any discussion
further? All in, favor, please say aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
ATTACHMENT(S), ACCEPTING THE BID RECEIVED FEBRUARY 21, 2013,
PURSUANT TO INVITATION TO BID ("ITB") NO. 12-13-018, FROM RIC-MAN
INTERNATIONAL, INC., THE LOWEST RESPONSIVE AND RESPONSIBLE
BIDDER, FOR THE ENGLEWOOD ROAD AND STORM SEWER
IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT, B-30011, IN THE AMOUNT OF $586,716.95,
FOR THE SCOPE OF WORK, PLUS A TEN PERCENT (10%) OWNER
CONTINGENCY AMOUNT OF $58,671.69, FOR A TOTAL NOT TO EXCEED
AWARD VALUE OF $645,388.64; ALLOCATING FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF
$645,388.64, FROM CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT NO. B-30011;
AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT, IN
SUBSTANTIALLY THE ATTACHED FORM, CONSISTING OF THE ITB
DOCUMENTS AND ATTACHMENTS, FOR SAID PURPOSE.
13-00193 Summary Form.pdf
13-00193 Legislation.pdf
13-00193 Exhibit 1.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Suarez, seconded by Commissioner Carollo, that this matter be
ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 5 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff, Carollo, Suarez and Spence -Jones
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City Commission
Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
R-13-0088
Chair Sarnoff: RE.13.
Mark Spanioli (Director, Capital Improvements Program): Commissioners, RE.13 is another
contract award to Ric -man International. They're the lowest responsive and responsible bidder
for the Englewood Road and storm sewer project. This is five traffic circles and two raised
intersections in District 4. The contract amount is $645, 388.
Commissioner Suarez: Move it.
Mr. Spanioli: That includes a 10 percent contingency.
Commissioner Suarez: Move it.
Chair Sarnoff Motion -- we have a motion --
Commissioner Carollo: Second.
Chair Sarnoff: -- by the traffic circle man.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: You're getting circles, boy, aren't you?
Commissioner Suarez: Mr. Chair.
Chair Sarnoff: Commissioner Carollo.
Commissioner Suarez: Mr. Chair, ifI may.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Yes.
Chair Sarnoff: You're recognized for the record.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Talk about them circles.
Commissioner Suarez: 171 take a couple seconds to pat myself on the hack. No, I'm just kidding.
No, I really -- I want to commend our fourth CIP (Capital Improvements Program) director in
the last three years for his diligent work since being brought on. No, he really -- he's been a --
really a pleasure to work with. And the fact of the matter is that even though we've had a lot of
CIP directors, and I say that jokingly, the four that we've had have been good directors. I've had
great working relationships with all of them. And 1 have never really doubted their commitment
to want to improve the City of Miami. I've been frustrated at times by, you know, the turnover
itself and by having to start all over again, but they're hardworking people. Mark's a
hardworking guy, backfi^om his CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) days and before that,
when he was just a lonely Coral Gate -- lowly Coral Gate resident and neighbor. But, no, it's
nice, particularly far me because this is an area that's just east n f Coral Gate, and it's an area
that deserves attention and wants -- it goes back to what you presented earlier today, Chairman,
with your neighborhood identification plan, you know. What I -- what I'm striving to do in the
district is make our districts walkable, walk -friendly, and not highways for people that are trying
to cut through and save three seconds to get firorn, you know, either downtown to the west orfrom
om
the west to downtown. So thank you jar all your work in helping me bring this --
Mr. Spanioli: Thank you.
Commissioner Suarez: -- to fruition.
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City Commission
Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
RE.14
12-01444
Department of Capital
Improvements
Program
Mr. Spanioli: Thank you.
Chair Sarnoff: All right.
Vice Chair Gort: Mr. Chairman.
Chair Sarnof f: You're recognized for the record, Commissioner.
Vice Chair Gort: Let me take advantage, since you're there. I've always been asking for traffic
calming -- is that what you call it? -- for the last three years. I finally got a, four -stop in one.
Every time, I've been told Dade County has to do the study, a traffic study and so on. I've asked
for the traffic studies, and a lot of this, they have been made already. I have not received them.
And I can assure you the traffic study is not there and people are not going through there. So I
want to work with you on that because I've been asking for this for two and a half now.
Mr. Spanioli: We're happy to work together.
Vice Chair Gort: So I know you're a doer so I need to give you the places where they want to be
placed. And they don't have to he the expensive one. It could be the real --
Mr. Spanioli: Absolutely. We'll be happy to do it
Vice Chair Gort: -- I don't know what you call them.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: So, Mark, you need to write this day down.
Vice Chair Gort: Yes.
Mr. Spanioli: I think will. Thank you.
Chair Sarnof f: You had a good day today.
Mr. Spanioli: Well, there's a couple more items to go.
Commissioner Carollo: By the -- and I may defer my item, Mark. I may defer my item, okay.
Chair Sarnof f: All right, any further discussion? All in favor, then please say aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
ATTACHMENT(S), AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE
FIFTEEN (15) JOB ORDER CONTRACTS ("JOC"), IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE
ATTACHED FORM, TO PROVIDE MAINTENANCE AND CONSTRUCTION
SERVICES CITYWIDE, ON AN AS -NEEDED BASIS, FOR CAPITAL
PROJECTS; ALLOCATING FUNDS FROM VARIOUS CAPITAL
IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AND DEPARTMENTAL BUDGETS, SUBJECT TO
BUDGETARY APPROVAL AT THE TIME OF NEED; FURTHER AUTHORIZING
THE CITY MANAGER TO ADD OR REPLACE JOC CONTRACTORS ON AN
AS -NEEDED BASIS.
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City Commission
Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
12-01444 Summary Form.pdf
12-01444 Legislation.pdf
12-01444 Exhibit 1.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Suarez, seconded by Vice Chair Gort, that this matter be
ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 5 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff, Carollo, Suarez and Spence -Jones
R-13-0089
Chair Sarnoff: All right, RE.14.
Mark Spanioli (Director, Capital Improvements Program): Commissioners, RE.14 is multiple
contract awards for our 15 -- for 15 JOC (Job Order Contract) contractors; 7 horizontal
contractors, 8 vertical contractors. This was hid out some time ago. This is to, I guess, replace
our current set of contractors. The last time we hid this out was in 2009. This was a new hid.
We've increased our number of contractors --
Commissioner Suarez: Move it.
Chair Sarnoff: Motion by Commissioner Suarez --
Mr. Spanioli: -- and we also have the availability --
Tice Chair Gort: Second.
Chair Sarnoff: Second by Commissioner Gort. Great presentation. Anyfurther --
Commissioner Carollo: Two quick questions.
Commissioner Suarez: Yeah, and I'm --
Chair Sarnoff: All right, you're recognized.
Commissioner Suarez: -- going to just make a comment when --
Commissioner Carollo: Director Spanoli [sic], is it cheaper or more expensive to go through
JOC, because I have heard both? So --
Mr. Spanioli: Commissioner, it happens to he hoth. Sometimes it's cheaper, sometimes it's not.
One of the projects that is in your district actually, 1 think it's the Bay of Pigs bathrooms, that
one originally was bid out through JOC, and then we did tvvo hard bids subsequent to that --
Commissioner Carollo: It's actually Dorn --
Mr. Spanioli: -- and they came in more expensive than JOC.
Commissioner Carollo: And I'm sorry, it's actually Domino Park bathrooms.
Mr. Spanioli: Domino Park, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Domino Park.
Commissioner Suarez: Yeah, Bay ofPigs is in my district.
Mr. Spanioli: So, in some cases, yes; in some cases, no. We tend to use JOC on the lesser
estimated projects, usually -- definitely under a million, typically under $500,000. Those tend to
work out best for us.
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
Commissioner Carollo: Okay, so a simple mill and resurface --
Commissioner Suarez: Right.
Commissioner Carollo: -- it should go through JOC --
Mr. Spanioli: Yes.
Commissioner Carollo: -- and it should be done within what time period because -- 1 don't want
to ruin your day. I've got figures of the time periods and, you know, I could drilldown pretty
much on, hey, we approved it in this Commission meeting. We're here; the plans still haven't
started. What's going on? And I'm not going to do that to you today. You've had a good day.
But you know I'm having issues with that, so --
Mr. Spanioli: Absolutely.
Commissioner Carollo: -- getting back to this topic of JOC, if we have a simple mill and
resurface, I mean, how long should it take, especially going through JOC?
Mr. Spanioli: I'm going to stick to my original timeframe that gave you -- I guess it was two or
three Commission meetings ago -- which was four months.
Commissioner Carollo: Four --
Mr. Spanioli: From time of appropriation to time of start.
Commissioner Suarez: Starting construction.
Tice Chair Gort: May I?
Commissioner Carollo: But a simple JOC --
Mr. Spanioli: For a simple milling and resurfacing project.
Tice Chair Gort: May I?
Mr. Spanioli: And actually, I'll even -- I'll take it a step further. That would helium -- yeah,
from appropriation to time of construction, yes.
Tice Chair Gort: Listen, I think it -- it'll be very important for us and far the public to
understand 'cause a lot of times we do get the complaints. We get the phone calls. My street, you
promised it was going to fixed. It's been six month and nothing has taken place. And it's
important for people to understand the difference between the public sector and the private
sector. Could you go through the process that you have to go through in order to -- and you
have improved it quite a bit, 1 have to say that.
Mr. Spanioli: And I appreciate that. I mean, we're actually working on a couple of things. And
Commissioner Carollo and Commissioner Gort, the idea for our simple -- what you'll classify as
simple milling and resurfacing projects, what we're looking at doing is having a separate turnkey
contract far milling and resurfacing.
Commissioner Carollo: Right, exactly.
Mr. Spanioli: That certainly would help us move that along a little quicker. But yeah, the
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City Commission
Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
RE.15
13-00248
Office of Grants
Administration
government has a -- definitely more hurdles to go through. I mean, we got to go through an
appropriation. From the time that you actually dream up the project, then we got to find the
funds, and we got to come to appropriation. Then it gets -- got to get loaded into the system.
Then we got to prepare the drawings. We got to get a permit. Then we've got to -- you know, got
to get our JOC book prepared. I mean, as you go through the process, yeah, it's a little bit more
difficult than private sector, definitely. But it's something that we're working on, and it's -- and
we're working on making it as quickly as possible.
Commissioner Carollo: How many ofyour staff is classified?
Mr. Spanioli: Five.
Commissioner Carollo: Five. And how much staff do you have?
Mr. Spanioli: Forty-seven.
Commissioner Carollo: Forty-seven. Okay, I'm not going to open up any cans of worms, but I
mean, usually in the private sector, if someone can do it faster, you go that way. You outsource
it. But I'm not going to open up that can of worms. But the bottom line is, my intent is we need
to work on this process because it's just unacceptable. And you spoke about what -- as I know
you know, I've been looking at -- for mill and resurfacing, if we could have some type of turnkey
where it's done right away instead of you know, waiting four months from Commission approval,
you know. Because the truth of the matter- is that it's unacceptable that the neighbors see that,
you know, in 45 days they knock down a McDonald's and they construct a brand-new one, and
we're still in the planning stage of; you know, fixing roads that are, you know -- was full of --
Commissioner Suarez: Potholes.
Commissioner Carollo: -- potholes. And yeah, they got refilled, but still, I mean, it's not the
same.
Mr. Spanioli: Understood.
Chair Sarnoff: All right. Any further discussion?
Commissioner Suarez: No.
Chair Sarnof f: All in favor, please say aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
ATTACHMENT(S), AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO SUBMIT AN
APPLICATION FOR GRANT FUNDING TO THE FLORIDA INLAND
NAVIGATION DISTRICT WATERWAYS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, IN AN
AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $570,000, FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE
LUMMUS LANDING RIVERWALK/DOCK ("PROJECT"); AUTHORIZING THE
ALLOCATION OF THE REQUIRED MATCHING FUNDS FOR FIFTY
PERCENT (50%) OF THE PROJECT COSTS, IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO
EXCEED $570,000, AVAILABLE UNDER CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
B-30643; AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE ANY AND ALL
NECESSARY DOCUMENTS, IN A FORM ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY
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City Commission
Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
RE.16
13-00289
District 2-
Commissioner Marc
David Sarnoff
ATTORNEY, FOR THE SUBMISSION OF SAID GRANT APPLICATION, THE
EXECUTION OF GRANT OR DEED AGREEMENTS AND AMENDMENTS,
AND THE ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FUNDS, IN THE EVENT OF THE
AWARD OF THE GRANT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2013-2014.
13-00248 Summary Form.pdf
13-00248 Project - Lummus Landing Dock.pdf
13-00248 Legislation.pdf
13-00248 Exhibit 1.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Spence -Jones, seconded by Commissioner Suarez, that this
matter be ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 5 - Commissioner(s) Gott, Sarnoft, Carollo, Suarez and Spence -Jones
R-13-0093
Lillian Blondet (Director, Grants Administration): And RE.15 is for the construction of the
Lummus Landing river walk dock. It's a project cost for a million, a hundred and forty thousand
-- one million, a hundred and forty thousand dollars. The application is $570,000.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: So moved.
Chair Sarnoff: We have a motion by Commissioner --
Commissioner Suarez: Second.
Chair Sarnoff: -- Spence -Jones, second by Commissioner Suarez. Hearing -- Any discussion?
No discussion. All in --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: I just would like to put something on the record. First of all, I
mean, we don't tell him thank you enough. He goes out, he makes sure we get these FIND
(Florida Inland Navigational District) grants to help us leverage our dollar. So when you have
a team member -- a staff member -- this is a lot of money that was being brought in to the City,
so I want to officially acknowledge you and tell you job well done. We really appreciate what
you guys are doing to make sure we find other ways to pay for these things 'cause we just don't
have the money to do, you know, like we'd like to do. So I want to let you know we appreciate
you, both of ;you.
Chair Sarnoff: Robert, I tell you every day (UNINTELLIGIBLE) -- but 1 don't do it publicly. All
right, all in favor, please say aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION WAIVING, PURSUANT
TO SECTION 54-341(E), THE RESTRICTIONS CONTAINED IN SECTIONS
54-341(C)(1),(2), AND (3) OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA,
AS AMENDED, MORE PARTICULARLY: (1) THE RESTRICTION THAT NO
MORE THAN TWO (2) EVENTS PER MONTH SHALL OCCUR, (2) THE
RESTRICTION THAT ONLY ONE (1) EVENT OF THE TWO (2) EVENTS MAY
INVOLVE STREET CLOSURES, AND (3) THE RESTRICTION ON TWO (2)
EVENTS TAKING PLACE ON SUCCESSIVE WEEKENDS, FOR EVENTS
OCCURRING IN THE "COCONUT GROVE SPECIAL EVENTS DISTRICT", TO
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
ALLOW FOR THE "RUN FOR RELIEF FOR HAITI 5K RACE" TO TAKE PLACE
ON MAY 19, 2013.
13-00289 Legislation.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Suarez, seconded by Commissioner Carollo, that this matter be
ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 5 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff, Carollo, Suarez and Spence -Jones
R-13-0090
Chair Sarnoff: RE.16. RE.16 is a waiver for the two events rule in the Grove.
Commissioner Suarez: Move it.
Chair Sarnoff (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Little Haiti.
Commissioner Carollo: Second.
Chair Sarnoff: Okay, there you go. There's a motion. There's a second.
Commissioner Suarez: See, we are your friends.
Chair Sarnof f: What's that?
Commissioner Suarez: We are your friends.
Chair Sarnoff: I'm sorry?
Commissioner Suarez: We are your friends.
Chair Sarnoff: You -- I71 tell you, if it doesn't cost money, you guys are great. No, just kidding.
All right. We have a motion. We have a second. Any discussion? Hearing no discussion, all in
favor, please say aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Commissioner Suarez: Bye -- I mean, aye, not bye.
Chair Sarnoff: My buds. All right, I'm going to remember that.
RE.17 RESOLUTION
13-00312
District3- A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION URGING GOVERNOR
Commissioner Frank RICK SCOTT AND THE MEMBERS OF THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE TO
Carollo SUPPORT DURING THE 2013 LEGISLATIVE SESSION, AMENDING
FLORIDA STATUTE 101.657(1)(B) AND TO RESTORE THE NUMBER OF
DAYS AVAILABLE FOR EARLY VOTING FROM 8 DAYS TO 14 DAY;
DIRECTING THE CITY CLERK TO TRANSMIT A COPY OF THIS
RESOLUTION TO THE OFFICIALS DESIGNATED HEREIN.
13-00312 Legislation.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Carollo, seconded by Commissioner Suarez, that this matter be
ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
Votes: Ayes: 5 - Commissioners) Gort, Sarnoff, Carollo, Suarez and Spence -Jones
R-13-0091
Chair Sarnoff: RE.17.
Commissioner Carollo: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I'm going to be real brief. This is one
of the reasons that earlier this year I mentioned to this board how I wish that our legislative
liaison would have reached out to my office and would have actually met with me because I think
this is something that is, you know, in the front_ fore [sic], and to be honest with you, something
that needs to be done. The Legislature has been working pretty expeditiously to have this done,
but they still have not done it. And I'm not going to bore you with all the details, but the bottom
line is, we saw, you know, how it was just unacceptable, for have those -- to have those long lines
during our last voting session, and we need to fix it. So I -- you know, I hope that you all could
support me in passing this.
Commissioner Suarez: Second.
Chair Sarnoff: We have a motion, and we have a second. Any further --
Commissioner Suarez: Discussion.
Chair Sarnoff: -- discussion?
Commissioner Suarez: I just think it's great that we have our director of elections -- both our
City one, I think is around here, and also our County one. And, you know, we, as a Commission,
want to do the right thing in urging the government to help you do your job, which is very
difficult, getting -- I think it's 1.2 million voters potentially -- to vote countywide. And obviously,
at the City, it's less than that, but it's still a gargantuan task. So, you know, I commend the
Commissioner. I think this is a bipartisan, nonpartisan --
Commissioner Carollo: Absolutely.
Commissioner Suarez: -- you know, piece of legislation that, you know, everybody can get
behind.
Commissioner Carollo: Thank you. And Mr. Chairman.
Chair Sarnoff: You're recognized.
Commissioner Carollo: Thank you. And definitely, I think we need to restore the number of
dates available for early voting from 8 to 14. But -- and again, I'm not going to -- I know we're
moving quickly, so I'm not going to stay on this too long. But at the saute time, you know, I just
want to make sure that our legislative liaison is hearing us, is following up because in the update
that he gave us, there's no mention on the last resolution that this Commission passed with
regards to something that is happening in Little Havana right now, with regards to the apartment
buildings, the Palm Apartments. I have not heard anything from him. Do we have a sponsor?
Do we have a sponsor in the state house? Do we have a sponsor in the Senate? Is it going to be
as an amendment? Has he spoken to any of the legislators to see if we're going to gain support
or not? So I'm not going to get into too much detail, but again, I'm saying to our Administration,
please have our legislative liaison work with us, you know. And pretty soon, I'm going to start
asking how many days is he up in Tallahassee? How much is it costing us, hotel hills and all
that? And I don't want to get into all those details. But all I know is that I don't think this city is
really having its maximum capacity up in Tallahassee. I don't think, realistically, you know,
we're getting all the traction that we should be getting.
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
Alice Bravo (Chief of Infrastructure/Assistant City Manager): Kirk is actually in Tallahassee
today. I will --
Commissioner Carollo: Of course.
Ms. Bravo: -- (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
Commissioner Suarez: That's where he should be.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: That didn't help.
Chair Sarnoff.' All right, so RE.17. All in favor, please say aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Commissioner Carollo: And Mr. Chairman.
Chair Sarnoff.' Yes, sir.
Commissioner Carollo: Since the director of Elections is here, I don't know if they have an issue
or something in the agenda.
Chair Sarnoff • They're here, guys, for the redistricting. That's why I wanted to go --
Commissioner Carollo: Okay.
Chair Sarnoff: -- to redistricting.
Commissioner Carollo: Okay.
Chair Sarnoff: So, without further ado --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Redistricting.
Chair Sarnoff • -- why don't we do redistricting? I know you want to get to the other stuff. We're
going to get to it.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: What other stuff?
Chair Sarnoff: But 1 don't want to keep --
Commissioner Carollo: We have --
Chair Sarnoff: -- the director of elections here.
Commissioner Carollo: -- board --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Board appointments.
Commissioner Carollo: -- appointments and I think the City Attorney.
Chair Sarnoff: And 1 think -- and a PZ (Planning & Zoning) item.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Oh, yeah.
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
BC.1
13-00039
Chair Sarnoff: One PZ item.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: I'm going to use the restrnnm.
Chair Sarnoff • Does anybody want to take two minutes for a bathroom break?
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Yes, I need it.
Chair Sarnoff: Okay. Two minutes, guys. A real two minutes.
END OF RESOLUTIONS
BOARDS AND COMMITTEES
RESOLUTION
Office of the City A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION APPOINTING
Clerk CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS AS MEMBERS OF THE ARTS AND
ENTERTAINMENT COUNCIL FOR TERMS AS DESIGNATED HEREIN.
APPOINTEES: NOMINATED BY:
Mercedes Lopez -Cisneros Mayor Tomas Regalado
(Chairperson)
Lauren Reskin Mayor Tomas Regalado
Mike Margulies Mayor Tomas Regalado
Ricardo Tano Chair Marc David Sarnoff
Dr. Juana Amada Vargas Vice Chair Wifredo (Willy) Gort
Barbara Marquez Commissioner Francis Suarez
13-00039 Arts CCMemo.pdf
13-00039 Arts Current_Board_Members.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Suarez, seconded by Commissioner Carollo, that this matter be
ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 5 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff, Carollo, Suarez and Spence -Jones
R-13-0102
Chair Sarnoff: Now we go on to hoards.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: To which one, hoards? Mr. Chairman, I don't -- I'ni not making
any appointments tonight, so --
Chair Sarnoff: Okay.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Just one? For me?
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): Yes, ma'am. We're good to go with the ones that you want to
make.
Chair Sarnaff: Okay. We're going to give you two minutes and see if you can do it.
Mr. Hannon: We got a lot of appointments. How about --?
Chair Sarnoff: Three minutes.
Mr. Hannon: Okay.
Chair Sarnoff.: Starting now.
Mr. Hannon: BC.1, Arts & Entertainment Council. Mayor Regalado is appointing Mercedes
Lopez -Cisneros, Lauren Reskin, and Mike Margulile. Chair Sarnoff is appointing Ricardo Tana.
Vice Chair Gort is appointing Dr. Juana Amada. And Chair -- Commissioner Suarez is
appointing Barbara Marquez.
Commissioner Suarez: Move it.
Vice Chair Gort: Move it.
Commissioner Carollo: Second.
Chair Sarnoff: Motion, second. All in -- Any discussion? All in favor, please say aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
BC.2 RESOLUTION
12-01172
Office of the City A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION APPOINTING
Clerk CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS AS MEMBERS OF THE AUDIT ADVISORY
COMMITTEE FOR TERMS AS DESIGNATED HEREIN.
APPOINTEES: NOMINATED BY:
Ignacio J. Abella Vice Chair Wifredo (Willy) Gort
Carlos Trueba Commissioner Francis Suarez
12-01172 Audit CCMemo.pdf
12-01172 Audit Current_Board_Members.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Carollo, seconded by Commissioner Suarez, that this matter be
ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 5 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Samoff, Carollo, Suarez and Spence -Jones
R-13-0103
A motion was made by Commissioner Carollo, seconded by Commissioner- Suarez, and was
passed unanimously, to appoint Ignacio J. Abella as a member of the AuditAdvisory Board;
further waiving the term limits of Section 2-885(b) by a unanimous (5/5) vote of the members of
the City Commission, as it relates to Ignacio J. Abella as a member of the Audit Advisory Board.
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
BC.3
13-00252
Office of the City
Clerk
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): BC.2, Audit Advisory Committee. Vice Chair Gort is appointing,
with a five five term waiver, Ignacio }Melia. Commissioner Suarez is appointing Carlos Trueha.
Chair Sarnoff • Is there a motion?
Commissioner Carollo: Move it.
Commissioner Suarez: Second.
Chair Sarnoff • Second.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Second.
Chair Sarnoff: There's a motion. There's a second. Any discussion? All in favor, please say
aye.
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION APPOINTING
CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS AS MEMBERS OF THE BAYFRONT PARK
MANAGEMENT TRUST FOR TERMS AS DESIGNATED HEREIN.
APPOINTEES: NOMINATED BY:
Ralph Duharte Vice Chair Wifredo (Willy) Gort
Marlene Avalo Commission -At -Large
13-00252 Bayfront Park CCMemo.pdf
13-00252 Bayfront Park Current_Board_Members.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Suarez, seconded by Commissioner Carollo, that this matter be
ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 5 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff, Carollo, Suarez and Spence -Jones
R-13-0104
A motion was made by Commissioner Suarez, seconded by Commissioner Carollo, and was
passed unanimously, to appoint Ralph Duharte as a member of the Bayfront Park Management
Trust; further waiving the term limits of Section 2-8850) by a unanimous (5/5) vote of the
members of the City Commission, as it relates to Ralph Duharte as a member of the Bayfront
Park Management Trust.
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): BC.3, Bayfront Park Management Trust. Vice Chair Gort is
appointing, with a five -five term waiver, Ralph Duharte. And the -- there's one
Commission -At -Large seat up for reappointment, and the seat is currently held by Marlene
Avalo.
Commissioner Suarez: Move to reappoint and move to appoint.
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
Commissioner Carollo: Yeah.
Chair Sarnoff: There's a motion. Is there a second?
Commissioner Carollo: Second.
Vice Chair Gort: Second.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Second.
Chair Sarnoff • All in favor, please say "aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
BC.4 RESOLUTION
12-01473
Office of the City A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION CONFIRMING THE
Clerk APPOINTMENT OF CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS AS MEMBERS OF THE
CIVILIAN INVESTIGATIVE PANEL FOR TERMS AS DESIGNATED
HEREIN.
BC.5
APPOINTEES: NOMINATED BY:
Grace Casas Civilian Investigative Panel
(D3 Seat - Commissioner Frank Carollo)
Mairlyn Lightbourn
12-01473 CIP CCMemo.pdf
12-01473 CIP Current_Board_Members.pdf
12-01473 CIP Memo and Resumes.pdf
Civilian Investigative Panel
(D5 Seat -
(Commissioner Michelle Spence -Jones)
Motion by Commissioner Carollo, seconded by Commissioner Suarez, that this matter be
ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 5 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff, Carollo, Suarez and Spence -Jones
R-13-0105
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): BC.4, Civilian Investigative Panel. Commissioner Carollo's
appointing Grace Casas, and Commissioner Spence -Jones is appointing Marilyn Lightbourn.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Okay.
Commissioner Carollo: Move it.
Commissioner Suarez: Second.
Chair Sarnoff: Motion, second. All in favor, please say aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
RESOLUTION
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
13-00253
Office of the City A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION APPOINTING
Clerk CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS AS MEMBERS OF THE CODE ENFORCEMENT
BOARD FOR TERMS AS DESIGNATED HEREIN.
APPOINTEES: NOMINATED BY:
Frank Pichel Vice Chair Wifredo (Willy) Gort
Eduardo Moralejo Commissioner Francis Suarez
13-00253 CEB CCMemo.pdf
13-00253 CEB Current_Board_Members.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Carollo, seconded by Commissioner Suarez, that this matter be
ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 5 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff, Carollo, Suarez and Spence -Jones
R-13-0106
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): BC.5, Code Enforcement Board. Vice Chair Gort is appointing
Frank Pichel, and Commissioner Suarez is appointing Eduardo Moralejo.
Chair Sarnoff: Motion --
Commissioner Carollo: Second.
Chair Sarnoff And motion and a second. All in favor•, please say aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Chair Sarnoff: You're going to have to pick up the pace to get it done.
BC.6 RESOLUTION
13-00162
Office of the City A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION APPOINTING
Clerk CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS AS MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY
RELATIONS BOARD FOR TERMS AS DESIGNATED HEREIN.
APPOINTEES:
Pierre Rutledge
(Term ending 3/8/2015)
David Young
(Term ending 3/14/2016)
NOMINATED BY:
Mayor Tomas Regalado
Chair Marc David Sarnoff
Deidria Davis Commissioner Michelle Spence -Jones
(Term ending 10/13/2014)
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13-00162 CRB CCMemo.pdf
13-00162 CRB_Current_Board_Members.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Carollo, seconded by Commissioner Suarez, that this matter be
ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 5 - Commissioners) Gort, Sarnoff, Carollo, Suarez and Spence -Jones
R-13-0107
A niotion was made by Commissioner Carollo, seconded by Commissioner Suarez, and was
passed unanimously, to appoint Pierre Rutledge, David Young, and Deidria Davis as members of
the Community Relations Board; further waiving the attendance requirements in Section 2-886 of
the Code of the City of Miami, as amended, by a four/fifths (4/5ths) vote of the members of the
full City Commission, as it relates to past absences on record for Pierre Rutledge, David Young,
and Deidria Davis as members of the Community Relations Board.
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): BC.6, Community Relations Board. Mayor Regalado is
appointing, with a four -fifths absence waiver, Pierre Rutledge. Chair Sarnoffis appointing, with
a four -fifths absence waiver, David Young. And Commissioner Spence -Jones is appointing, with
a four -fifths absence waiver, Deidria Davis.
Commissioner Carollo: Move it.
Commissioner Suarez: Second.
Chair Sarnoff: Motion, and we have a second. All in favor, please say "aye. "
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Chair Sarnoff: Very good.
BC.7 RESOLUTION
13-00040
Office of the City A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION APPOINTING
Clerk CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS AS MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION ON THE
STATUS OF WOMEN FOR TERMS AS DESIGNATED HEREIN.
APPOINTEES: NOMINATED BY:
Allyson M. Warren Mayor Tomas Regalado
Ise! Fuentes Vice Chair Wifredo (Willy) Gort
Leonor De La Heria Vice Chair Wifredo (Willy) Gort
Lyse Cuellar -Vidal Commissioner Francis Suarez
Connie Johnson Commissioner Francis Suarez
13-00040 CSW CCMemo.pdf
13-00040 CSW Current_Board_Members.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Carollo, seconded by Commissioner Suarez, that this matter be
ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
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Votes: Ayes: 5 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff, Carollo, Suarez and Spence -Jones
R-13-0108
A motion was made by Commissioner Carollo, seconded by Commissioner Suarez, and was
passed unanimously, to appoint Allyson Warren as a member of the Commission on the Status of
Women; further waiving the term limits of Section 2-885(h) by a unanimous (5/5) vote of the
members of the City Commission, as it relates to Allyson Warren as a member of the Commission
on the Status of Women.
Chair Sarnoff BC.7.
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): BC. 7, Commission on the Status of Women. Mayor Regalado is
appointing with a five -five term waiver, Allyson Warren. Vice Chair Gort is appointing Zcel
Fuentes. Vice Chair Gort is also appointing Jenny Guzman. Commissioner Suarez is appointing
Connie Johnson and Lyse Cuellar -Vidal.
Commissioner Carollo: Move it.
Commissioner Suarez: Move it.
Chair Sarnoff • Motion and --
Commissioner Suarez: Second.
Chair Sarnoff: -- second. All in favor, please say "aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
BC.8 RESOLUTION
12-01181
Office of the City A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION APPOINTING
Clerk CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS AS MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY
TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY BOARD FOR TERMS AS DESIGNATED
HEREIN.
APPOINTEES: NOMINATED BY:
Nola Garcia Mayor Tomas Regalado
Myrna Pinto Vice Chair Wifredo (Willy) Gort
12-01181 CTAB CCMemo.pdf
12-01181 CTAB Current_Board_Members.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Carollo, seconded by Commissioner Suarez, that this matter be
ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 5 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff, Carollo, Suarez and Spence -Jones
R-13-0109
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): BC.8, Community Technology Advisory Board. Mayor Regalado
is appointing Nola Garcia. Vice Chair Gort is appointing Myrna Pinto.
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
Commissioner Carollo: Move it.
Chair Sarnoff: Motion --
Commissioner Suarez: Second.
Chair Sarnoff -- second. All in favor, please say aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
BC.9 RESOLUTION
13-00254
Office of the City A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION CONFIRMING THE
Clerk APPOINTMENT OF A CERTAIN INDIVIDUAL AS A MEMBER OF THE
DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (DDA) FOR A TERM AS
DESIGNATED HEREIN.
APPOINTEE: NOMINATED BY:
Alicia E. Cervera DDA Board of Directors
(Term: 3/15/2013 through 8/31/2015) (At -Large Appointment)
13-00254 DDA CCMemo.pdf
13-00254 DDA Current_Board_Members.pdf
13-00254 DDA Memo and Resolution.pdf
13-00254 DDA Resume for Appointment.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Carollo, seconded by Commissioner Suarez, that this matter be
ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 5 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff, Carollo, Suarez and Spence -Jones
R-13-0110
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): BC.9, Downtown Development Authority. The Downtown
Development Authority has nominated Alicia E. Cervera fbr Commission confirmation.
Commissioner Carollo: Move it.
Commissioner Suarez: Second.
Chair Sarnoff: There's a motion, second. All in favor, please say aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Chair Sarnoff: There you go. BC.10.
Mr. Hannon: NothingfbrBC.10.
BC.10 RESOLUTION
12-01470
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
Office of the City A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION APPOINTING A
Clerk CERTAIN INDIVIDUAL AS A MEMBER OF THE EDUCATION ADVISORY
BOARD FOR ATERM AS DESIGNATED HEREIN.
BC.11
12-01182
APPOINTEE: NOMINATED BY:
12-01470 EAB CCMemo.pdf
12-01470 EAB Current_Board_Members.pdf
NO ACTION TAKEN
RESOLUTION
Vice Chair Wifredo (Willy) Gort
Office of the City A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION APPOINTING CERTAIN
Clerk INDIVIDUALS AS MEMBERS OF THE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY ADVISORY
BOARD FOR TERMS AS DESIGNATED HEREIN.
APPOINTEES: NOMINATED BY:
Michael Barket Chair Marc David Sarnoff
Miriam Urra Vice Chair Wifredo (Willy) Gort
Jordana Zarut Vice Chair Wifredo (Willy) Gort
Edilfa Perez Commissioner Francis Suarez
Aurelus Dorvil Commissioner Francis Suarez
Amarilys Perez AFSCME Local 1907
12-01182 EOAB CCMemo.pdf
12-01182 EOAB Current_Board_Members.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Suarez, seconded by Commissioner Carollo, that this matter be
ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 5 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff, Carollo, Suarez and Spence -Jones
R-13-0094
A motion was made by Commissioner Suarez, seconded by Commissioner Carollo, and was
passed unanimously, to appoint Miriam Urra and Jordana Zarut as members of the Equal
Opportunity Advisory Board; further waiving the attendance requirements in Section 2-886 of
the Code of the City of Miami, as amended, by a four/fifths (4/5ths) vote of the members of the
MI City Commission, as it relates to past absences on record for Miriam Urra and Jordana
Zarut as members of the Equal Opportunity Advisory Board.
A motion was made by Commissioner Suarez, seconded by Commissioner Carollo, and was
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
passed unanimously, to appoint Miriam Urra as a member of the Equal Opportunity Advisory
Board; further waiving the terns limits of Section 2-885(h) by a unanimous (5/5) vote of the
members of the City Commission, as it relates to Miriam Urra as a member of the Equal
Opportunity Advisory Board.
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): BC.11, Equal Opportunity Advisory Board. Chair Sarnoff is
appointing Michael Barket. Vice Chair Gort is appointing, with a five five term waiver and
fourfifths absence waiver, Miriam Urra. And he is also appointing, with a fourffths absence
waiver, Jordana Zarut. Commissioner Suarez is appointing Edilfa Perez and Aurelus Dorvil.
And AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) Local 1907 is
for -- has nominated for Commission confirmation, Amarilys Perez.
Commissioner Suarez: Move it.
Chair Sarnoff: Motion --
Commissioner Carollo: Second.
Chair Sarnoff: -- second. All in favor, please say "aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
BC.12 RESOLUTION
12-01469
Office of the City A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION APPOINTING
Clerk CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS AS MEMBERS OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE
FOR TERMS AS DESIGNATED HEREIN.
APPOINTEES: NOMINATED BY:
Eli Feinberg Mayor Tomas Regalado
Manuel Vadillo Commissioner Francis Suarez
12-01469 Finance CCMemo.pdf
12-01469 Finance Current_Board_Members.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Carollo, seconded by Commissioner Suarez, that this matter be
ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 5 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Samoff, Carollo, Suarez and Spence -Jones
R-13-0095
A motion was made by Commissioner Carollo, seconded by Commissioner- Suarez, and was
passed unanimously, to appoint Eli Feinberg as a member of the Finance Committee; further
waiving the term limits of Section 2-885(b) by a unanimous (5/5) vote of the members of the City
Commission, as it relates to Eli Feinberg as a member of the Finance Committee.
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): BC.12, Finance Committee. Mayor Regalado is appointing, with
a five -five term waiver, Eli Feinberg. And Commissioner Suarez is appointing Manuel Vadillo.
Commissioner Carollo: Move it.
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Commissioner Suarez: Second.
Chair Sarnof: Motion, second. All in favor, "aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Chair Sarnof: Twenty four seconds.
BC.13 RESOLUTION
13-00041
Office of the City A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION APPOINTING
Clerk CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS AS MEMBERS OF THE HOMELAND
DEFENSE/NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT BOND PROGRAM
OVERSIGHT BOARD FOR TERMS AS DESIGNATED HEREIN.
APPOINTEES: NOMINATED BY:
John Cunill Vice Chair Wifredo (Willy) Gort
Olayunbosun Aluko Commissioner Michelle Spence -Jones
13-00041 Homeland CCMemo.pdf
13-00041 Homeland Current_Board_Members.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Carollo, seconded by Commissioner Suarez, that this matter be
ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 5 - Commissioners) Gort, Sarnoff, Carollo, Suarez and Spence -Jones
R-13-0096
Chair Sarnof: Twenty-four seconds.
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): BC.13, Homeland Defense/Neighborhood Improve -- whatever.
Tice Chair Gort is appointing John --
Commissioner Suarez: Did he say whatever?
Mr. Hannon: -- Cunill.
Commissioner Suarez: Nice. Good for you, Todd.
Mr. Hannon: And Commissioner Spence -Jones is appointing Ola Aluko.
Commissioner Carollo: Move it.
Commissioner Suarez: Second.
Chair Sarnof: All in favor, say 1 ve. "
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Commissioner Suarez: Good for you.
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
BC.14
12-00834
RESOLUTION
Office of the City A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION APPOINTING
Clerk CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS AS MEMBERS OF THE MIAMI SPORTS AND
EXHIBITION AUTHORITY FOR TERMS AS DESIGNATED HEREIN.
APPOINTEES: NOMINATED BY:
Jay Solowsky Chair Marc David Sarnoff
Eli Feinberg Vice Chair Wifredo (Willy) Gort
Anthony Recio Commissioner Francis Suarez
Michelle Spence -Jones Commissioner Michelle Spence -Jones
Luther Campbell Commissioner Michelle Spence -Jones
12-00834 MSEA CCMemo.pdf
12-00834 MSEA Current_Board_Members.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Suarez, seconded by Commissioner Carollo, that this matter be
ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 5 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff, Carollo, Suarez and Spence -Jones
R-13-0097
A motion was made by Commissioner Suarez, seconded by Commissioner Carollo, and was
passed unanimously, to appoint Eli Feinberg as a member al the Miami Sports and Exhibition
Authority; further waiving the term limits of Section 2-885(b) by a unanimous (5/5) vote of the
members of the City Commission, as it relates to Eli Feinberg as a member of the Miami Sports
and Exhibition Authority.
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): BC.14, Miami Sports & Exhibition Authority. Chair Sarnoff is
appointing Jay Solowsky. Vice Chair Gort is appointing, with a five five term waiver, Eli
Feinherg. Commissioner Suarez is appointing Anthony Recto. And Commissioner Spence -Jones
is appointing Luther Campbell.
Commissioner Suarez: Move it.
Commissioner Carollo: Second.
Chair Sarnoff: All in favor, say "aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Can I ask you a question?
Commissioner Suarez: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Luke.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Ain T sitting on this board?
Mr. Hannon: Yes, ma'am. Would you like to reappoint yourseij?
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Yeah.
Commissioner Suarez: Or take yourself off?
Commissioner Carollo: Move it.
Mr. Hannon: We'll throw that in with the motion.
Chair Sarnoff: All in favor, say "aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
BC.15 RESOLUTION
13-00164
Office of the City A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION CONFIRMING
Clerk THE APPOINTMENTS OF CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS AS MEMBERS OF
THE OFF-STREET PARKING BOARD FOR TERMS AS DESIGNATED
HEREIN.
APPOINTEES: NOMINATED BY:
Arthur Hertz Off -Street Parking Board
(At -Large Appointment)
Marlon Hill Off -Start Parking Board
(At -Large Appointment)
13-00164 Off -Street Parking CCMemo.pdf
13-00164 Off -Street Parking_Current_Board_Members.pdf
13-00164 Off -Street Parking Resolutions.PDF
13-00164 Off -Street Parking Resumes for Appointments.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Carollo, seconded by Commissioner Suarez, that this matter be
ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 5 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Samoff, Carollo, Suarez and Spence -Jones
R-13-0098
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): BC.15, Off -Street Parking Board. The Off -Street Parking Board
has nominated Arthur Hertz and Marlon Hill for Commission confirmation.
Commissioner Carollo: Move it.
Vice Chair Gort: Move it.
Chair Sarnoff:' Motion --
Commissioner Suarez: Second.
Chair Sarnoff.• -- and second. All in favor, say aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Chair Sarnoff: All right.
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
BC.16 RESOLUTION
12-01043
Office of the City A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION APPOINTING
Clerk CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS AS MEMBERS OF THE PARKS AND
RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD FOR TERMS AS DESIGNATED
HEREIN.
APPOINTEES: NOMINATED BY:
Elijah Stiers Chair Marc David Sarnoff
Frank Fernandez Commissioner Frank Carollo
Margarita Fernandez City Manager Johnny Martinez
12-01043 PRAB CCMemo.pdf
12-01043 PRAB Current_Board_Members.pdf
12-01043 PRAB Resume for City Manager's Appointment.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Carollo, seconded by Commissioner Suarez, that this matter be
ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 5 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff, Carollo, Suarez and Spence -Jones
R-13-0099
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): BC.16, Parks & Recreation Advisory Board. Chair Sarnoff is
appointing Elijah Stiers. Commissioner Carollo is appointing Frank Fernandez. And the City
Manager has nominated Margarita Fernandez for appointment by the Commission.
Commissioner Carollo: Move it.
Commissioner Suarez: Second.
Chair Sarnoff: We have a motion and second. All in favor, say aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Chair Sarnoff • Okay.
Mr. Hannon: Almost there.
BC.17 RESOLUTION
12-01363
Office of the City A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION APPOINTING
Clerk CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS AS MEMBERS OF THE URBAN DEVELOPMENT
REVIEW BOARD (UDRB) FOR TERMS AS DESIGNATED HEREIN.
APPOINTEES: NOMINATED BY:
Jesus Permuy Vice Chair Wifredo (Willy) Gort
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
Fidel Perez Commissioner Francis Suarez
12-01363 UDRB CCMemo.pdf
12-01363 UDRB Current_Board_Members.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Carollo, seconded by Commissioner Suarez, that this matter be
ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 5 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff, Carollo, Suarez and Spence -Jones
R-13-0100
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): BC.1 7, Urban Development Review Board. Vice Chair Gort is
appointing Jesus Permu [sic]. Sorry ifI pronounced that incorrectly.
Commissioner Suarez: Permuy.
Commissioner Gort: Permuy.
Commissioner Suarez: Yeah, that's fine.
Mr. Hannon: And Commissioner- Suarez is appointing Fidel Perez.
Commissioner Carollo: Move it.
Commissioner Suarez: Second.
Chair Sarnoff.• All in favor, say &ye. "
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
BC.18 RESOLUTION
13-00148
Office of the City
Clerk
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION APPOINTING
CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS AS MEMBERS OF THE WATERFRONT
ADVISORY BOARD FOR TERMS AS DESIGNATED HEREIN.
APPOINTEES: NOMINATED BY:
John Hopwood Chair Marc David Sarnoff
David Moore Vice Chair Wifredo (Willy) Gort
Stuart Sorg Vice Chair Wifredo (Willy) Gort
Enid Lorenzo Commissioner Francis Suarez
13-00148 WAB CCMemo.pdf
13-00148 WAB Current_Board_Members.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Suarez, seconded by Commissioner Carollo, that this matter be
ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
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City Commission
Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
Votes: Ayes: 5 - Commissioners) Gort, Sarnoff, Carollo, Suarez and Spence -Jones
DI.1
13-00187
City Manager's Office
R-13-0101
A motion was made by Commissioner Suarez, seconded by Commissioner Carollo, and was
passed unanimously, to appoint Stuart Sorg as a member of the Waterfront Advisory Board;
further waiving the term limits of Section 2-885(b) by a unanimous (5/5) vote of the members of
the City Commission, as it relates to Stuart Soig as a member of the Waterfront Advisory Board.
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): And BC.18, Waterfront Advisory Board. Chair Sarnoff is
appointing John Hopwood. Vice Chair Gort is appointing David Moore. Vice Chair Gort is also
appointing, with a five -five term. waiver, Stuart Sorg. And Commissioner Suarez is appointing
Enid Lorenzo.
Commissioner Suarez: Move it.
Commissioner Carollo: Second.
Chair Sarnoff: All in favor, say "aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Mr. Hannon: Thank you, Commissioners.
Chair Sarnoff: Okay. Guys, what do you want to do?
Commissioner Suarez: I have one -- I had one -- Did you get David Lewis from the Education
Advisory Board, or did we not send him in?
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): Sir, you don't have an appointment to the Education Advisory
Board at this time.
Commissioner Suarez: Okay. We'11 wait 'til the next -- we'll talk about it in the --
Mr. Hannon: Okay, sir.
Commissioner Suarez: -- 'cause 1 think -- okay.
END OF BOARDS AND COMMITTEES
DISCUSSION ITEMS
DISCUSSION ITEM
PRESENTATION BY THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE FOLLOWING
BOARDS/COMMITTEES CONCERNING THEIR ANNUAL REPORTS:
- DISTRICT 1 HOUSING ADVISORY BOARD
- HOUSING AND COMMERCIAL LOAN COMMITTEE
- AUDIT ADVISORY COMMITTEE
- URBAN DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD
- NUISANCE ABATEMENT BOARD
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
13-00187 Memo - 2012 Annual Board Reports Presentations.pdf
13-00187 Email - 2012 Annual Board Reports & Presentation.pdf
13-00187-Submittal-Report-Audit Advisory Committee.pdf
DISCUSSED
Chair Sarnoff: All right, what I'm going to do is divert because I'm told that we have board
chairmen -- that we're going to hear from the hoards so they don't have to spend the whole day
here.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Okay.
Chair Sarnoff: Some of them are architects, some of them -- is there anybody more important
than an architect, Mr. Behar? I don't think there is.
Robert Behar: Not at all.
Johnny Martinez (City Manager): Engineer.
Chair Sarnoff: So we at least have an architect here.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Mr. Chairman, !just also want to make sure -- I know that we're
going to he losing our City Manager at what time?
Chair Sarnoff: Four. That's a good point.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: At 4. So --
Chair Sarnoff: So --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: -- I want to make sure that I -- at least, before he leaves -- it's on
the three -- on the item for police. If we can deal with that at 3..30, I would greatly --
Chair Sarnoff: Let's deal with the item for police right after board reports --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Okay.
Chair Sarnoff: -- 'cause I don't want to lose him.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Okay.
Mr. Behar: Good afternoon, Mr. Chair, Commissioner. Robert Behar, representing the UDRB
(Urban Development Review Board) hoard. We submitted our -- a report to the Manager. Last
year we reviewed four projects. This year we're looking to review quite a few more. The total
expenditure an that last year was only Jig, 026. We're happy to say that we're very pleased to
continue doing -- serving the -- assisting the Planning director. That's my report.
Tice Chair Gort: Thank you. Good report.
Mr. Behar: Anything else?
Chair Sarnoff That was brief.
Mr. Behar: May -- I wanted to keep it --
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
Chair Sarnof f: Do you ever think of going to law school and ruining that great mind?
Mr. Behar: Yes. Have a good one. Thank you very much.
Chair Sarnoff.' Thank you. Any other board reports, Mr. Manager?
Vice Chair Gort: I think Code Enforcement is here.
Chair Sarnoff: Code. Code want to come up? We see you out there. Come on, Code.
Chuck McEwan: How are you? Chuck McEwan. I'm the chairman of Code Enforcement, now
also Nuisance --
Vice Chair Gort: Nuisance Abatement.
Mr. McEwan: -- Abatement Board. Ion here today for the Nuisance Abatement Board. I'll he
probably a lot briefer than this gentleman that was just here because they did not have any
meetings whatsoever. Last year they had one workshop and that was it. We are supposed to be
getting our first taste for cases towards the end ofApril, and that's all I can tell you. I hope to do
a little better if Pm here, whoever is here. But I want to thank you, on behalf of the hoard, for the
confidence that you've placed in us by giving us the duties and responsibilities of the Nuisance
Board.
Chair Sarnoff: Wait, state up there. I know that Commissioner Gort wants to say something. I
know that I want to say something so stay there.
Vice Chair Gort: Yeah, I'm glad they merged the two boards because Code Enforcement, your
board is being very effective, and Nuisance Abatement Board was not being that effective
because they had a lot of times they didn't have the quorum. So you, as a former police officer,
are aware of how important that Nuisance Abatement Board is to help --
Mr. McEwan: Sure.
Vice Chair Gort: -- so many people close some of the places with lot of illegal transactions are
taking place.
Mr. McEwan: Absolutely.
Vice Chair Gort: So I'm glad that both of you together and you guys are there.
Mr. McEwan: There's two ex police officers --
Vice Chair Gort: No, I know. That's why.
Mr. McEwan: -- on the board.
Vice Chair Gort: Yes. I'm glad you guys are there.
Mr. McEwan: And we hope to do good.
Vice Chair Gort: You're welcome.
Mr. McEwan: We'll see what conies along.
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Chair Sarnoff: Now, McEwan, Ijust want to echo the comments of Commissioner Gort. I hope
the police department is aware of something that had been dormant for four years is now
availahle to them and that is the Nuisance Abatement Board. Because when you take someone's
property away from them, that -- they're no longer a nuisance and that property's no longer a
problem and that person will proverbially move on to another part of the City or out of the City.
So I implore the police department -- you've been out of practice for four years. Get on that
jogging path, figure out how you used to do it, and bring it in front of this Code
Enforcement/Nuisance Abatement Board.
Mr. McEwan: Well take care of business, I promise you.
Chair Sarnoff.' I'm sure you will, sir.
Vice Chair Gort: Thank you.
Chair Sarnaff: Thank you.
Mr. McEwan: Okay, thank you.
Chair Sarnoff: What other boards do we have? Audit Advisory --
Janice Earned (Assistant City Manager/Chief Financial Officer): Correct, Mr. Chair. We have
Stanley Foodman, the chair of the Audit Advisory committee with you to make a report.
Chair Sarnoff: Come on up, Stanley.
Stanley Foodman: Thank you very much. I want to thank you for the opportunity of allowing me
to serve the City of Miami fbr the last several years. And as all of you know, each one of us on
the committee is appointed by one of the Commissioners and we serve at your pleasure and our
job is -- I take it and I think the rest of my members, we take it very seriously. Our purpose is to
review the annual audit of City accounts performed by the independent auditor. At this time,
that's Ernst and Young. Review the annual management letter developed by the independent
auditor. And the reason that we do that is that all of us are CPAs (Certified Public Accountants).
We're all independent. We all either have our own practices or we are -- I think one of the people
is not exactly in private practice but is a CPA in, I think, the nonprofit industry. We review the
systems of internal control utilized by the City. We do that along with the auditors. We look at
their comments. We listen to what the independent auditor general is saying to us. And we
provide suggestions, which, of course, are totally subject to the approval of the Commission and
through the Manager's office. We review City compliance with GASB, the Government
Accounting Standards Board, which is somewhat of a moving goal post, as I'm sure you're all
aware. They make changes from -- periodically. We review -- well, we review internal audits
reports, where it is felt by the internal auditor that there might he some sort of misconduct
involved with findings and to the extent that it does not involve criminal investigations of course,
which have to remain completely confidential. We review the City Manager's recommendation
for selection of an independent auditor if requested hy or directed hy the City Commission. For
the last couple of years or last couple of contracts, that is what we have done. Prior to that, we
had not done that for some time. It was brought to our attention that it was part of our mandate
or part of what we were expected to do, and so the independent -- the audit committee decided to
shoulder that burden again and try to help out the City where it can. And I think that where this
particular audit company that's being used, may be doing the most workman -like, journeyman
job we've seen in a long time for the City. We're made up of a chair and four members. I'm the
current chair. We have to multitask. Most of us are involved in tax season and we have our
businesses to run. Between 2008 and 2000 -- the end of 2012, we convened 21 times. I would
like to have convened 48 times, but unfortunately, we weren't able to because we didn't always
have a quorum. Our committee was constituted in 1981. The reporting period we're going to
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
cover now is 2008 through 2012. There has been a bunch of significant events which have --
which has really changed how we feel about what we're seeing in the committee. First of all, the
independent auditor selection process was changed in 2011. In 2012 there was a new internal
auditor who was appointed and he has -- 1 think he's doing a great job. I really do. 1 think that
he's -- he'll he very good at also navigating the waters of the City, so to speak, perhaps more so
than his predecessors. There's been three directors of Management and Budget in the last four
years, so obviously, there has been some changes going on in the City which leads to a little bit
of a lack of depth sometimes in organizational issues. There have been two directors of Finance,
with one interim director, two chief financial officers; there have been two SEC (Securities &
Exchange Commission) investigations and one IRS (Internal Revenue Service) inquiry. And so
it's been a -- at least fir my term on the committee, it's been a rather event -filled period of time.
In 2012 there was a series of audits that were done or completed or are still in process. There
was an audit of compliance with commercial solid waste franchise agreements, with Waste
Services USA, Inc. There was an audit of compliance with commercial solid waste franchise
agreements with Waste Management. There was an audit of the City's pension plan, City
employees' pension plan and benefit calculations, an audit of compliance with financial integrity
principles for the cities and governments. There was an audit of the educational trust fund
established for scholarship awards to the dependents of certain types of folks involved with the
City. There was an audit of compliance again with commercial solid waste franchise with Waste
Management again. And so this has been ongoing. The issue of solid waste pickup is an
ongoing issue. We have been commenting on it fhr some time. And I think that your nen' auditor
general is wrapping his arms around it better than anybody that we've seen up until now. I'm not
going to go through all of these because there's quite a long list, and I think that this will be
distributed to all of you for your review. But let me just tell you what the committee has been
doing fir the fiscal year 2012. There have been 48 separate audit reviews in the period, so we've
sort of had our hands All where we're able to participate. There has been a review of waste
haulers that's been rather intensive. Up until now, $1.2 million has been identified as not having
been previously collected, which should have been collected, and it is now collected. So the City
-- this particular auditor general has been able to help the City collect $1.2 million of revenue it
might not otherwise have collected. And this is a continuing process.
Commissioner Suarez: Mr. Chair, may I ask him a question?
Chair Sarnoff: You're recognized fir the record, Commissioner Suarez.
Commissioner Suarez: Thank you. In the collection of that $1.2 million --
Mr. Foodman: Yes.
Commissioner Suarez: -- do you know how many lawsuits we had to file to collect that $1.2
million?
Mr. Foodman: No. We don't get involved in lawsuit issues because we're a sunshine committee
and some of it is protected under confidentially -- the confidentiality and privilege issues and the
work paper privilege of attorneys as it applies to the City. So we don't directly get involved with
that.
Commissioner Suarez: Thank you. Madam Attorney -- drank you.
Chair Sarnof f: Go ahead, Mr. Foodman.
Mr. Foodman: In -- so there have been a lot of independent auditor reports. For 2009 there
were 14 of them; 2010, there were 17; 2011, due to certain things that came up in the City, there
were 7; 2012, the volume went up to 10; and I suspect it's going to continue to rise because of
the way in which it's being handled now by that -- by the independent auditor general's
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
department. For 2016 [sic] the management letter findings that we reviewed -- this comes off of
the audits -- there were 16 findings in 2009, 2 of them were partially remediated, 3 were
recurring. In 2010 there were 5 findings, and these are findings of significant deficiencies in
internal control. And finally, in 2011 there were 4 findings, but 5 of then. were recurring from
the previous year. Far 2012 it's all still in progress. The audit hasn't been completed. I think it
may come in on time, but I don't want to speak for Ernst and Young. But I get a nice feeling
about what's going on with Ernst and Young at this point. Hopefully, it'll come in on time. And
if there are some recurring audit comments, they will be handled in the next fiscal year and won't
recur again going down the road, and that's partially due, by the way, to your new IT
(information Technology) systems that you put in place. As those have been implemented, it's
slowly closing gaps, it's making it easier to get information, and it's making the City more
interactive within itself which is really important. We've seen improvements in the bank
reconciliations that are done internally in the City. There have been years where there were a lot
of -- well, there were not a lot, but there was significant unreconciled items; that's disappearing.
We've seen improvements in how waste haulers are paying their fees and how they're behaving
and we've seen a lot of improvement in audit planning. There are improvements that need to still
be made. IT security is one of them, and it's not just for the City of Miami. We know that the
entire US (United States) government is having issues with IT with respect to intellectual
property and other things. And so, certainly, we don't want the Citv's defenses breached. We
don't want peoples' identities removed We don't want people on the payroll or shown -- should
he on the payroll who are no longer on the payroll and so on and so forth. And all of these, to
some degree, are IT issues. They're internal control issues. There's some capital coordination
issues with recording assets. That's being addressed, I understand, at this time. Grants
management coordination and monitoring, it's slowly being centralized. That's important also
because unless you have centralized monitoring, it's too easy for things to fall between the cracks
with the really large workload that the City has and that the employees have. So it allows you to
concentrate certain tasks and certain people and makes it much more efficient. There's a path
forward. The path forward is management representation, balancing the perspective with the
independent auditor -- attorney -- auditor general or independent auditing firm . Probably a
little more communication is helpful going down the road. And I think that you're going to see
more communication coming from your independent auditor general in the City directly with you
all and with the City management. Follow-up audits where issues have been identified are going
to continue to expand. There's an increase in internal control focus, and we want to tie audits
i-vith management letter findings so that going forward again, we don't have findings -- negative
findings or findings of deficiencies that go on, from year to year. And, of course, stability and
sustainability, and part of that's going to he through recovering revenues that have not yet been
recovered, part of it's going to he through the efficiencies that you gain through a better --
through a more full out implementation of your IT systems. You spend a lot of money for it. City
spent a hunch o f money and I think it was well spent. It's just a question now n_ f everybody being
fully trained and implementing it. And I'm open to questions.
Chair Sarnoff. Anybody have any questions?
Commissioner Suarez: Ijust -- may I?
Chair Sarnaff: Yeah, please.
Commissioner Suarez: Ijust want to thank you. You guys have obviously done a very thorough
job and you obviously take your responsibility very seriously and it shows in the presentation
that you gave to us. So we want to thank you for your service. And, you know, you're a model
for the way that a -- the hoards in the City should operate. Thank you so much..
Mr. Foodman: Thank you vet), much. Anybody else? Anything else? Yes, sir.
Vice Chair Gort: Once again, I'd like to reiterate thank you for the work you guys do. People
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DI.2
13-00265
City Manager's Office
need to understand it's volunteer. You guys are doing it pro bonus [sic]. And at the same time,
any one of our hoard appointments are not functioning, please let us know.
Mr. Foodman: The way 1 believe that we are acquired -- and 1 don't know; somebody can
answer that far me -- is I generally report directly to either the full Commission or to the
Commissioner who appointed me. Although I've had some Commissioners in the past reach out
to me independently for advice -- I'm happy to provide it to all of you -- I'm reluctant to reach out
past the Commissioner who appointed me, unless I'm first contacted. I think that there's a line of
communication -- it's almost military, hut I think it should be followed as much as I can.
Vice Chair Gort: I understand that. But as the chairperson, I think that you are able to respond
to all of us. And if Pm not correct, please let us know and --
Mr. Foodman: I'm happy to. Like I said --
Vice Chair Gort: Yeah.
Mr. Foodman: -- I have been contacted in the past and I'm happy to continue. If anybody has
any questions at any time or has any -- I'm going to say it. I don't know the right way to put it in
English 'cause I speak Spanish all the time -- (comments in Spanish) about whatever's going on,
I'm happy to respond to those things, and I can be reached on my cell phone, as some of you
know, anywhere in the world. It's -- 1 make sure that I'm reachable and available directly by
phone or directly through e-mail (electronic) all the time. Thank you.
Chair Sarnoff: Thank you.
Vice Chair Gort: Thank you.
Commissioner Carollo: Mr. Chairman.
Chair Sarnoff: You're recognized.
Commissioner Carnllo: And I also like to thank Mr. Foodman, as well as all the members. And,
yeah, just for the records [sic], I've contacted Mr. Foodman in the past and we've discussed
various issues with the City's financial matters, part of the audit, when the auditor general -- we
were looking for someone, I also reached out to -- not just him, all the members of the Audit
Committee and get their feedback and so forth. So I definitely have reached out to the Audit
Committee quite a hit, so thank you. I appreciate your service.
Mr. Foodman: No, it's our pleasure. That's why we're here. Thank you.
Chair Sarnoff: Thank you. All right, and I think the --
Ms. Larned: Mr. Chair, Janice --
Chair Sarnaff: Yes.
Ms. Larned: -- Larned, Assistant City Manager/Chief Financial Officer. The chair had us
prepare hard copies of his presentation. IfI may approach the dais and distribute?
Chair Sarnoff: Sure. All right, Housing and Commercial Loan Committee. Okay.
DISCUSSION ITEM
UPDATE ON REDISTRICTING BY THE CITY OF MIAMI'S CONSULTANT,
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
MIGUEL DE GRANDY, ESQ.
13-00265 Summary Form.pdf
13-00265 Supplementary Report.pdf
13-00265-Submittal-Presentation- Ken Jett.pdf
DISCUSSED
Chair Sarnoff. All right, let's get started. All right, Mr. De Grandy, you're recognized for the
record.
Miguel De Grandy: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and
members of the Commission. For the record, my name is Miguel De Grandy. My address is 800
Douglas Road. With me today is my associate, Pablo Tomayo, and Mr. Steve Cody, who is also a
consultant to the City and our firm on this redistricting project. Now, Commissioners, on
February 14 of this year, we presented a proposed redistricting plan for the Commission's
consideration. And at that time, several citizens testified regarding their desire to maintain the
entire Upper Eastside within one district and requested additional public hearings in that regard.
The Commission deferred consideration of the proposed redistricting plan and instructed us to
hold two additional public hearings. Now during the February 14 meeting I specifically asked,
on more than one occasion, whether the Commission wished for me to create additional plans
with different methodologies, and the consensus of the Commission at that time was that
presenting additional plans would be premature and that redistricting counsel should conduct
public hearings and report hack to the Commission as to opinions expressed at those hearings.
Now in regard thereto, we have already provided the Commission with a supplemental written
report. There were two public hearings held; one at Legion Memorial Park and one at Miami
City Hall. Over 8,000 notices were mailed, and in response, approximately 150 to 170 residents
appeared at the two public hearings. The majority of the folks that appeared at the Miami City
Hall hearing were also present at the Legion Memorial Park hearing. Now there is no question,
Commissioners, that there was a unanimous expression of support among the citizens that
attended the public hearing to maintain the entire Upper Eastside as one whole community,
regardless of whether it was placed in District 2 or in District 5. There were a handful of
residents that offered a preference as to going into District 2 or District 5. And there were also a
Jew residents that basically stated that lithe proposed plan were to be implemented, some
boundary changes should be made to bring the Shorecrest area south to the Little River and to
move offfrom Biscayne Boulevard in order to maintain the MiMo (Miami Modern) commercial
area within one district. But again, at both hearings, one of the speakers asked for a show of
hands of individuals who agreed that the Upper Eastside should be looked at as one single
community. And on both occasions, everyone in the room raised their hand in support of that
proposition. Now, as I have explained in my report, the proposed plan and the options of
maintaining the entire Upper Eastside within one district present markedly different
methodologies. Neither one is right or wrong, they just present different approaches to
rebalancing population. The solution in the proposed plan meets constitutional requirements
and is compliant with the Voting Rights Act. Likewise, the alternative models, which put all the
Upper Eastside into one district, can also he accomplished in a manner that is constitutional and
compliant with the Voting Rights Act. Now although the Commission requested that no
additional plans he drawn until it obtained results from the public hearings, many of the
residents did ask that the Commission he presented with alternatives to guide them in the
discussion. Now, realistically, trying to present plans for all the potential variations that could
he done would he impossible within the time presented. And therefore, we instead conducted
additional modeling of the concepts to give you an idea of what potential changes would entail.
Now, when conducting this initial modeling, we used the proposed plan as a starting point or a
template. And the reason for that is two fold. Number one, the Commission asked for guidance
regarding the impact of changes to the proposed plan. Second, the proposed plan already
contains or reflects the policy directives of this Commission. Let me illustrate that point by
giving you an example. Shortly after the written report was published, you all received an e-mail
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Meeting Minutes March 14, 2013
(electronic) from Mr. Ken Jett, who complained regarding some parts of the analysis. And
specifically, he stated he had done his own modeling of the alternative, which puts all of the
Upper Eastside in District 5, and that his numbers differed significantly from ours. And
therefore, he concluded in his e-mails that our numbers were .vay off. "He also implied that we
were using some secret directives to arrive at a predetermined result. Now what Mr. Jett did was
to take the core of the existing District 5, approximately 66,667 residents, and then added the
entire Upper Eastside. And he states that in doing so, he arrived at similar deviation numbers
and slightly slower [sic] African -American percentage as those in our proposed plan. However,
unlike Mr. Jett, we are constrained to use the policy directives given on the public record by this
Commission. And in that regard, in an open, public hearing on June of 2012, this Commission
instructed us to put the remainder of the traditional neighborhood of Wynwood into District 5,
and the Park West Overtown CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) into District 5. And the
minutes of that public hearing are available at the Citv's website. So as you could see by what's
on the screen now, the proposed plan reflects those policy directives. And those additional
individuals, which Mr. Jett did not accountfbr in his model, add up to 5,514 residents. And so
when you add those residents to Mr. Jett's model, as we said in our report, the deviation would
go slightly beyond 10 percent. With all due respect, our numbers are not way off, nor are we
following any secret directives. It's just that our numbers reflect all of the policy directives given
by this Commission in a public forum. Now, Commissioners, redistricting is a zero sum exercise.
In other words, in order to balance population, what you take from one area, you have to
compensate for in another. And as I have explained to you on several occasions, redistricting is
also a constant exercise of balancing competing principles. And it is often difficult, if not
impossible, to fully implement all of those competing principles because, by their own terns, they
are competing. Therefore, the goal is to achieve the best balance possible, and that is precisely
what we attempted to do in the proposed plan. Now, one of the public policy directives given by
this Commission is to by to maintain traditional neighborhoods and communities of interest
within one district, where possible. And this can he interpreted in different ways, neither one of
which is right or wrong. For example, it is a fact that the Upper Eastside is composed of several
traditional neighborhoods. These include Shorecrest, Palm Grove, Belle Meade, Bayside and
others. It is also a fact that the Upper Eastside can be looked at as one single community of
interest. And so having said that, let me now go back to the public hearings. Based on the fact
that there was a united expression of support to maintain the Upper Eastside as one community
of interest in one district, we did initial modeling of two alternatives. One would keep the entire
Upper Eastside in District 2; the second would move the Upper Eastside into District 5. Now in
order to maintain the entire Upper Eastside in District 2, we need to undo the movements of
subarea 7 -- excuse me, 6, 7, and 8 that are going into District 5. These subareas, as you could
see on the map, contain approximately 6,400 residents, which we would have to reverse. That
loss in population, again, because it is a zero sum exercise, must be taken from areas now south
of State Road 112. And there are many ways of doing this. And as I stated in my report, one
model moves the east -west boundary between 2 and 5 all the way to Biscayne Boulevard, from
State Road 112 all the way south to the Park West area. And even with that population shift, you
would have to take additional population south of where you see that Park West movement, all
the way down to the Miami River in order to reduce overall deviation. And this still results in an
overall deviation of slightly over 6 percent and an additional 2 percentage point reduction in
African -American total population in District 5 compared to the proposed plan. Now another
consequence of this approach is that it results in reducing the Hispanic population in District 2.
District 2's Hispanic population had naturally grown in the last decade from the mid-40s to over
52 percent. However, in this model, the Hispanic population would decrease to around 49
percent. This is not fatal, but it certainly enhances the probability of a legal challenge. Now
other models may not require an eastern shift all the way to Biscayne Boulevard. However, if
you don't go all the way to Biscayne Boulevard, then you have to compensate by taking even
more population south of the Park West area to reduce deviation. And all these models also
produce similar numbers in terms ofAfrican-American and Hispanic percentage reductions.
Now as we discussed a few minutes ago, part of the approach in the proposed plan, based on
your instruction, was to move the vast majority of the over park -- Overtown/Park West CRA into
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District 5 and try to keep the vast majority of the Omni CRA area in District 2. But this
approach also diminishes the ability to maintain the majority of the Omni CRA in District 2 as a
community of interest. Now it should he noted this approach does make District 5 more
compact; however, it thins out the contours of District 2. And so, now let's talk a little more in
detail about the alternative of moving the Upper Eastside into District 5. In this model, District
5 goes from being the most underpopulated district to becoming the most overpopulated district.
It will be close to 6 percent over the ideal population number. And again, this is because we
move the entire Upper Eastside into District 5, but we also maintain the changes that we made to
bring Wynwood and to bring Park West into District 5. The total deviation would approximate or
slightly exceed the 10 percent threshold. In order to bring deviation down, we have to begin to
disassemble some of the changes we had already made. Again, this means we either undo
Wynwood, undo the Park West change, or eliminate the changes we made in the southern part of
District 2, which moved some population into District 4. In effect, this model results in the
greatest change and potential disruption in electoral patterns in District 5 and reduces
African -American total and voting age population by about 10 percentage points from the
current numbers. Now, finally, Commissioners, there were a few citizens who basically testified
that if the proposed plan were to be implemented, some additional changes should be made. And
these changes include moving the southern boundary of Shorecrest from 79th Street to the Little
River, and moving the boundary of the districts as it progresses north to south, off Biscayne
Boulevard so that the entire MiMo commercial area remains within one district. Let me address
both those issues separately. First, one can certainly find different maps in the public record
which alternative cite -- alternatively will cite the southern boundary of Shorecrest at either 79th
Street or at the Little River, and therefore, moving slightly south to the Little River would still be
consistent with the directive of keeping traditional neighborhoods whole within one district. This
change alone, in and of itself; would actually reduce overall deviation by about one- or
two -tenths of a percent and would have a minimal impact on African -American voting age and
total population of less than one-half of one percent compared to the proposed plan. The second
requested change of moving off Biscayne Boulevard to maintain all of the MiMa commercial
area within one district is another example of addressing competing principles. In the proposed
plan, we move the entire Palm Grove area into District 5, consistent with the directive of trying
to keep traditional neighborhoods whole within one district. Now some speakers suggested a
change of one block in the west -- to the west of that boundary. In other words, move off
Biscayne one block west. That would keep the MiMo area in one district, hut now it splits the
traditional neighborhood of Palm Grove into two districts, and that would also mean a loss in
District 5 of over 1,000 residents in population, as compared to the proposed plan. That change
still puts us within acceptable deviation parameters. But again, it now splits Palm Grove.
Another suggestion was to return to the Northeast 4th Court boundary or shift the boundary to
the railroad track. Now in that regard, I would note that in the last redistricting ten years ago,
there was specific instruction not to utilize any boundaries that have a negative connotation in
terms of race, and the railroad was specifically referenced at that time as one of the boundaries
that should not be used. And so assuming you would still not want to use the railway, moving the
boundary back to its original location on Northeast 4th Court, resulting in a loss of about 2,800
residents that are now going into District 5. And this would mean the deviation increases
substantially and may require adjustments in other areas to compensate for this reduction. And
so, in summary, Commissioners, we continue to believe that the proposed redistricting plan
presents a balanced approach to equalizing population in a manner that is constitutional, is
compliant with the Voting Rights Act, is consistent with traditional redistricting principles and
with your policy directives. Nevertheless, there are small changes that can he done to the
proposed plan, if you so desire, that would still maintain the integrity of those features. The
alternative of keeping the Upper Eastside as one community, either in District 2 or District 5,
can also he achieved in a manner that is constitutionally compliant and consistent with the
Voting Rights Act. However, those methodologies do have impacts which may require that you
change policy directives that you've already given, such as maintaining Wynwood and Park West
within District 5, or maintaining the majority of the Omni CRA area in District 2. And these
alternatives will also result in different deviation numbers and all result in lower percentages of
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African -American population in District 5. Now, Mr. Chairman, before I conclude, I want to
add one additional point. As you have heard, the supervisor of elections is here today. I've been
in communication with her, and certainly, I believe, she wants to address you directly. The
supervisor does note that there is an urgency in concluding this process in order to be able to
properly format your precincts for an orderly November election. And therefore, at the end of
your discussion, what I would respectfully request is that you take a straw vote as to whether you
want to approve the proposed plan or proceed with any alternatives or any changes. And if you
desire to proceed with any alternatives or specific changes, I respectfully request you take a
straw vote on each so that I can have very specific policy directions as we develop your final
plan. And with that, Mr. Chairman, I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.
Chair Sarnoff. Anybody have any present questions right now? All right. Let me open up the
public hearing. And I will call you up to speak. I will allot you two minutes to speak, so
organize your thoughts and say what you need to say. Brett Bibeau. Okay, Luis Bordeau.
Luis Bordeau: Good evening. Luis Bordeau, 685 Northeast 64th Street. I'm here as president of
the Bayside Residents Association. And I'd like to read a letter into the record from the Bayside
board. Commissioners, the Bayside Residents Association board reviewed the proposed
redistricting plan splitting the Upper Eastside community between Districts 2 and 5. Our
unanimous consensus is to maintain a cohesive Upper Eastside community under one City
Commission district. The Upper Eastside crnnmunity associations have worked diligently and
collectively over many years to continually improve our neighborhoods by collaborating with
our district Commissioner. The splitting of the Upper Eastside communities between two
districts will adversely affect the progress we are working to achieve. Respectfully, Luis
Bordeau, Bayside Residents board. And I'll yield the rest of my time to Mr. Jett. Thank you.
Chair Sarnoff: Barhara Gimenez. And after that is Luis Herrera.
Barbara Gimenez: Good afternoon. Barbara Gimenez, 7001 Biscayne Boulevard. I originally
started to come up here to make one statement, and now I would like to address some of the
remarks made by Mr. De Grandy regarding the MiMo/Biscayne -- or rather, the MiMo historic
district. It was always assumed that the redistricting was going to happen, regardless of how
many people stood up to say we wanted to stay together. And so we came hack as the
MiMo/Biscayne Association and asked, Well, if you're going to move us as neighborhoods, at
least keep the MiMo historic district together. Now today I believe I heard that the proposal was
to have the MiMo/Biscayne district remain in District 2. Now if that happens, then you're
breaking up Palm Grove. What you're not realizing is we were expecting to be moved to District
5 because the historic district on the east side is broken up anyway because it starts in
Morningside, and then it goes to Bayside, and then it goes to Belle Meade. And so we are not
part of any residential area. So if we're moved and both sides of the boulevard go to District 5,
at least the business district, which is not composed of voters -- the voters that have businesses
and are employed there that own property, they live elsewhere; they vote elsewhere. So we're
being moved as head somewhere else or stay somewhere else. But as far as the historic district,
it's commercial folios, and there are very little voters there. So, again, I reiterate that it looks
like we're going to he moved one way or the other. Move us to the west and let us go to District
5. At least we can stay together. And that's basically it. Thank you.
Chair Sarnoff: All right. Luis, you're giving your time to Jett. All right, Mark Ingraham.
Mark Ingraham: Good evening, ladies [sic] and gentlemen of the Commission. Mark
Ingraham. I'm here on behalf f of the Northeast 79th Street Business District, 853 Northeast 79th
Street. We're not happy with the plan as it stands. I'm here to speak specifically about an area
that's between Biscayne Boulevard and approximately Kennedy Causeway, on 79th Street. It's a
small area. And as Mr. De Grandy's plan proposes, if I'm not mistaken, the street is split down
the yellow line.
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Mr. De Grandy: Seventy-ninth?
Mr. Ingraham: Correct.
Mr. De Grandy: Yes, sir.
Mr. Ingraham: This business district has a history of being a singular district. We have unique
goals, and we come together and we have a good relationship with our Commissioner's office.
Through the years, we have worked with our Commissioner's office, District 2, fighting crime,
improving the street, and we have planted the seed. And already we see new development
coining to the area. It's the gateway to Biscayne Boulevard and the MiMo district coming from
Miami Beach. As it is right now, if this plan were to go forward, the street would be split literally
down the yellow line. So if looking out from a building on the north side of the street on
79th Street, they would he in one Commission district. And if you're on the south. side of the
street, you would be in the -- a different district, and it makes no sense. This would create a
situation where you'd have competing districts when you also have the same goals. We request
that if this proposal goes forward, that the north side of 79th Street he included in District 2. It's
a -- as Ms. Girnenez mentioned, it's a commercial district. By eliminating -- by moving the
approximate 15 or 20 commercial buildings that are on the north side of the street to District 5, it
does nothing to -- in your efforts and the redistricting goals. Thank you very much.
Mr. De Grandy: Mr. Chairman, would you like me to address that?
Chair Sarnoff: Please.
Mr. De Grandy: First of all, Mr. Chairman, I avant to he clear that in all redistricting, in all the
50 states, when you are cutting boundaries on a street, it results in dividing one side of the street
from the other. You cut at the centerline of the street. That's how the programs work. That's
how redistricting is done. Now having said that, to address the gentleman's point, if you
ultimately choose to move the boundary of the Shorecrest movement down to the Little River, that
addresses the gentleman's concern 'cause that puts all of 79th Street within one district. But as
far as the issue ()fa street being cut into two sides, that is -- that occurs in every street change
that you do. Now, there was talk about -- from the previous speaker about going behind the
commercial property. We can't do that fir several reasons. Number one -- and the supervisor's
here. She can speak to that. The redistricting programs work on the same database that she has,
which are units of geography that are either voter tabulation districts, VTDs, or the smallest unit
of geography, which is a census block. And so, I can't divide by folio a census block and -- with
regard to those commercial areas, for example, I don't know if in some of those hotels you have a
resident manager that lives there, and that vote would somehow now be in limbo if I cut that
commercial area. And I don't think that the supervisor could also format properly an election if
we do redistricting by folio numbers. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Chair Sarnof f: Madam Elections Officer, I've been advised that you have another engagement to
go to. So if you avant to address the Commission, please come up.
Penelope Townsley: Good afternoon, Commissioners. And I appreciate the opportunity to
address you. I'm here today to apprise you of the County's -- Miami -Dade County's redistricting
and re-precincting initiative, in hopes of being able to work together to accomplish both our
goals. The County is currently engaged in a comprehensive countywide re-precincting initiative
that will equitably distribute the voters among our precincts. We're scheduled to present this
plan to our Board of County Commissioners in November. 1 understand that the City would also
like to include their new redistricting plan into your general election, which is also scheduled to
take place in November. The County is on track to complete its district alignments on March 18
before moving on to re-precincting. I had previously advised the City that we would need the --
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an approved redistricting plan by March 28. However, after taking another look at our timeline,
we're actually able to begin the City's redistricting around the second week in April. It's
important to note that it will take us approximately six weeks to complete the City's redistricting.
And we have this scheduled between April and the end of May. During the months of June and
July, we will he briefing our Commissioners on the new re-precincting plan. And in the month of
August, we will be going to public meetings with our plan. So basically, it's very important for
us to keep to this schedule in order to be able to, number one, implement the City's redistricting
in time for your general elections in November and also include that redistricting plan in our
re precincting plan, which, again, is scheduled to he presented to our commission in November.
1 hope that well be able to -- you'll take this into consideration as you move forward, and I
appreciate the opportunity to speak to you.
Chair Sarnoff: Thank you.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: I have a question for her --
Chair Sarnoff • Go ahead.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: -- before she leaves. Mr. De Grandy made a -- Welcome to City
Hall.
Ms. Townley: Thank you.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Mr. De Grandy made a comment in reference to the MiMo district
or commercial district and that -- I guess he had a conversation along with your office on this
issue.
Mr. De Grandy: No. I haven't discussed it with her. I just basically said they work on the same
units -- same -- their software --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Just -- right.
Mr. De Grandy: -- works on the same units nfgengraphy as we do and the census does. So --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Okay.
Mr. De Grandy: -- we don't believe it is feasible to do it that way. She can certainly respond --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Okay, just -- I just want to make sure 'cause you mentioned her
and she's in the room, so I just want to be clear on the issue of a commercial district 'cause one
of. the residents made a comment on the splitting of a commercial district. And on one -- I'm
assuming your comments was based upon that it's all commercial on one side and really no
residential, correct?
Mr. De Grandy: Yeah. And the issue is, again, the -- there's a unit of geography that's a census
block. That's the smallest unit of geography. What the thought is is break that in half, keep the
commercial side on one side and the residential side on the other. I can tell you, our software
cannot do that because our software can only divide down to the census block. There is also a
possibility that in that census block, you have commercial that is a hotel that may have actual
citizens in the census, and the other side, residential. And so, there is no way to he able to split
that block and know exactly what voter belongs to which place hased on the software that exists.
My comment in that regard was 1 believe the Elections Department works on the same software
system, the same units of geography, and therefore, it would not be feasible to actually take a
magic marker and cut through the middle of a folio number and cut -- divide a census block.
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Ms. Townsley: And that is correct, Commissioner.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Okay. Ijust wanted to have you put it on the record. I don't know
if he's -- Are you standing up? Is he --?
Ms. Townley: I just asked him to move closer in case I couldn't answer the question.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Okay, no problem.
Chair Sarnoff: All right, thank you.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Thank you.
Commissioner Carollo: Mr. Chairman.
Chair Sarnaff: You're recognized for the record, Commissioner Carolla.
Commissioner Carollo: Thank you. I have one quick question, and I just want clarity. The pre
-- the re-precincting will not take effect fin- the November City of Miami election of 2013,
correct?
Ms. Townley: Re-precincting will not. Redistricting, should you submit your proposal, will.
Commissioner Carollo: Thank you.
Chair Sarnof f: Okay. Mina Kahn [sic]. And after Mina --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Make sure -- l want to make sure l understand that. What?
Commissioner Carollo: Okay. Mr. Chairman.
Chair Sarnof f: You're recognized.
Commissioner Carollo: And just for clarity fir Commissioner Spence -Jones, redistricting will
take effectfor the next City of Miami election in November.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Which is this November?
Commissioner Carollo: Right. But re-precincting within our district -- you have, you know, the
precinct numbers, that -- the County right now, as Madam Election Director stated, they're in the
process of re-precincting.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Okay.
Commissioner Carollo: However, that will not take effect for the City of Miami's November
election, November 2013 election. It will after that. Thank you.
Chair Sarnoff.' All right. Mina Kahn [sic], and then after Mina Kahn [sicJ, Skip Van Cel.
Mina Kuhn: Yes. My name's Mina Kuhn --
Chair Sarnoff • Oh, I'm sorry, Kuhn.
Ms. Kuhn: -- 951 Northeast 83rd Street. This is my third time speaking at the public hearing.
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Therefore, all my opinion have been officially recorded. However, one new thing I'd like to
address to the Commissioners and Mr. De Grandy, that one of his options is to split the
Shorecrest using the Little River as a boundary. But just splitting one homeowners association
into two district is really cruel and it's a terrible idea. Just -- I just wanted to mention that to
Commissioners. And once again, I really need to stress how wrong and harmful to split Upper
Eastside. Resident of the entire Upper Eastside cannot see any benefit from splitting already
established Upper Eastside community, but only the harm to the community. As Mr. De Grandy
just stated today, there are many other options available without splitting Upper Eastside.
Please do not make us think that Commissioners of -District 2 and District 5 are playing political
game. We've already seen enough political [expletive] in Washington, D.C. (District of
Columbia). So please keep Upper Eastside altogether. And I'm going to donate my remaining
time to Ken Jett.
Chair Sarnof f: Skip Van Cel:
Skip Van Cel: Hi. Skip Van Cel, 8512 East Dixie Highway. Thank you for this meeting today.
First off, I want to say, I -- quite frankly, I don't care whether we go in District 2 or District 5.
Commissioner Sarnoffs done a lot of good things in District 2. He's been very, you know,
instrumental in getting stuff f done. I've got good friends that live in District 5. I happen to he on
the Little Haiti Community Garden board. My friend Tamara has very good things to say about
Commissioner Spence -Jones, so whether we go to District 2 or District 5 doesn't matter to me.
However, I do think it's really important that we keep the Upper Eastside together. One thing 1
want to ask Mr. De Grandy is this. He mentioned that it was two different redistricting propose
-- two different ideas there. One was it reduced the African -American voting population 2
percent; and one, it dropped it 10 percent. Is that correct?
Mr. De Grandy: One drops it 2 percent from the current plan. The other one drops it 5 percent
from the current plan, or 10 percent -- excuse me, 5 percent from the proposed plan or 10 percent
f•om the current plan.
Mr. Van Cel: Okay, and what is the current percentage of African -American voters in District 5?
Mr. De Grandy: Seventy-five percent.
Mr. Van Cel: Okay, so there's still going to he a -- you know, regardless of whether, you know,
we go to District 2 or District 5, there's still going to he a majority of African -American voters in
District 5, correct?
Mr. De Grandy: Yes, sir.
Mr. Van Cel: Okay, I just want to make that clear 'cause I thought it was -- Any rate, my vote is
to see us stay together, you know. If it does get split up, I'm definitely against the idea of 79th
Street as the southern border for Shorecrest. We have a lot of homeowners that live south of 79th.
Street in that little strip, and they're going to literally he cut off from their district if ,you leave
that in District 2 and put the rest of us north of 79th into District 5. So if we do get that district,
that is the plan, 1 do vote that we keep district -- the south end of 79th Street, all the way to the
river, in District 2 or District 5, whichever one. Thank you.
Chair Sarnoff: Thank you. All right, William Vallenilla, and then after that would be Ginger
Vela. William? Okay, Ginger. After Ginger Vela will he Peter Ehrlich.
Ginger Vela: Good evening. My name is Ginger Vela, 920 Northeast 86 Street. And 1 have
spoken -- this was my third time speaking as well. And 'just wanted to say that I wanted to clear
up any kind of idea that we did not want to go to District 5 because when we had our meeting at
the Legion, we had a show of hands that showed that unanimously people agreed that they would
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be willing to go to District 5, and I think there was a misunderstanding about that. And the other
thing I would like to say is that we had several people -- seemed to me they were like pretty
prominent people from District 5 who got up and spoke toward the end of our meeting and said
they would very much welcome us there, to be sent to that district. And just one third point,
quickly. Mr. De Grandy said that depending on different maps, you could see that Shorecrest
had a boundary of the river or the 79th Street. But I have a plat map at my own house from
1924, when Shorecrest was first established, and it shows that the Little River -- even though we
didn't have the same street numbers necessarily, the Little River was definitely our boundary.
And thank you very much for your time. And I hope that we all stay together, and I am in favor
Otis moving to District 5.
Chair Sarnoff: All right, Peter Ehrlich. After Peter Ehrlich is Judith Sandoval.
Peter Ehrlich: Good evening, Mr. Chair, Commissioners. My name is Peter Ehrlich, 770
Northeast 69 Street. And I live in Bayside, and I work in Lemon City, so I'm oriented towards the
Upper Eastside. As Mr. De Grandy stated, at least three votes fir all the residents of the various
communities in the Upper Eastside, Palm Grove, Magnolia Park Bay Pointe, Shorecrest, Palm
-- Belle Meade and the MiMo district association. And the votes were essentially, as Mr. De
Grandy said, 100 percent where the people were in favor of staving together. They wanted to be
in either District 2 or District 5. But as diverse as our communities are, everybody thought they
would he able to accomplish more working with one Commissioner, whoever -- whichever
Commissioner the five of you decide on this -- with your decisions. The communities are very
diverse. I mean, within -- almost on the same streets, we have condos that are probably worth 40
or $50, 000 and waterfront homes that are worth 2 or 3 million. And everybody seems to get
along and attends meetings together, and the meetings are very well populated, very well
attended. So I know the decision's very tough for all of you. I guess it's particularly tough for
District 2 and District 3 [sic], which are facing the greatest amount of changes. But we hope
you'll vote to keep us all -- the Upper Eastside people together. Thank you very much.
Chair Sarnoff: Thank you. All right, Judith Sandoval, and then after Judith is Jack Spirk.
Judith Sandoval: Thank you. I simply wish to support the opinion of the residents who have
spoken about the need to keep the Upper Eastside unified. I have many friends that I have
worked with up there in various issues around the city. And 1 think this Commission recognizes
the success that these residents and homeowner- groups have had in developing that area in the
last ten years and the preservation of valuable parts of it and the commercial success of the
businesses there because they work together. Thank you.
Chair Sarnoff: Thank you. Jack Spirk, and then Eileen Bottari.
Jack Spirk: How do you do? It's Jack Spirk, 722 Northeast 81 st Street. I'm a prior Shorecrest
Homeowners Association president. I'm also a director of the Upper Eastside Preservation
Coalition. I would just like to add that there may be 8,000 homes in our area, but to see 120 to
150 people show up for a meeting, a diverse group of people, many who never spoke publicly
before, was an amazing happening, including -- I'd like to reiterate what Ginger Vela said. We
had homeowner association residents from District 5 come and say they would welcome us into
District 5. Shorecrest has always been the orphan child of the City. We're the last stop on the
train. I urge you to keep the whole Upper Eastside together, and especially, don't kick
Shorecrest under the bus. Thank you.
Chair Sarnoff: Eileen Bottari, then Joseph Mooradian.
Eileen Bottari: Good evening. My name's Eileen Bottari. Ilive in historic Palm Grove. I'm
also a director on the North Palm Grove Community Organization. After we had our public
meeting at Legion Park, I had a lot of homeowners ask me how did we all come together, how
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did we all meet each other. And you have to go all the way back to 1992. And it was the City
that actually brought us all together. After Hurricane Andrew, our community was such a mess
that the City started a taskforce, an Upper Eastside taskforce, and invited all of -the
neighborhoods to come together. Ana Gelabert was the NET (Neighborhood Enhancement
Team) administrator at the time, and she was the spokesperson, and we worked together far a
couple of years on this taskforce. And this is how we all started to work together and address the
problems in the Upper Eastside, which has been crime and urban decay and everything that --
bad can happen to a community. And fast forward 20 years later, here we are in 2013, and we
have a beautiful community because all of us have worked together. So that is why we're
fighting so hard to stay together in one district, whether it's District 5 or District 2, either one is
fine, just as long as we can remain a community together. Thank you.
Chair Sarnoff Joseph? All right.
Joseph Mooradian: Hi. I'm Joseph Mooradian. I live at 510 Northeast 77th Street, Palm -- the
historic neighborhood of Palm. Grove, and 1 previously lived in the historic neighborhood of
Shorecrest. I've been a resident in Miami, far- nine years. And one of the reasons I moved to the
Upper Eastside was I remember seeing an article in the Biscayne Times and -- elsewhere that
referred to the Upper Eastside of Miami as Miami's most culturally diverse neighborhood. I
previously lived in Chicago for nine years and New Yorkfor five years, and that was precisely
what drew me to the Upper Eastside in Miami. I think this proposal to split the area down the
middle, down Biscayne Boulevard would be extremely detrimental to a neighborhood that has
survived this horrible recession, that managed to survive during all the construction that went on
along Biscayne. The restaurants, the shops have actually continued to flourish, and I would like
to see that continue to move that -- in that direction. I would like to thank Mr. De Grandy for his
time and being so patient with us at the last two meetings. ButI would, however, like to correct
something that he said. He said a handful of people didn't want to move to District 5. It was
actually one from each meeting, one person, not a handful. One person said if they had a
choice, they would prefer to stay in District 2, and that was a residentfrom Belle Meade. And in
the second meeting, another one resident said they would also like to stay in District 2 if they had
a choice. But again, I reiterate, unanimously, everyone said they would like to stay together, and
if that meant going to District 5, they would do so gladly. And we did have residents from
District 5 come and welcome us. Thank you.
Chair Sarnaff • Thank you. All right, Ken Jett.
Ken Jett: Mr. Chair, Commissioners, neighbors, friends, Mr. De Grandy, good evening. Before
I begin, Grace Solares was unable to attend tonight, butt would like to put Grace Solares e-mail
from March 6 to all the Commissioners regarding the violations of the sunshine law in these
redistricting proceedings in the record so that we can refer to them in the future if the need
arises. It is with disdain that I must speak with you tonight. Despite two extremely successful
public hearings, Mr. De Grandy was unable to accurately report the experiences in his
supplemental report. I commend the one Commissioner, per the Communications Department,
who requested copies of the DVDs (Digital Video Discs) of those public hearings. And I hope
that you reviewed it on your oivn. The supplemental report accurately reflects the number of
attendees as 150 to 170 people. And it also correctly reflects that those attendees unanimously
requested that the Upper Eastside he maintained as an entire traditional community within one
district, with no expressed preference for the resulting district. For reasons providing -- for the
reasons provided for maintaining the area together were varied and included that the Upper
Eastside is marketed as an area of interest by both the City of Miami and by those of us who live
in it; that the market gains in developing the area have resulted in a wealth of diversity that drew
many to call our area home, and that any attempts to split the Upper Eastside would result in
political, cultural, and, financial harm to the area and to the residents. The supplement
inaccurately reflects the number of residents suggesting that the Little River should be used as a
natural boundary, that Biscayne should not he used as a dividing line for an east -west boundary,
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and that the east coast railway should -- is a better boundary. Mr. De Grandy failed to reflect
those numbers and point out the way in which those concerns were couched. Of the over 100
attendees at the first meeting I reviewed the DVDs to find that four individuals stated the first
two things and only one suggested that the FEC (Florida East Coast) be used as the dividing
line. Less than 4 percent and less than 1 percent, respectively, presented these suggestions, and
those suggestions were parenthetical to their main point of keeping the Upper Eastside together,
almost as an escape clause. If you can't do this, then at least do the other. I fear that Mr. De
Grandy's choice of words and lack of clarity was intended to sway board opinion hack to his
original proposal. The same loose style was used in reporting the same suggestions from the
second hearing. On page 4 of his supplement, the consultant proffers that the proposed plan or
the potential plan is neither right nor wrong. The original plan is most definitely wrong in that it
fails to maintain a traditional neighborhood, recognized and marketed by the City of Miami itself
as an area of interest within one district. It fails to make the districts more compact, but instead,
creates the continual malformation of District 5 along racial lines by drawing a strange leg all
the way to the hay. And as I've made City officials aware, it creates concern about potential
gerrymandering by packing District 5. Now one minor comment about his Little River and
off -Biscayne model, again, that model is based on the feedback of four individuals. I would like
to focus our attention now on the ill-conceived model for moving the entire Upper Eastside to
District 5. I thought that my previous e-mails to the Commission and to Mr. De Grandy would
be enough, but alas, it seems they are not. I want to explain for the Commission what we see as
the easiest solution. Notice, no one is saying the preferred solution. Our only expressed
requirement -- and 1 underscore requirement -- to the City officials is that the Upper Eastside, in
its entirety, remain within one district. De Grandy slants his model to suggest that such a model
would exceed a 10 percent deviation threshold. Forgive me, but I'd like to have you focus on my
craft project from this afternoon. Utilizing the proposed report, the original, Mr. De Grandy
broke the map into several subareas. Subarea 5 was the core of District 5, and it contained
66,666 people -- these numbers can he found in his original proposal -- with 75 percent black,
totaling 50,000; 20 percent Hispanic, totaling 13,333; 4 percent white, totaling 2,666; and a 1
percent Asian/other, totaling 667 people. In addition to that subarea, if you look at where the
number 2 cue hall is, De Grandy's subarea 12 contains the following: 383 total population. It
was slated for movement from District 5 to District, I believe, 1. Forgive me, I think,
Commissioner Gort's district. With 32 percent black, totaling 123; 58 percent Hispanic, totaling
222; 7 percent white, totaling 27; 2 percent Asian/other, totaling a whopping 8 individuals. In
addition to that, utilizing the City's 2010 census data by NET area, it was easy to go to the Upper
Eastside numbers, which were divided by the Cily, and yet, again, another reason that the Cily --
it's suggested that the City sees us as an area of interest. The Upper Eastside population is
12,859 individuals; 38 percent Hispanic; 30 percent black; 28 percent white; and 0.3 percent
other. Before Igo to the last slide and have you look at that proposal, I want you to look at the
2010 census data. We are a diverse neighborhood. The beauty of that is we're about 30, 30, 30,
and we want to maintain that community feel. The resulting new District 5 with the Upper
Eastside intact using subarea 5, 12, and the entire Upper Eastside gives us a total population of
79,908 individuals. The average that we're attempting to attain is 79,891. Quick math, that is
17 people, I think, which is a deviation of two one -hundredths of a percent. And then I give you
the -- I think you've looked at the breakdown there. You're still at 68 percent black, 23 percent
Hispanic, 8 percent white, 1 percent other, with any rounding areas -- errors spread across that
group. Now, yes, as Mr. De Grandy pointed out, this means that all of those other subareas,
which none of them originally existed in my reading within District 5, do need to be dealt with.
So it does not answer the problems of CRA districts, but I employ you -- implore you that we are
individuals. We are residents. We are not a business organization like a CRA, that we should
become -- that we should come first in those matters. So, in closing, I'd like to thank you for
allowing me the time to present this. And no plan will he acceptable that does not keep the
Upper Eastside together as a whole within one district. Your citizens have made it loud and
clear that it's imperative that you keep us together, and we request that you, as Cily officials,
heed that request. Any questions about anything I've said?
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Chair Sarnof: Thank you.
Mr. Jett: Thank you.
Mr. De Grandy: Would you like me to address that?
Chair Sarnof: Public hearing. Anybody else in the public that has not had the opportunity to
speak? Public hearing is now closed; conning hack to this Commission. Discussion.
Commissioner Spence -Jones.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: I'll yield to you first. I have a couple of things I want to go over.
Commissioner Suarez: Okay. Well, first of all, I just want to say that I think, you know, one of
the things we discussed at the last meeting was the notice. And obviously, when we sent out
notices to 8, 000 people, the attendance was much higher. So I think that's a very positive thing.
1 think Mr. De Grandy has a very difficult job to do, and it's obviously, thankfully, one that you
only have to do once a decade because it obviously is very difficult citywide to reconcile all of
the different parochial interests that you have to reconcile so that you have a happy and
harmonious city. I think -- I don't --1 know there were some discussion about his summarizing of
the actual meetings, but I thought he was pretty clear in stating that everyone who attended was
unanimous, essentially, in their desire to want to keep these neighborhoods intact. And I think
one of the major principles of. our redistricting is to keep traditional neighborhoods intact. So,
you know, I -- you know, my preference is to keep the neighborhood intact, to find a way to keep
the neighborhood intact. That's my personal policy preference. I'm perfectly flexible in terms of
my district and its boundaries to -- I know it doesn't touch these areas, per se. Inflict, it's on the
diametrically opposite side of these areas. But to the extent that any sort of mixing, matching,
you know, taking Jima. my area would he in any way, shape or fnrin helpful to maintaining --
'cause in my case, we have traditional neighborhoods as well, but, for example, in the Flagami
side -- and we have a -- Flagami's a very long and broad traditional neighborhood that could --
that is actually in two districts. We also have -- we -- District 2 and District 4 share a
neighborhood, which is Golden Pines. And I think, in some ways, they benefit, by the way, from
that split because then they kind of get the best of both worlds. They get -- and we publicly
notice our meetings, our sunshine meetings. We both go, so they get two Commissioners,
actually, going to the meetings. So you might actually want to think about, you know -- you
might want to give it some thought and you might want to think about the possibility of having
actually two Commissioners because you get two for the price of one, but that's a whole 'nother
issue. This has just been my experience. I've dealt with it in Golden Pines, and it's resulted in a
lot of capital improvements. You know, when you have, for example, crime issues, if you have the
police chief there and you have two Commissioners, you almost have a majority of the
Commission. It's one of the neat things about having a small five -member board. So, believe
me, they're paying attention. It's pretty neat when you have a Commissioner attending a
community meeting, but when you have two Commissioners, it's even more helpful. So as I
actually reason through it, you know, you may want to think about whether or not it makes
actually more sense and it may he more helpful to have two Commissioners, but that's -- but to
the extent that 1 can -- that my district -- in using the boundaries in my district, I'm completely
open and flexible. Obviously, we have traditional neighborhoods too. We have Shenandoah. We
have Silver Bluff We have Coral Gate, and we have Flagami; the St. Micheal's area, Golden
Pines, that I have a little bit of and I think, under this plan, I get a little bit more of. But, you
know, I think when you have this kind of an outpouring of -- and unanimity of discussion on an
issue, it's obviously something that's very, you know, near and dear to the residents' hearts. We
don't -- trust me, there's no one up here that wants to do anything that's going to, you know,
make you feel like you're not being represented the way that you should be. So to the extent that
anything that my district boundaries can do to help alleviate this problem, I have -- I provide you
with full flexibility from my end.
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Chair Sarnoff: Want to go? Spence [sic], you want to go next or --?
Commissioner Spence -Jones: (INAUDIBLE).
Commissioner Carollo: My comments are similar. As a matter of fact, District 3 is under
deviation, below deviation. And I believe District 2 is way above deviation. So if somehow
District 3 expands into District 2, would that help reduce the deviation in my district and help
District 2 out?
Mr. De Grandy: Mr. Chairman.
Chair Sarnoff.' Go ahead. You're recognized.
Mr. De Grandy: Depending on what other changes are done, yes. Right now, for example, if
that was the only change, that would certainly result in a reduction because right now District 2
is the high end of the devia -- overall deviation and your district is the low end, at minus 2.76.
As -- if other changes were to occur that would lower District 2's population, then District 4 now
becomes the high end, at 3 percent, so still, you would be the low end, and that would result in --
but it depends on what other changes you all agree to.
Commissioner Carollo: Right. And I think-- and I don't want to speakfor the other
Commissioners and 1 heard Commissioner Suarez -- but 1 think the sentiment here is to somehow
be compatible with federal law, but at the same time, keep the neighborhoods whole. I mean,
and obviously, that's -- my sentiment is -- you know, one of the reasons that I pushed very hard
for the public meetings in the last Commission meeting. And I didn't want you to come back with
a plan. I wanted to, you know, see what these public audience would turn out and see if there
was some type of consensus. So, you know, I ain open to some changes. I know we briefly spoke
about it. 1 mentioned it in the last Commission meeting and 1 briefly spoke about possibly
encompassing a few blocks into District 2 so it would help out. And I don't know if you want me
to discuss actual -- you know, the streets, if you want me to hold off.
Mr. De Grandy: Well, it's at your pleasure, Commissioner. What I would say is before the night
is over, whatever changes -- I need to understand exactly what the boundaries -- and I need to
understand the majority of the Commission approves that boundary so I could make the change.
Chair Sarnoff • You're recognized, Commissioner Suarez.
Commissioner Suarez: Yeah. Ijust want to take one step hack and just say something. I also
represent Shenandoah with Commissioner Carollo, and we worked on a project together, which
was 17th Avenue, and it should he completed soon. And what we did there was because the
district boundary is the middle of the street, as you mentioned -- the 17th Avenue on the west side
is my district, 17th Avenue on the east side is Commissioner Carollo's district. We actually had
two pots of money to do 17th Avenue. We -- he gave $300,000; I gave $300,000, and the County
gave $600, 000. And they're in the process now of doing 17th Avenue. So that's another example
where you have two Commissioners that, you know, share a neighborhood and it actually, in my
opinion, benefited the neighborhood. So, I mean, it's just something for you to think about, fond
for thought. I'm just giving you examples -- 1 actually just thought of them. right now, so -- but 1
hear, you know, your concerns.
Commissioner Carollo: And by the way -- Mr. Chairman, I --
Chair Sarnoff: You're recognized.
Commissioner Carollo: Thank you. And with that said, you know, it worked because we made it
work.
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Commissioner Suarez: Right.
Commissioner Carollo: Because at the same time, I think Commissioner Suarez will also admit
that it wasn't easy, you know. Even in the meetings, we had to make sure that it was --
Commissioner Suarez: Sunshine, yeah.
Commissioner Carollo: -- sunshine (UNINTELLIGIBLE), yeah.
Commissioner Suarez: Sunshine meetings, right.
Commissioner Carollo: Had the City Clerk make sure that it was properly advertised, or I don't
know what you call it. But the bottom line is, no, at times, it wasn't easy, but we made it work,
you know, and I think that's what cooperation and trying to, you know, move the City forward,
you do. I mean, you find ways to make things work and you move forward.
Chair Sarnoff • Commissioner Gort.
Commissioner Gort: I'll tell you, I was the chairperson in 1996, when the districts were created.
I think it took us about a year. It was not easy. We had to change it quite a few times, and we
listened to the public. And right now, my district's under. I think it's about 5 percent or
something like that, so there's not much I can give up, but the -- I think the neighborhoods want
to stay together. We have to try to figure it out what's hest. At the same time, I want you to know
that we do work very closely together, all of us. And although we have district and we respect
each other's -- we look for what's better for City as a whole. So a lot of time, making a decision
for the districts -- I'll he having an item in my district (UNINTELLIGIBLE) my district some --
one -- some of the Commissioner might crone up with different idea, and I will accept it because I
think it's the best thing to do. It's that easy.
Chair Sarnoff: Commissioner Spence -Jones.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think it's really important -- before I
really make my comments on some questions or some comments that were made on the record
tonight so that 1 have clarity on it. 1 think that we need to start this from the starting point, from.
the beginning point, like how did we get here, and what was the motivation for us even bringing
this issue up. And it was clearly because D5 (District 5) was underrepresented. That's why we're
here. If we didn't have to change it, we wouldn't, you know. We would keep it the way it is. And
I asked my City Attorney to --just so that I'm clear -- and I want to make sure the -- not only the
residents that are here at City Hall, hut the ones that are listening and watching it by television,
for them to have a clear understanding why it was kind of communicated to us that we had to
take this step. And I think that we need to go back to that beginning point. So I ask City --
Madam City Attorney to at least read this into the record so that we're clear on it.
Maria J. Chiaro (Deputy City Attorney): What I'm going to read to you is the reason for the
redistricting. It was included -- and certainly, the City Attorney's office agrees -- in the report
that was provided to you by Mr. De Grandy. The Supreme Court has determined that a minority
group can invoke the protection of Section 2 of the federal Voting Rights Act when it can
establish three preconditions. The first is that the minority group is large enough and compact
enough to form a majority in a single -member district. The second is that the minority voters
must demonstrate that they are politically cohesive; that is, that they tend to support the same
candidates. Finally, a minority group must establish that the majority group is also politically
cohesive, but that it usually opposes the minority's chosen candidate.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Right. So 'just think that it's important to start from that
beginning point, and that was based upon a -- I just want a -- supreme --
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Ms. Chiaro: Yes. It's a Supreme Court decision. It was summarized again in the report that was
presented on redistricting to you.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Okay, so we're only here because of that reason. I just want to be
clear. In my last -- in our last hearing, I mentioned the importance of everyone sitting up here
having a voice and representing the community in which we serve, the City of Miami. I made
reference to the fact that -- and I still make reference to the fact that it's extremely important to
have a woman's voice sit up here so that at least there is a different frame of mind addressing
issues 'cause there's certain things that women feel a certain way about compared to the way
mans [sic] feels a way about certain things. I think that it's extremely important to make sure
that there's always the opportunity to have or make sure that there is a voice of the
African -American community represented on the hoard. And I'rn assuming that when this voters
rights situation came about, that was what it was birthed out of, correct?
Mr. De Grandy: Yes. When that came about was because, as a result of the situation that
occurred that existed in the 1960s --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Put it on the record. I just want to he clear, not just for the people
sitting in here, but the people listening by way of television so they understand and everybody
understands why we're doing this.
Mr. De Grandy: Well, two things. One, there's an absolute constitutional directive to equalize
population. That comes from the 14th Amendment equal protection clause. The Voting Rights
Act issue involves a situation where -- the Voting Rights Act passed in the 1960s at a time when
there were many tools utilized, such as -- at election -- at ballot boxes, literacy tests, all sorts of
stuff that had the intent of defeating the efforts of minorities to participate in the political
process.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Kind of like now, but go ahead.
Mr. De Grandy: Two different sections exist, Section 2 and Section 5. Section 5 is what's being
litigated now in the Supreme Court, which is the preclearance provisions, which basically says
that for several states that had met certain requirements in terms of the history of discrimination
and low voter turnout, they need any changes in their electoral process precleared by the
Department ofJustice. What the City Attorney referenced is Section 2, which is not being
litigated currently in the Supreme Court, that basically says if can establish three
preconditions, then the Voting Rights Act applies and you must draw redistricting in a manner
that gives that minority community an equal opportunity to elect a candidate of its choice. So
Section 2 is a vote dilution claim or vote dilution issue; Section 5 is a preclearance issue that
requires approval of the Justice Department before any voting change goes into effect.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Okay, so -- and that is your -- and that was your recommendation.
And as a matter of fact, that was the reason why the City of Miami brought you on board to make
sure we vetted out this process properly. And I want to thank Alice and the entire team that, you
know, after the last hearing, made sure the notices got out and everybody understood what the
issues were and eveiyone had an opportunity to participate in two public hearings to put their
thoughts on the record. So I want to thank -- Oh, and Todd, of course, the City Clerk, for making
that happen. So, basically, in a nutshell, we're here because it's -- we're mandated to kind of do
it, and to also make sure that eveiyone has a voice in a city that is diversified, correct?
Mr. De Grandy: That is correct, ma'am. There is a constitutional mandate to do this, and there
is also a mandate from the Voting Rights Act to do it in a manner that provides minority
communities an equal opportunity to elect candidates of choice.
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Commissioner Spence -Jones: So that explains how we got here. The three or four points that I
want to make really quickly -- and I think it's important to make. Two of my fellow colleagues
have mentioned it, and I helieve, Carona and Suarez, regarding the fact that you really get two
Commissioners instead of one. That was the comment that was made; that you have the ability
to have a larger pot of resources of funding to support your areas because, basically, those areas
will he split. Both Commissioners mentioned Shenandoah as a perfect example of them doing
that now. Marc and I actually share a few areas together, one being Wynwood, which we share
together, and also Midtown, which we also share together. Or actually, Marc is on one side of
the street and I'm on the other. As far as I'm concerned, you know, I lnnk forward to working
with Marc in these areas that 1 have to inherit, if 1 have to inherit them, to make sure that the
community gets everything that it needs, you know. I -- I'm . just a little shocked and surprised
that, you know, this would even be an issue, especially throughout our city. We share
communities already, you know, and so this whole idea of this prevents us from working together,
I don't know where this is coming from because we would he able to work together. I would be
able to work with Marc'.s office, and I'd he able to work with the residents on hnth sides. So I
can't really buy into that argument only because we're already doing it. So 1 just -- 1 can't really
buy into that argument. Now, the other issue that came up on some comments that were made
was this issue of MiMo. And I support MiMo. I support it even though it's not even in my
district. I've always supported Nancy and the whole crew in what they're doing. I think it's an
amazing thing. I didn't have a problem with -- and I even mentioned to Miguel -- I don't -- I
didn't have a prnhlem with taking the business district portion of it, hut I was told that I couldn't,
you know. So if that changes, I don't have a problem. with it, but that's what was communicated.
But I do not want to -- put it on the record that Spence -Janes did not have an issue -- does not
have an issue with doing that. The other issue that came up, which is the 79th Street area by the
river, that the proposed plan that Me [sic] Grandy has given us stating -- splitting 79th. Street
down the middle, I don't have a problem with the comment that was made today about taking it
to the river. I support that 100 percent. IfI have tn, you know, swallow that and do that, Ilnok
forward to working to the -- with the businesses an 79th Street and the homeowners that live an
79th Street, so that's not an issue for me. So I wanted to make sure that I was clear on that.
There was another comment that was made -- and Ijust want to clear up the record when we
make these kind of statements in public arenas. I did not get the e-mail from Grace Solares.
Maybe it did come to me, but I didn't get it at all in reference to a sunshine violation. But I don't
recall attending -- maybe you were talking -- maybe the reference was about figure issues of
sunshine violations or that a sunshine violation had already happened, which I'm not -- hum?
Unidentified Speaker: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Do you know about this, Me [sic] Grandy?
Mr. De Grandy: Yes. The issue surfaced at the last meeting when several of the residents asked
me to specifically discuss the conversations I had had with each of you all. My response at that
time was I was not at liberty to do that. Number one, I have to follow -- whether I'm a consultant
or not, I have to follow the Florida Bar code --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Yes.
Mr. De Grandy: -- in terms of confidentiality.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: And you -- and Ijust want to be very clear. In every meeting that
I've had with him -- because, you know, you're curious. You don't know what people think or feel
from other districts. And Me [sic] Granny has been the ultimate professional and has been very
clear that this is the viewpoint that he's sharing, that -- you know, from his perspective in getting
the information from the residents, and never has it been a discussion around who's doing what.
Mr. De Grandy: Now, I believe the City Attorney can also speak to the issue. Again, my
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perspective was, from my point of view as a lawyer, but from the sunshine law perspective, I
think it's the City Attorney's position that whatever I discuss with you as a retained consultant --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Yeah.
Mr. De Grandy: -- does not violate the sunshine law, nor does it need to be disclosed.
Ms. Chiaro: The issue of the sunshine law doesn't apply to any conversations that Mr. De
Grandy had one on one with any of you. The Florida Statute 286.011, as you know, deals with a
decision -making body. No decision -making authority was delegated to Mr. De Grandy, and his
conversations with you would not be in any way implicate -- would not in any way implicate the
sunshine law. So the issue of attorney -client privilege doesn't even need to he dealt with.
There's no sunshine law meetings that occurred with Mr. De Grandy and individual
Commissioners.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Okay. So 1 just wanted to make sure 'cause we make these
statements -- you know, it almost appeared -- and again, I hadn't read the e-mail, so I didn't
really know. Iit felt as though it was on the hinds of the community meeting that took place, like
I attended and Marc attended and we were there. So I just wanted to he clear, and now I have a
clear understanding of what your comment was made. The other issue, really fast, was the issue
of -- 'cause we talked about MiMo and the splitting o f that, and I -- you've been clear on that,
that we cannot keep MiMo in one area in D5.
Mr. De Grandy: We can't do redistricting by folio numbers.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Okay, so I just want to be clear with the MiMo folks that have
asked. The other issue was the splitting rf Palm Grove, Shorecrest, and I guess, Belle Meade in
the Upper Eastside. Based upon your recommendations and what we've talked about and
looking at the overall objective of what we're trying to accomplish, I don't have a problem with
not definitely splitting Palm Grove. I think that that community should stay intact, and I support
that 100 percent. I'm in Palm Grove all the time, so I love the neighborhood. I love what they're
doing there. So I don't have an issue with not splitting that. The issue of Shorecrest, same thing.
I mean, I don't have a prohlem with, you know, taking in Shorecrest and supporting Shorecrest
and having it be a part of my district. I just -- I'm glad today's meeting -- 1 feel a lot better about
it. I'm going to be honest with you, because the last hearing it just -- it bordered some
conversations that, quite frankly, I don't think we should be having at all in the City. I mean, we
should all be working together and we should all be trying to figure out a way to, you know, live
together and not, you know, this whole issue of division, you know. I just -- I can't stomach that
kind of behavior. I just really can't, you know. It's about everybody winning in the end. And you
know, 1 will continue to work with Marc and any of my Commissioners and definitely, my
residents. And most people that know me -- and you said you know Tamara -- I am a very
hands-on Commissioner, and I am the Commissioner that will be out to 12 o'clock at night, you
know. And my sergeant at arms is hack there, right, Arnie? You tell me some lights are out, 12
o'clock at night, I'm out there with Florida Power & Light counting every light to make sure it
gets done. So, you know, for me, my level o f commitment would he the same. I think that --
personally, 1 think it would be great to have a wonderful resource in both communities, Palm
Grove and Shorecrest, and I'd have a piece of MiMo, which I love, that can share the wealth of
knowledge, the wealth of experience to make the whole entire district better. So I just -- I don't
like to have these discussions that really border, you know, the issues of, you know, people's
social, economical, you know, racial, you know. It should never he about that, you know. And I
think that us keeping Palm Grove intact, keeping Shorecrest intact, keeping the 79th Street
business district intact is a great Arm of compromise from our side, and 1 don't have a problem.
with taking it. Yes, I will he losing a percentage of African Americans because of this, but it is
what it is. And you know, I71 now go down to 69 -- I believe 60 -- almost 69 -- a little over 69
percent, which, before, I was at 75 percent. So the one thing I want to just add really quickly,
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too, because there was another comment that was made, and I want to make sure I don't miss it.
Oh, the issue of the CRAs. Someone brought that up as an issue tonight as well. And I wanted to
he dear, you know. We -- the recommendation was to make sure that we keep the CRAB
somewhat intact and make sure that those areas are being represented. 1 am picking up all of
historic Overtown, which had become a challenge because we kind of know the vision that we
want to have in historic Overtown. I mentioned this to Me [sic] Grandy, and I just want to be
clear so you and I are on the same page. The issue of the area, area 12 -- I think it's area 12, if
I'm not mistaken -- on 7th Avenue, part of that belongs to the Overtown CRA, and I want to make
sure that we're on the same page about that. But not only from that perspective -- and I don't
have a problem. with picking up everything above 20th Street to do that; that's not an issue. But
what I think is really important to put on the record is that Overtown -- and I'm talking to my
residents that are listening here and the ones that are sitting here -- has been a community that
has been really destroyed. And for the first time in a very long time, we're rebuilding it back.
We're restoring hope, and things are actually changing in Overtown. And I think that it's really
important -- I don't have a prohlern, like I said, from 20th Street and above because that's where
really the residents are. Even though I am going to be losing -- and you mentioned it earlier. 1n
that section I'm losing like, I think, 338 people, which to inc. I would have liked to have kept
those people to keep my numbers, but it is what it is. But you have to lose some as you go. But
what's more important to me than that than anything else is that section between 20th Street and
really 14th Street or Booker T. Washington, where it is. That was the historic Overtown. That
was known or deemed as Overtown. And in the 1920s, that area, you know, was the place where
the Ritz Theater and modern -- the Modern Theater all were there. And it was a vibrant area in
Overtown. And unfortunately, that natural barrier that we just talked about, 1-95 basically
destroyed that whole entire community. So now when there is an opportunity to make sure that
those commitments that the Camillus House and that the University of Miami has made to the
people of Overtown -- have made to Overtown, I would definitely want to make sure that if we're
keeping these communities intact, you know, and we're taking the philosophy of CRAB and
historic -based communities kind of remain together, 1 think that it's important. And there are a
lot of promises made from both of those major developments to the people of Overtown. And
quite frankly, the Camillus House, which sits behind the expressway, the majority of the people
going to Camillus House and living in Camillus House, they hang out in Overtown. So I just
really want to make sure -- this is -- and I want to be clear in closing on this. This is bigger than
me, you know. I'm not going to he here forever. I'm not going to he here in ten years. So it's for
the person that's behind me and behind all of us, you know, that have to make changes; that
things are put in place so that at least there's some shared equity or some equity in these
neighborhoods so that people feel as though their neighborhoods are protected. So I just --
that's the only area that I would want to make sure as a part of all of this -- and you and I talked
about this. And I want to he clear to Commissioner Gort. Ijust happened to -- you know, I was
doing my final briefing with Me [sic] Grandy, and I was like, wait a minute. I'm losing 338
people. What happened? And then 1 said, okay, I'll strike a compromise. 1 definitely cannot
disappoint these folks again in Overtown with broken promises by now having the opportunity to,
you know, keep a commitment and that was a part of Overtown, I really want to make sure that
that remains. And that was the only issue that I had a concern with on the maps.
Mr. De Grandy: Commissioner, just for the record, you had also expressed an issue regarding --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Did I fOrget something?
Mr. De Grandv: -- subarea 13 and going west for two blocks --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Yeah. We already talked about --
Mr. De Grandy: -- to bring --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: -- yeah. I was fine. I sat with the CRA districts. I added that
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already.
Mr. De Grandy: Oh, okay.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Oh, yeah. I said the historic Overtown areas, keeping them
together based upon them being historic Overtown.
Mr. De Grandy: Right. My concern is, though --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: You want me to put it on the record?
Mr. De Grandy: -- if you want to make any change, I need specific direction as to --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Okay, so I'll read it to you. It will start in the north at Northwest
22nd Street and go south on all -- south all the way to Northwest 14th Street.
Mr. De Grandy: Okay. And that's --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: And that's on 1st -- I believe 1st Avenue.
Mr. De Grandy: Okay.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Right? Yeah.
Mr. De Grandv: That's part of -- right now, part of District 2. And again, both -- ifI may
comment, Mr. Chairman. Both issues present, again, the issue of competing principles. You
have --for example, talking about this area of historic Overtown, which is two blocks east --
goes two blocks more east of subarea 13, what 1 tried to do by cutting subarea 13 where I did is
maintain that boundary of the Omni CRA. What the Commissioner has expressed is, yes, you did
that, but you left two blocks of historic Overtown out of that district. And so, it presents two
competing principles: one, trying to keep the integrity of the CRA; the other, truing to bring in
the rest of historic Overtown into subarea --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Right. And I guess what 1 was trying to clear up for you on the
record --
Mr. De Grandv: Right.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: -- is 20th Street historically, so you know, in OT, in Overtown,
from the 1920s, I'm telling you the facilities, the theaters, the housing; Ward himself, from the
Ward Rooming House, lived in that section on 17th and -- And I just wanted to verify it today, so
I had to call the Black Archives 'cause I wanted to make sure I was correct on it, and it was
absolutely right, you know. So, you know, the issue of historic Overtown, the additional sections
that we're putting -- that we're adding, you were the one that mentioned to me that it could be
done based upon a historic community or other initiatives that are centered around, you know --
Mr. De Grandy: That is correct.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: So that's the reason why I added historic Overtown.
Mr. De Grandy: And that is correct, Commissioner. As the subarea -- the movement east of
subarea 13, that presents two issues, one being the boundary of the Omni CRA versus historic
Overtown. The movement that you're talking about in subarea 12, part of that area that you're
talking about is part of the Overtown/Park West CRA, but that movement was made in order to
comply with the principle of using well -recognized boundaries and going to --
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Commissioner Spence -Jones: Right. And then I'm saying to you --
Mr. De Grandy: -- 95.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: -- and I've said it ten times (UNINTELLIGIBLE) --
Mr. De Grandy: Right.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: 1 said it to you personally ten times, and 1'll say it to you ten times
again, if you need it, okay. So -- and as 1 stated from our conversation earlier, 1-90 -- just as
we're using Biscayne Boulevard and we could use 79th Street -- seven -- not seven -- yeah, 79th
Street and we can use 7th Avenue as the same, you know, analogy that you're giving me. And I'm
telling you, for -- I-95 is definitely not considered a boundary for that particular district in which
I represent. Actually, it's the one thing that represents the community being destroyed. So I
would -- just like 1 would not want to use a railroad to, you know -- and the connotation with a
railroad, I would not want to do it with I-95.
Mr. De Grandv: And I hear you, Commissioner. All Pm trying to say is that there's two different
policy directives, so it becomes an issue for you all to resolve. I have no problem going either
way. It's just however you all decide to resolve it.
Commissioner Gort: I understand -- my understanding is, in 1996, when we created the district
and we event all the way to I-95, we went all the way to 1-112 [sic]. My understanding is -- and I
was not here when they did the redistricting. And then District 5 needed some additional voters,
and that's why they expanded all the way to 36th Street and they expand it to 7th Avenue. Now if
we're getting vote far another place, I would like to keep that. I think work very hard with
Overtawn and the CRA since 1 got elected in the first time in 1993. And 1 think --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Willy, that --
Commissioner Gort: -- you know my commitment. You know my commitment to Overtown --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Yeah, Willy, it's really not about --
Commissioner Gort: -- what are we doing for the CRA.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: -- me. Don't make it about me, and don't make it about you. I'ni
talking about the history and what has happened in that community. That's what I'm talking
about. I'm talking about it happening way before you got here and way before 1 got here. That's
what I'm talking about. Ion talking about making sure that that particular community stays
intact. I was willing to give up the 383 people. I don't have a problem with that. Personally, I
feel like it's in my district and l need the numbers, but I'm losing the numbers. I'm losing the
numbers.
Chair Sarnoff: I'm just trying to understand the last two things you did. Subarea 12 is staying in
D5 now?
Mr. De Grandv: Subarea 12 presents a policy choice. One Commissioner would like to keep it
as the proposed plan. Another Commissioner would like to take part of it hack into her district,
which was originally in her district.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Right. A nd --
Chair Sarnoff: Okay.
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Commissioner Spence -Jones: -- I want to he very clear -- andI said to you -- this to you today,
Me [sic] Grandy. That's why I called you today. I was like, you know what, I didn't realize that
that section was not even in there. Didn't I call you like a couple of days ago? And then today 1
had you come 'cause I wanted to make sure there was no confusion on it. And I said, okay, fine.
I'll split it down the middle. I'll let him keep the residents, you know. I don't have a problem
with that, but I'm losing 383 people. I can't afford to lose anybody. And the only reason why Pin
keeping that section is because of all the broken promises that have been made to the people in
historic Overtown. And quite frankly, now that there's something happening over here, here's an
opportunity for the people to benefit, from it, and I don't want them wiggling out oftheir
responsibility.
Chair Sarnoff: And then the other -- subarea 13 is moving two blocks east?
Mr. De Grandy: That's correct, Commissioner. That would he from --
Chair Sarnoff • I'm on page 23 --
Mr. De Grandv: Twenty-three. It would move --
Chair Sarnoff: -- of your original --
Mr. De Grandy: -- two blocks east to Northwest 1st Avenue.
Chair Sarnoff: So, in other words, it wouldn't be on my page 'cause I wouldn't see it, right? It's
Mr. De Grandy: Well, you see one and a half blocks --
Chair Sarnoff: Right.
Mr. De Grandy: --of that movement, but it moves two blocks east under Commissioner
Spence -Jones proposal to capture the rest of historic Overtown. And again, that was another
issue of two competing principles. 1t doesn't mean that --
Chair Sarnoff: I'm not --
Mr. De Grandy: -- I did it the right way. I'm just --
Chair Sarnoff: -- criticizing just yet.
Mr. De Grandy: Okay.
Chair Sarnoff: I'm asking how many residents would that he a reduction for me, or could you
estimate that or do you even know?
Mr. De Grandy: That -- you're talking about a little over a thousand residents, so that actually --
Again, depends on what other changes you do. That, in and of itself, actually brings the
deviation down because -- but very slightly because it now makes District 4 the top line of the
deviation. District 3 is still the bottom line of the deviation, so it does result in a minor drop in
deviation, not much.
Chair Sarnoff • But if yokfactor that change with the change of going to the Little River, I mean,
at a certain point in time, am I going to be at zero deviation?
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Mr. De Grandv: You would he getting closer to zero deviation, but ironically, the overall
deviation still doesn't change because District 4 is still the highline; District 3 is the Towline. It's
not unless you take population into District 3 that the deviation goes down further.
Chair Sarnoff • Okay. Go ahead, Commissioner Corolla.
Commissioner Carollo: So, Mr. Chairman, do you want to then speak about bringing in a part
into District 2 so the deviation will go down, and then it'll help out? I think that's what you all
are discussing.
Chair Sarnoff • Go ahead.
Commissioner Carollo: Something that, you know, I mentioned to you when we were discussing
is from the Metrorail line from 13 to 15 Street, bringing it, I think it's east, to Brickell. And you
have a map.
Chair Sarnoff • Right here.
Commissioner Carollo: Yeah, right now --
Chair Sarnoff: No, you're up here.
Commissioner Corolla: Yeah. I'm in the Metrorail line.
Chair Sarnoff: Right.
Commissioner Carollo: Just bring it up to Brickell between 15th and 13th. It a minor change,
but it will help with the deviation.
[Comments held off the record]
Ms. Chiaro: I would ask the Commission to keep the discussions such that the Clerk can record
them.
Commissioner Gort: Speak in the mike.
Ms. Chiaro: Mr. Chair, Commissioner Carollo, I would ask that the discussions he on the record
so that the Clerk can --
Commissioner Carollo: We're trying, we're trying. Here, 1 would pick up another building with
residents, so that's where (UNINTELLIGIBLE). But well still share -- leaving, you know, this
alone, so --
Chair Sarnoff: Okay.
Commissioner Carollo: -- 1 think it's a normal boundary.
Chair Sarnoff. All right.
Commissioner Carollo: If it helps, bring between 13th and 15th Street, from, I think, the
Metrnrail line, is the houndary right now, bring it -- and I would say east to Brickell Avenue, and
that would -- should help the deviation.
Mr. De Grandy: That --
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Commissioner Carollo: It'll get me closer to zero.
Mr. De Grandy: -- would narrow the gap of deviation 'cause right now you are the standard
setter on the low side. So, again, Mr. Chairman, as I said before, at the end of the day, if you
want to consider the proposed plan, there should he a straw vote. If you want to consider the
proposed plan with any changes, alll -- that I ask for is I want very specific direction. I don't
have a horse in the race. I don't care what the direction is. Ijust need it very specific.
Chair Sarnoff I understand.
1 feel like Sophie in Sophie's Choice. You know, what do you do? I can't think of anything more
dear to anyone's heart which is their own home and picking Commissioners, some of which they
might have voted for, some of which they might not have voted for. But what I've learned with
Mr. De Grandy and through his education to me because I wasn't all that well aware of the
Voting Rights Act, the Jingles decision, and how we're mandated to proceed, no matter what I do,
I have to give somebody up, something up. So ifI push on the balloon at one end, it permeates
at the other end. 1f I push on the balloon at the middle, it goes out at the bottom. I mean, I'm not
going to satisfy anyone here today. All right.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Mr. Chairman, what -- is this today?
Chair Sarnoff Yeah.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Are we voting?
Chair Sarnoff: You need to give direction what you -- You've given him direction on 13. You've
given him direction on --
Vice Chair Gort: 12.
Chair Sarnoff.' -- 12. You guys have to somehow resolve that.
Vice Chair Gort: No, it's all right.
Chair Sarnoff: That's -- her direction's all right?
Vice Chair Gort: Yeah, it's okay.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Thank you, Willy.
Mr. De Grandy: All right, so the direction -- can I be clear on the record what it is, 'cause 1
vivant to make sure I accurately reflect it.
Vice Chair Gort: Seventh Avenue, split in the middle.
Mr. De Grandy: Seventh Avenue, split at the -- in other words --
Vice Chair Gort: The way it is right now.
Mr. De Grandv: --from north to south, go right --
Vice Chair Gort: The way it is right now.
Mr. De Grandy: -- through the centerline and split.
Vice Chair Gort: Right.
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Mr. De Grandy: Give the southern part to Spence -Jones district; the northern part to your
district. Commissioner Spence -Jones, is that your rec -- your understanding?
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Yes.
Mr. De Grandy: Okay. So I'm going to be cutting basically at the center of --
Vice Chair Gort: The same as it was hefbre.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: The same way that it was before, nothing's different.
Mr. De Grandy: Oh, the same --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: My original line.
Mr. De Grandy: The same way that it was before?
Vice Chair Gort: The original line, yeah.
Mr. De Grandy: Okay. So we are reversing the movement of subarea 12 in its entirety. Is that
correct?
Vice Chair Gort: Yes.
Mr. De Grandy: Okay. Is that correct --? I need at least three Commissioners to say yes.
Chair Sarnoff: Well, let's --
Tice Chair Gort: Yes.
Mr. De Grandy: I have two.
Chair Sarnoff: -- put on the table whether --
Tice Chair Gort: Right.
Mr. De Grandy: Yes.
Chair Sarnoff: -- that's part of the process. So subarea 12 goes back to the original space.
Subarea 13 moves two blocks east from 20th to -- help me with that.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Fourteenth.
Chair Sarnoff: -- 14th.
Mr. De Grandy: From 22nd to --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: It's 22nd.
Mr. De Grandy: -- 14.
Chair Sarnoff • 22nd to 14th.
Mr. De Grandy: And to Northwest 1st Avenue.
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Chair Sarnof f: Yeah. I think there was also directive to keep Shorecrest intact --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Yes.
Chair Sarnoff.' --from -- to the Little River.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Yes.
Chair Sarnoff: And I think in doing all this, you're about to make District 2 the smallest district.
Mr. De Grandy: You will probably approach zero, if not go into negative, but you will, at this
point, he approaching zero.
Chair Sarnoff: Have you done an analvsis, 'cause you're making movements that even I don't
know what the outcome would be, and I presently have a minority/majority district -- this is what
you taught me --
Mr. De Grandy: Yes.
Chair Sarnoff: -- that is Hispanic. And if I go below the deviation to 48 or 49 percent, will that
invite a challenge?
Mr. De Grandy: That enhances the possibility of a challenge. However, the movements that
you're making, I want to again restate them on the record and be clear. Number one, reversing
the movement in subarea 12 does not impact your district.
Vice Chair Gort: No, no, no.
Mr. De Grandy: It brings back the original numbers to Commissioner Spence -Jones district.
The movement of subarea 13 two blocks east, you're talking about a population that is in the
high 70s or 80 African American. So the probability of lowering your Hispanic numbers is
almost zero. Your numbers would remain the same. Again, that's just off the top of my head.
The third movement of Shorecrest and bringing the Shorecrest down, you're not looking at going
below 52 percent Hispanic. It will result in about a one-half percentage point decline in
African -American population in D5, but you're pretty much picking all that back when you do
the movement in historic Overtown. So to give you a summary, your numbers are going to stay
in the 52 range. The Commissioner's numbers are going to stay very close to the 70 percent
range African American, and the result in deviation at that point is that Commissioner Suarez
becomes the high end of the deviation; Commissioner Carollo's district becomes the low end of
the deviation. So you've lowered deviation by about two percentage points. Now, if you also
want to entertain Commissioner Carollo's movement, that will narrow the gap in deviation.
Chair Sarnof f: And that was --
Commissioner Carollo: But -- now hold on. But 1 will still continue to be the lowest deviation.
Mr. De Grandy: I believe so. At that point, it's close, but I believe so.
Commissioner Suarez: Mr. Chair --
Commissioner Carollo: So, in essence --
Chair Sarnoff.' Ijust -- I don't know what the population is right there. I mean, I know the
buildings because you're looking at 1450 Brickell, which is a nonresidential unit, right next to a
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residential unit.
Commissioner Carollo: One Broadway.
Chair Sarnoff • Sorry? One Broadway, right.
Commissioner Carollo: Yeah.
Mr. De Grandy: You're talking a few hundred folks.
Chair Sarnoff • Right. And then there's a very low-rise community right there, which couldn't be
that many. Okay.
Mr. De Grandy: It's a few hundred folks, Commissioner, which, again, I don't have an exact
number, hut you're probably talking about lowering the deviation by another six -tenths to
three-quarters of a percent.
Chair Sarnoff: Okay. And what do you need from us now?
Mr. De Grandy: What 1 need is -- so far I've heard, again -- you know, please excuse me, but 1
need to he very succinct to do your final plan. What I've heard is that there is no objection to
undoing the subarea 12 change. So unless 1 hear otherwise,, for my _final plan, well undo that
change. I've heard no objection to doing the change that moves two blocks east from subarea 13
to bring in the rest of historic Overtown. So unless I hear an objection, I'm going to do that in
our final plan. I have heard no objection to the Shorecrest movement coming down to the Little
River. Again, unless I hear an objection, I will include that in the final plan. And I am still
awaiting more input on Commissioner Carnllo's suggestion. IfI hear no objection on that, I will
also include that.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: And then Palm Grove? And you didn't mention MiMo.
Mr. De Grandy: Palm Grove remains the same.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Okay. It's not --?
Mr. De Grandy: Biscayne is still the dividing line --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Oh, okay.
Mr. De Grandy: -- unless you tell me otherwise. You're okay with Commissioner Carollo's
proposed --
Chair Sarnoff: Yes.
Mr. De Grandy: -- change?
Chair Sarnoff • Yes.
Mr. De Grandy: Is there any objection from the other two members of the Commission here?
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Nn.
Mr. De Grandy: Commissioner Suarez, no objection? All right, so I understand 'bur changes
that I have to effect to bring you hack a final plan at your first meeting in April. If there's any
further changes you want me to do, please direct me to do so; otherwise, those are the four
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9:30 A.M.
DI.3
13-00264
District 2-
Commissioner Marc
David Sarnoff
changes that I will bring back. And I will bring them back in the form of a final plan. What we
will do, Mr. Chairman, is we will meet -- once we have done the changes, we will meet with your
City Attorney's office and your Planning Department to create a metes and hounds resolution
that would have metes and bounds of all the five districts. That resolution would then be
presented to you as a plan for final adoption at your first meeting in April. Should you adopt
that plan, it then becomes your redistricting plan.
Commissioner Suarez: Mr. Chair, if I may.
Chair Sarnoff: You're recognized for the record.
Commissioner Suarez: I just -- I really want to commend everybody here today, the
Commissioners who are here, Mr. De Grandy, and the residents. And I think this is a process
where you see the thoughtfulness and people who are listening to try to, you know, accommodate
all of the different goals. It not easy. It's, you know -- obviously, you know, it's -- it can he a
little painstaking, but l think everyone here has been listening and trying to act in the best
interest of all the residents of the City of Miami so (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Congrats.
Chair Sarnoff: All right.
Mr. De Grandy: If there's nothing else --
Chair Sarnoff • Thank you, Mr. De Grandy.
Mr. De Grandy: -- Mr. Chairman --
Chair Sarnoff: Appreciate it.
Mr. De Grandy: -- we'll do those changes.
Chair Sarnoff: Why don't we take five minutes?
Mr. De Grandy: Thank you.
Chair Sarnoff' It's in recess for five minutes.
DISCUSSION ITEM
STATE OF REAL ESTATE IN THE CITY OF MIAMI.
13-00264 State of Real Estate in City of Miami.pdf
13-00264-Submittal-Presentation-Cervera Real Estate.pdf
13-00264-Submittal-Presentation-Jack Lowell.pdf
DISCUSSED
Chair Sarnoff: I do have -- we have another --
Elizabeth Plater-Zvberk: Thank you.
Chair Sarnoff.• -- one -- issue, time certain, which is the presentation for the real estate -- and I
don't usually do stuff like this, bring something along these lines, but you know, in 2009/2010,
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especially you new guys up here, which you're no longer new, when you were corning up here
making all these hard decisions, you always wonder what does it result in, what happens out
there in the private sector? And I think it's worth seeing the tough decisions that were made on
this dais, how it has affected the private sector. So I've asked Jack Lowell and I've asked Alicia
Cervera to come up here from -- I think Jack is going to do the commercial aspect. I think Alicia
is going to he doing the residential aspect. And just describe to us in ten minutes each how the
City ofMiami has come back as -- especially comparatively to a lot of cities in America because
I think you're sitting in ground zero of the most important city not just in North America but the
Americas in general. Mr. Lowell, you're recognized for the record.
Jack Lowell: Mr. Chairman, my name is Jack Lowell. I live at 185 West Sunrise Avenue, in
Coral Gables. Mr. Mayor and members of the Commission. What Alicia and I have to bring
before you today is very good news. Because so much of the City of Miami tax base is
residential, I'm going to give a little information on what's happened in the residential markets
on a macro basis and Alicia will give you some great news on particular projects. The first piece
of information that's displayed on your screen is the recent history of sales and inventory for
both condos and single family homes in our community. This is off the multiple listing service,
so it includes all of the inventory from all of the people in the profession, but does not necessarily
include developers' inventory. You can see from these charts that the red and the blue lines are
our inventory. The red is condos. Since most of the condo inventory in the County was in the
City of Miami, you can see that in 2007, we peaked out at on unsold inventory of over 20,000
units and, similarly, we had a spike in unsold inventory of single family homes. Since 2007, the
graph is clearly trending towards the sale of almost all of our inventory. In fact, now we're down
to the point where we have less than five months of inventory for single-family homes in the
County and about five months of condo inventory as of the end of last year. And what that
means is that once you get below six months of inventory in these product lines, prices start
going up and in some cases dramatically. You can also see on the lower graphs, those were the
actual units sold during the particular period of time; and as you can see, the sales charts for
both condos and single family have gone up regularly. The other reason why people are coming
here -- and this applies both to residential as well as commercial properties -- our prices are
remarkably low. We -- you know, our values dropped 50 percent, so our per -square foot prices
became the bargain of the world. And what this chart shows that we are second cheapest in the
world on a per -square foot basis for our urban apartment inventory, which is why the Brazilians
and Venezuelans have come here and bought so much of our inventory and then turned around
and leased it out. But this -- these numbers show you all why the world is beating a path to our
door, and it applies to commercial as well. Here's the good news. It's going to continue this way
for about three years. This is the taxable assessed value within the City of Miami for a period of
about ten years. And you can see that we had a rapid run up when we had the boom of
development that peaked in 2007. We doubled our taxable base for the City, which is great news
for the City; generated a lot of taxable dollars for the municipality. And then, of course, we had
the drop from over 37 billion down to at the low in 2011 of 30, so about a 20 percent reduction in
assessed values. And fortunately last year, the assessed value went up to $31 billion. We're
going to see another pickup in the total assessed value base for the City for, I would say, the next
three years, Mr. Chairman, because of two things. Remember that everybody -- all of us that
have Save Our Homes'hssessments, if you look at your tax hill, our assessments are still way
below market value, so all of us are going to get our 3 percent increase in assessment every year
as the market is recovering. Anyway, and then we have a tremendous amount of new
development within the City, whether it be Brickell CityCentre or the design district. And we
have three or four big projects that have yet to he announced, World City, the Resorts World
people with the Omni property; and the Herald property have not announced their plans yet. We
had in the paper today a brand-new project from Related, which is a condo/hotel project in the
Brickell corridor. There are ten buildings today, not counting Brickell CityCentre, ten
residential buildings under construction in the Brickell corridor. In the Grove here, we have the
Grove at Grand Bay that's just starting and some more exciting projects to be announced. So
we're going to see this assessment base pick up fairly dramatically over the next three years.
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Brickell CityCentre will not be on the rolls 'ti12015, maybe 2016. So you have several years of
improving assessments, so that's very good news overall. Okay, I wanted to give you three
examples in the office building sector. The office building sector is nur weakest sector of our
various real estate categories. You've heard or read about the hospitality industry, the hotels
have had a --just a record season doing very well. We're seeing new hotels being announced.
The retail market is booming. Prices on Lincoln Road have gone to $2,500 afoot and rents are
$250. Brickell CityCentre is going to he a dramatic impact on new retail, as is the Design
District. So we're going to see some, I think, very good retail numbers, very little vacancy.
Wal-Mart, TD Bank, Puhlix are all dramatically expanding within the City. Chase -- TD and
Chase are the two very active banks. So what I wanted to demonstrate to you is the demand, for
our real estate is not just in the residential sector, so I've given to you three sales of office
properties within the City limits that occurred last year. And the interesting thing here, if you
look at the numbers, is that the sale price has been substantially above the assessed values. So
here again, you have a situation where the sale is demonstrating real market demand. Even
though our office sector has a 20 percent vacancy factor, there's still tremendous demand for
commercial properly in Miami. This first one is a building on 27th Avenue that sold recently.
Then we have, of course, the little office building at the corner of 27th and Bayshore Drive in the
Grove, which, again, sold at $16 million. I think the assessed value was 12, so there again, as
the assessor brings these on the tax rolls, you're going to get a pickup in values. And the third
example is a 3550 Biscayne, which the Terra Group bought with partners, and that, again, sold
for a number of very substantially above assessed value, so again, it'll produce some very
dramatic results. 1 could go on and on, but 1 think Alicia has some more fun stuff to talk about.
Chair Sarnoff.' Alicia, you're recognized for the record.
Alicia Cervera: Good morning. This is my first time presenting so I'm not sure what the rules
are, hut I'm going to follow along and say Alicia Cervera Larnadrid, managing partner of
Cervera Real Estate, 5510 Riviera Drive, Coral Gables, Florida. Hope I got that right. Anyway
Commissioner Suarez: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) so good.
Ms. Cervera: -- it's always good to come on the heels ()flack, who brings such great data and
information. 1 guess 1 go a little bit or a lot more into the detail and focus on the City of Miami,
so I bring you some concrete examples of what's going on in the downtown Brickell area and the
luxury condo sector, which is what I primarily focus on. So I, too, have nothing but good news,
so that's always a good way to start our presentation. And you can look at the first slide and see
that everything that has come on market in our part of the world has been very well received by
our community. And not only is it selling quickly, but it's selling with what I think is probably
this most sound financial model in all of the country because when people put cash up, there's
very little room for foreclosures and for defaults and for anything but upside. And in fact, in
2010, when things were looking less than cheery and people started asking me how do we know
that the bottom is here and we have nowhere to go up, I said, well, when people are paving cash,
that's usually the bottom. So up is in our horizon and, in fact, it was. So if we move on to the
next slide, we can see specific buildings that started -- And I wish I had organized this better. So
if you look at the graphs, if 1 had organized thein in sequence, it would have been really 23
Biscayne, and what it shows is a growth from 260 to 290. The second one would have been
MyBrickell and Brickell House, which went to market almost exactly the same time, Brickell
House being a superior product, far superior to MyBrickell, and therefore the difference in
pricing. But again, the good news is that from when we went to market to when we finished
selling, there's significant growth. Those buildings were followed quickly by Millecento and
ICON Bay, and again, that history repeats itself; and where we started the sales and where we
finished the sales, significant growth. I do think of particular note on this is that ICON Bay,
which, I think, has firmly planted a flag in the Edgewater neighborhood, which we're going to be
taking to market very soon two new projects and you're going to see a very big push to brand
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that as the -- what I'm defining as the new South of Fifth neighborhood. And by that I mean that
Edgewater should be to the Design District in Wynwood exactly what South of Fifth's was to
Deco Drive and all of that part of -the community. So it will he the very high end, exclusive,
luxury residential, beautiful part that will support all of that wonderful retail and excitement
that's going into the design district and Wynwood. So next we have signs of good things to come.
And these are -- I will refer to a typo, sorry. We weren't counting very well. It's 20, not 19. So
on your sheet, it will be wrong; on the screen, it's corrected. So 'just put kind of a list of what
we see coming. Some of the things that have been released is the 1100 Millecento, which is to
market already, Grove at Grand Bay, Hahitat, et cetera, and those were released in 2012. In
2013 these are things that are very recently released. And of course of note there is 1000
Biscayne, which is doing a wonderful test of Can we really go to $1, 000 a square foot? And is
the City of Miami ready for that? And I, for one, say yes. I think we are ready for it. I think
we've built, you know, an amazing city. And in this case, we have built it and they will come. So
I'm very excited about that job. In the addition to that, we were talking about hotels and how
successful they've heen. And a Parc at Brickell, which is probably not what's going to he called,
but we should have a name by the end of the week, is coming right next to the
(UNINTELLIGIBLE) Hotel, which is going right by Simpson Park, that we're very excited to see
coming. I understand that's a premiere hotel chain out of Chile. In fact, I visited it in Lima and
it's a magnificent hotel, and I think it's going to be a great addition to our city and just continue
our global push. So it's all good stuff. So pending releases, we have 1010 Brickell Avenue,
Brickell CityCentre that we're all watching with baited breath; and of course, very exciting what
they've done with the Whitman's now. It's going to really bring a huge important retail
component to Brickell Avenue so that if we do need to buy a Christmas, you know, or a birthday
present, we don't have to run across town to Merrick Park or Bal Harbour or whatever. So we
particularly, ladies, since it is woman's week, or month, are very excited about that. And I do
believe that it is a huge impact to everything that's going to follow. And just by virtue of Steve
Owens, I remember was quoted by saying that it was the equivalent of when the Heat signed
LeBron, and 1 have to thank and agree with him that he was right. So 1 think it's going to be
enormous impact to all of the valleys in the immediate area. And our dialogue really is where is
the center of our city? Is it, in fact, the art center or is it, in fact, CityCentre as they continue to
accumulate more land and do more great things? But as I'm sure you all know, we're looking
forward to another maybe 900 units being added by CityCentre and residential alone, and we'll
see what they announce with the additional parcels. Planning stages in Coconut Grove. Of
course, there's a Coconut Grove bank and a series of other things. And downtown Resort World
is a big question mark but we can't imagine that anything other than greatness will come to that
beautiful waterfront site. The tiered deposit structure that I talked a little hit about, it started
with 70, 80 percent deposits. It's fallen hack to about 50 percent, which I think is probably a
very reasonable number. We went from paranoid -- that no one would close unless they had paid
for everything -- to something that think is incredibly responsible. And I ani now for the first
time seeing banks that are coming to me and actually suggesting what I was suggesting to them
prematurely, probably a year ago, and that's why I wanted you to step in and start offering
emblems to people who are putting up 50 percent. In that way, we can lock it in, we can give a
comfort level. And my hope really is that with those kinds of programs, we'll get more locals
coming in because there'll be more comfort -level that lenders are stepping up. And yesterday,
for the first time, I had a meeting with a hank and says, You know, that sounds like a good idea."
So let's take it back and see if we can do it. And if they agree to it, then well be implementing
that quickly, and I think that's going to open even more doors. And I'm sure you're fallowing on
the construction loan side, that we finally have gotten two major projects that banks have come
in and are financing, so that's all good stuff. I'm glad that banks are lending again. The next
slide just shows the growth, and we've got Brickell and downtown charted here. You can see that
from the depths of the doldrums, we are up $171 per square font in Brickell and $115 per square
foot in downtown Miami, so extremely significant, all good. And then we were monitoring just a
segment of the market, and again, you see the upward growth, so the numbers keep rising. The
last slide is just an activity monitoring slide, which I think actually Jack presented much better
and much more thoroughly, but there it is in terms of all of the movement. We do have a lot of
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product coming onboard to the City, but I think we also have tremendous amount of interests.
And right now, in the predevelopment side of things, we are actually out of inventory, so we're all
in a full press to get some product to market because if you were trying to buy something
preconstruction now, you're picking up the scraps that are left in the existing products. Thank
you very much.
Chair Sarnoff: Thank you. Anybody have any questions ofAlicia?
Commissioner Suarez: I think both -- Ijust want to say that thank you for coming and giving
that very comprehensive presentation. 1 think it bodes very well for the City. Thank you so
much.
Chair Sarnoff: Go ahead.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Mr. Chairman, first of all, I want to acknowledge you far bringing
it to the City, fin- bringing this presentation in, front of the board and in front of the City because
at the end of the day, we hear all these horror stories about what development has done to our
City and now you're seeing it turning around. And I'm going to say this, and I'm a firm believer
in this, this is why vision is important. And you have to do out -of -the -box kind of things to get
these kind of results. That's leadership. Without vision, people shall perish. Now, all of these
projects that are happening that you brought in front gilds, you know, they were widely criticized,
the City was criticized for supporting it, the district Commissioner was criticized for doing it, the
Mayor was criticized, the former Mayor was criticized for doing it, but guess what? Five years
from now that scrutiny and that criticism is what's going to keep officers on the street, it's what's
going to keep parks and senior programs working, it's going to be the thing that helps us with the
shortfalls when we can't find the money from the federal government to make it happen. So you
know, I salute you, Mr. Chairman, for bringing truth to the dais and letting the public know that,
yes, you know, it was a risky thing to do maybe perhaps then, you know, that the City embarked
an, but it was an important thing to do because now we're going to reap what we sow and that's
important. And I commend you for bringing it. I commend your leadership on that. Mr. Lowell,
thank you and the other young lady for presenting it. This is the benefit of great leadership and
leadership of vision.
Vice Chair Gort: Mr. Chairman.
Chair Sarnoff.' Go ahead, you're recognized, Commissioner Gort.
Vice Chair Gort: Once again, I'd like to thank all of you also. I think the -- way hack when I
was in DDA (Downtown Development Authority), that's something that we were doing, going out
and getting people to come and invest and sell Miami, which is the most beautiful city there is.
People are now realizing that, geographically, we're in the middle of the world, so that's very
helpful. What I'd like to see also expanding to the other neighborhoods where we need a lot of
development. Some of it is beginning to take place within my district. And the one reminder is,
although you're not receiving funding from the City of Miami, whatever you can do to employ
individuals from the City ofMiami, really appreciate it. Because one of the things to get really
the economy going, the local economy, we need to put people to work. So 1 want to thank you
because you're going to create jobs and that's very important. Thankyou. Thankyou.
Chair Sarnoff: Commissioner Carollo is recognized.
Commissioner Carollo: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I, too, appreciate you bringing this
forward and 1 appreciate Mr. Lowell, Ms. Cervera coming forward and giving such a simple
presentation that, you know, it stipulates exactly what's going on and in a short amount of time.
As most ofyou know, I'm a numbers guy. I can substantiate what you're saying because we're
seeing it in our Building Department. The volume of permits being requested and there are
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DI.4
13-00251
City Commission
additional revenues that are corning in through those permits substantiate exactly what you're
saying so, you know -- And I've been speaking to numerous people now and I've been letting
them know it's -- the economy's coming hack, Miami's hack, and we're going full steam ahead.
So thank you.
Chair Sarnoff.' You knoi-v, you'll never know i-vhat you have until you lose it. And never know
what's valuable to you until somebody takes it from you. And I shared this dais with
Commissioner Spence -Jones during the building craze. And everybody was like oh, this is
terrihle, this is had, this is horrible. And then we lost it. And with that, we lost, if I'm not
mistaken -- somebody correct me -- 35, 40 percent of all construction jobs left. And with that
came unemployment rates we'd never seen before. And whatever you like to say about Miami --
I'm going to use Bernardo Fort-Brescia's best expression -- this is the most important city not in
North America but in America. It's not San Francisco. It's not New York. It is the city that has
the most potential to grow the furthest of any city in America. And Bernardo happens to have
business in Hong Kong, London, Dubai, every major city you can imagine in the world. And he
said everyone's focus is now on the City of Miami. So Jack, Alicia, I can't thank you enough.
And Commissioner Spence -Jones, I've always loved the expression, you reap what you sow, and
that is such a true statement. And I just thought it would be -- you know, we sit here, we take
bullets.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Yep.
Chair Sarnoff • And we -- you know, I always wonder why do you take these bullets. And now
you're seeing why it is you take these bullets. And I won't be here forever, and I can't wait to go
cross that podium and address you guys up here one day and say the good things that you're
doing.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Yeah.
Chair Sarnoff: So I just thought it was a good time for us just to sit back and say, we took some
bullets, we made some hard decisions. And in those decisions, people are taking cognizance of
the City of Miami. So thank you very much for doing that.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Thanks.
DISCUSSION ITEM
DISCUSSION REGARDING THE SELECTION PROCESS FOR THE CITY
ATTORNEY.
13-00251 Cover Page.pdf
13-00251 City Attorney - Job Announcement.pdf
DISCUSSED
A motion was made by Commissioner Spence -Jones, seconded by Commissioner Suarez, and was
passed unanimously, to approve the job announcement for the City Attorney position with the
clarification that the language reading, Consideration will he given to those candidates who
possess City, County & Local Government Certification issued by the Florida Bar,"is removed
from under the heading of Minimum Qualifications'znd placed in another area of the
announcement.
Chair Sarnoff: All right. I think we are now up to boards, right?
Commissioner Carollo: Should we take the City Attorney's item?
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Chair Sarnoff: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. You're right. Let's do the City Attorney item.
Commissioner Carollo: I just think we need -- you know, prioritize and make sure that --
Chair Sarnoff • Agreed, agreed. So D1.4 -- or DI4. Who's handling that one, City Commission?
Commissioner Suarez: Mr. Chair, may I chime in on that real quick?
Chair Sarnoff: Go ahead.
Commissioner Suarez: I just think that -- I know ire have -- this is the selection of the City
Attorney, correct?
Chair Sarnoff: Correct.
Commissioner Carollo: Well --
Chair Sarnoff.' The process.
Commissioner Carollo: Yeah, the process.
Commissioner Suarez: The pro -- 1 mean, the discussion item. on the selection, 1 guess --
Commissioner Carollo: Yeah.
Commissioner Suarez: -- is a better way of saying it. I think maybe -- I don't know if tonight or
whenever, hut we need to talk about -- 'cause we have coming up the actual -- we have to select
the committee members.
Commissioner Carollo: See, I thought today is when we --
Chair Sarnoff: I thought so too.
Commissioner Carollo: -- 1 thought it was today when we --
Tice Chair Gort: Yeah.
Commissioner Carollo: -- selected our committee members.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: 1 thought so, but 1 can't -- think 1 kind of dropped the ball because
I needed to talk to -- I don't want to appoint somebody unless they've said yes.
Commissioner Suarez: Well, that's one issue. And I think the other thing is, I thought on the
timeline it said it was April 14, ifI'm not mistaken. Did I have it wrong?
Commissioner Spence -Jones: She was supposed to be bringing back the draft recruitment
announcement stuff today, for us to look at, but we did talk about, in our last meeting to --
Commissioner Carollo: Right.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: -- crane hack with a name to -- I mean, you guys can go ahead
and give a selection. 1 mean, I just don't want to say a person's name and then they say 1 can't
do it.
Commissioner Suarez: And what I was going to -- what I was kind of getting at -- and I'm sorry I
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didn't really get -- what I was gelling at was if f-- to get someone to say yes, we need to
understand, I think, what the commitment is going to be, the time commitment, you know.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: That's true.
Tice Chair Gort: I already made my selection and sent it in.
Commissioner Suarez: Okay.
Chair Sarnoff: Yeah, I thought -- 1 did too, so.
Tice Chair Gort: Okay.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Do you guys want to proffer your names and then we can just -- at
the next one, then --?
Chair Sarnoff • Go ahead. Commissioner Gort.
Vice Chair Gort: Ms. Tapanes. I think you have the resume.
Beverly Pruitt (Director, Human Resources): Yes.
Chair Sarnoff • Commissioner Corolla.
Vice Chair Gort: You have the information.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: What's the name, so I -- Ijust know?
Commissioner Gort:: Tapanes. First name is Melissa Tapanes.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Okay.
Commissioner Carollo: Mitchell Berger.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Very good.
Commissioner Suarez: Good one, good one.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Big dog.
Commissioner Suarez: I like that.
Chair Sarnoff: Wait a minute, wait a minute.
Commissioner Suarez: I like that, I like that. That's a good one. Oh., 'cause look, I'm looking
here at what -- at -- I'm sorry, Mr. Chairman, may 1? May I, Mr. Chairman?
Chair Sarnoff.' Yes, you're recognized.
Commissioner Suarez: They're -- I don't know --
Chair Sarnoff: I'm justgetting over his selection, though. 1--
Commissioner Suarez: I thought it was a great selection, by the way. I concur --
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Commissioner Spence -Jones: Are you --
Commissioner Suarez: -- in that selection.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: -- getting ready to appoint now?
Commissioner Suarez: What's that?
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Are you appointing now?
Commissioner Suarez: No. I'm just trying to make a point that I -- on this thing here that we
have in our discussion item, it's got a timeline. It says recruitment timeline, and it says April 11,
City Commission appoints selection committee. That's why I didn't think we had to do --
Commissioner Carnllo: Right, hut in the last Commission meeting, we --
Commissioner Suarez: Okay.
Commissioner Carnllo: I mean --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: That's fine. I'll he ready for the April 11.
Commissioner Carnllo: Yeah. I think the timeline was off 'cause --
Commissioner Suarez: Okay.
Commissioner Carnllo: -- we -- I remember specifically saying that in this Commission meeting
Commissioner Spence -Jones: We said it, but I think that this is a great timeline right here. But
who are you appointing, Commissioner Sarnoff?
Chair Sarnoff: I'm actually going to appoint Ray Ahadin, former head of (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Okay.
Commissioner Suarez: Who?
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Ray --
Chair Sarnoff • Ray Ahadin, A-B-A-D-I-N.
Commissioner Suarez: 1 don't have anyone.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: No, I don't have anyone.
Commissioner Suarez: I thought it was going to he --
Chair Sarnoff: You want me to make an appointment fir you?
Commissioner Suarez: No.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: I'll have one by then.
Chair Sarnoff: All right, so --
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Commissioner Spence -Jones: But today, though, we're approving the job announcement and
advertisement today, though, right?
Tice Chair Gort: And the requirements.
Chair Sarnoff: So is there a motion to approve that, motion to approve the job description and
to advertise as stated? Is there a motion?
Vice Chair Gort: Can we go over the job description again?
Chair Sarnoff.' The job description and the advertisement as stated.
Vice Chair Gort: I don't have it with me now.
Commissioner Suarez: Can 1 ask a question?
Chair Sarnoff.' Yes.
Commissioner Suarez: Okay, where it says here minimum qualifications, it says consideration
will he given to those candidates who possess these certifications issued by the Florida Bar.
That means -- is that a minimum qualification, or is that just --? Thatjust means that -- I'm not
-- it's a little confusing to me.
Chair Sarnoff: Beverly.
Ms. Pruitt: Beverly Pruitt, Human Resources director. The statement was written there to give
consideration. It's not part of the minimum standard --
Commissioner Suarez: Okay.
Ms. Pruitt: -- so individuals without that would be considered, but consideration will he given to
those who have it.
Commissioner Suarez: You can see why it's a little confusing?
Ms. Pruitt: Yes, but it's not a requirement for the position.
Commissioner Suarez: Okay, 'cause it says minimum -- it's under the heading of minimum
qualifications, so it's a little confusing. 1 don't know --
Ms. Pruitt: We can certainly separate that in formatting to make sure it's not part of the
minimum qualifications.
Commissioner Suarez: I just want to -- it's good that we clarified it on the record.
Ms. Pruitt: Yes.
Commissioner Suarez: I think that's important. Thank you. And I promise you guys --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: And I'll --
Commissioner Suarez: -- I will have a selection at the next Commission meeting. My apologies.
I thought ire were going on this timeline, on the April 11 timeline, so I apologize.
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Chair Sarnoff: Okay, but we still don't have a motion to approve. Is this -- is -- Do we need to
get moving on this, Beverly?
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Yes.
Chair Sarnoff: I think u'e should, too, 'cause we're more than capable of delaying stuff. I mean,
my experience with this Commission is, you know, we could screw up a one -car funeral, so --
Commissioner Suarez: That was unnecessary.
Chair Sarnoff • Well, we're slow.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: No, we're not. We're just --
Chair Sarnoff: We are slow.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: -- we're patient.
Chair Sarnoff: Okay. That's another way of looking at it.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Listen, hut -- Madam City Attorney is fine with the joh
announcement. So on my end, 1 move that we adopt this job announcement.
Chair Sarnoff.' All right. So there's a motion. Is there a second?
Commissioner Carollo: What's the motion?
Chair Sarnoff: The motion is to --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: The job announcement. It's --
Chair Sarnoff: Right.
Commissioner Suarez: 1 will second the motion, with the qualification that that clarification that
I asked on the record he made.
Chair Sarnoff: So maker -- as modified, right?
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Yes.
Chair Sarnoff • Seconder -- Do we have a seconder?
Commissioner Suarez: 1 was the one that seconded, yeah.
Chair Sarnoff: Second, okay.
Commissioner Suarez: Yeah.
Chair Sarnoff: All in favor, please say "aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Chair Sarnoff • Okay, so DI.4, we're done.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Yes.
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DI.5
13-00306
Department of
Planning and Zoning
DISCUSSION ITEM
DISCUSSION TO ALLOW THE MIAMI MARINE STADIUM STEERING
COMMITTEE TO PRESENT A REPORT OF ITS FINDINGS TO THE CITY
COMMISSION PERTAINING TO THE OPERATIONAL PLAN FOR THE
RESTORATION OF MIAMI MARINE STADIUM.
13-00306 Summary Form.pdf
13-00306 Steering Committee Meetings & Discussions.pdf
13-00306 Resolution - MMSSC-R-12-001.pdf
13-00306 Miami Marine Stadium Report.pdf
13-00306 Letter - Friends of Miami Marine Stadium, Inc..pdf
13-00306 Where The Land & The Sea Kiss.pdf
13-00306-PowerPoint Presentation -Friends of Miami Marine Stadium, Inc..pdf
13-00306-Submittal-Judy Sandoval.pdf
DISCUSSED
Direction by Chair Sarnoff to the Administration to work with the City Attorney to place a voting
item regarding the restoration plan for the Miami Marine Stadium for consideration by the City
Commission within 30 days.
Chair Sarnoff All right, I think gave a time certain to Marine Stadium. I think that was D --
yeah, D1.5, 3 o'clock. It's 4 o'clock. That's about a time certain in City of Miami jargon.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Is there another time certain after this?
Chair Sarnoff I think there's still one more after this, yes. It's redistricting. We'll do that -- take
that hefire --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: About what time is that?
Chair Sarnoff I think it's set at 4: 30.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: So that's (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
Chair Sarnoff • Right.
Francisco Garcia (Director, Planning): Thank you, Commissioner.
Chair Sarnoff You're recognized fir the record, Mr. Garcia.
Mr. Garcia: Thank you, sir. For the record, Francisco Garcia, Planting & Zoning director.
Briefly, as the presentation is being set up and by way of very brief introduction, but perhaps
also to frame the conversation that will be had here today. I will present to you a couple of --
what we believe are salient facts. First and foremost, what is before you today is only a
discussion item; no action is expected to he taken by the Commission today. Then I'd like to --
lin not sure that we have quorum any longer.
Vice Chair Gort: Yeah, he's here. Go ahead. Keep going. He's here.
Mr. Garcia: My apologies. My oversight. In any event, again, a very brief synopsis, and I know
that they will go into it in more detail, as I've had a chance to see their presentation, hut very
salient facts. 1n 2008 the Friends of Miami Marine Stadium. were formed as a 501(c) 3, a
non for -profit corporation. And to our knowledge, they are the sole organization with the
expressed purpose ofpreserving the Miami Marine Stadium. Shortly thereafter, later in 2008,
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the City of Miami actually designated the Miami Marine Stadium and the basin as well as short
resources, indicating therefore the desire of the City of Miami to refurbish and reuse the historic
structure of the Miami Marine Stadium. Two years later the City of Miami, this Commission,
adopted the Virginia Key Master Plan, which, once again, reinforced the fact that the City's
vision for the area was to preserve the Miami Marine Stadium and to foster the redevelopment of
the area immediately around it and Virginia Key in general. With that in mind and with the
objectives at hand to devise a realizable project that will result in the end in the refurbishment of
Miami Marine Stadium and perhaps more particularly with the object at hand, to present to you,
the Commission, what is needed under the definition of stadium premises to basically act as a
breathing space that the Marine Stadium needs to be able to grow and prosper and be preserved
indefinitely, it was the objective of a Steering Committee, formed by the MSEA (Miami Sports &
Exhibition Authority) board, to work with the Friends of Miami Marine Stadium, and we did
meet; I as the chairperson. We did meet for -- in six or seven occasions. I'm speaking from
memory, but certainly no less than six occasions to listen to their presentations, to provide
feedhack, and the end result was the unanimous approval of their presentation and their
proposal and a series of reports and findings that well present to the City Manager. With that
said, and I think they're prepared to go into their presentation, Jyield to Don Worth of the
Friends of Miami Marine Stadium and will certainly stand by to answer any questions you may
have.
Don Worth: Yield to Hilario Candela, who'd like to make some introductory remarks. Hilario.
Chair Sarnaff • You're recognized fir the record.
Hilario Candela: For the record -- shall I start?
Chair Sarnoff: We have three Commissioners. We have three Commissioners, Mr. Candela.
Mr. Candela: Thank you. For the record, my name is Hilario Candela, and I live at 2600
Granada Boulevard. I'm very pleased to appear before you today, and I thank you for the -- to
give us -- fir giving us the opportunity to -- on behalf of Friends of Miami Marine Stadium to sit
down with you and go over any questions that you may have. I ain the -- a cofounder and
co-chairman ofFriends, together with Don Worth. Specifically, Friends was created to rescue
and give back to the community the abandoned Marine Stadium. That's the only sole reason why
Friends of Marine Stadium was created. lied extremely privileged that I was able to be the
designer for this stadium back in 1962, just a few -- short time after I had arrived from Cuba as
an immigrant to Miami and I had the opportunity to design such a facility. It's been a wonderful
privilege, and it also has been beautiful for me and for anyone that have been a part of the
process to see the recognition that we have had both nationally and internationally, both at the
professional world, at the academic world, and here, in Europe, in Asia, and many, many diverse
conferences, and specifically, the recognition by the National Trustfbr Historic Preservation,
who actually declared the station -- the Stadium a national treasure, and the World Monuments
Fund, who included the Stadium in 2010 in its list of outstanding, unique places in the world,
next to Machu Picchu in Peru and the sacred family church in Barcelona. It's been a very long
five years, hut it been a very positive five years. We have worked. We met very many good --
with great many people who have really participated in making this possible. We have worked
with your staff and we have worked with many community groups. I'd like to point out that as we
started to do it, we were part of a swelling community movement that, all of a sudden, created a
group of in excess of 20 community organizations, extremely diverse, that came together with
only one mission: that create what has been called the Consensus Master Plan. So the master
plan that you will see today -- hear today, which is not our master plan, it is a master plan of all
of the community groups, the 25 -- in excess of 25 community groups that work together out in
the open, had public meetings at locations such as Rustic Pelican, here in the City in some of
your facilities, the Rowing Club, at the University ofMiami/School of Architecture, et cetera. We
worked with the University also, on a public studio program where anybody could come into the
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studio to add ideas, to offer ideas, to look at alternatives and ways to implement this master plan.
This is what we have done over the five years and this is where we are today. What you have
been presented -- or have been delivered in the package to you is really that master plan. It's not
anything any different than what was approved in 208 [sic], 209 [sic], and 2010 by your basis --
various diverse boards that had jurisdiction over this plan, and finally, in 2010 by the City
Commission on a vote of 5-0, where it's still in the same page. That's what we're doing. We're
just offering you more detail of the same. The Commission last May had the vision of creating a
Blue Ribbon Steering Committee of a group of citizens with experience in the subject to really
work with us intensively for a period of six years at phase one of this process. This is exactly
where we are. We completed phase one of the process last December. The Steering Committee
did an outstanding job. We feel we have a better project because of the work that they did and
the work that they made us do, as well as the staff The second part of the process, which will he
after your approval -- hopefully just listening to the issues today and you hopefully will approve
it in the next Commission meeting. The second part of the process will be the next 18 months,
let's say 18 months after April, for us to continue to raise the monies that are necessary for this
to happen. We're raising all of the money. This is not costing the City one single cent. There
have been monies that have already been raised. The balance will still be from private sources.
Yes, we do know that cities do not have the money for this kind of projects. Besides that, we have
found the community at large, locally and nationally, is very interested in corning to our help, to
our aid to make this thing happen. So this is where we are today. Don will take you through --
in detail through the process. And again, we are ready to go with the same enthusiasm tomorrow
morning.
Mr. Worth: Thanks, Hilario. My name is Don Worth. I'm co-founder of Friends of Miami
Marine Stadium, andl live at 1390 Ocean Drive. And it's really been a thrill, Hilario, to work
for you over the -- with you over the last five years, and George Hernandez, who can't make it.
So we formed this group five years ago, and I should say we formed under the administrative
umbrella of Dade Heritage Trust, which birthed us and provided a lot of services. We
collaborated together. And I'd like to get right to it. So according to the memorandum of
understanding, which you approved a year ago, it says that the Steering Committee, which was a
real blue ribbon committee, needs to provide a report, and ultimately, the City shall confirm and
approve the area around the stadium that is needed to generate sufficient revenue for the viable
operation of the stadium for the purposes of this MOU (Memorandum of Understanding). We
actually have three member members of the Steering Committee here today: James Quinlan,
Parker Thompson, and Chico Goldsmith. It was a very high-level group representative of the
community and they really put us through our paces; five meetings, four PowerPoint
presentations. Commissioners, you know they pushed us; they made us better. Thank you for
doing this. We have a much better product because of this. What I'm going to show you is not a
Int of pretty pictures hut a hunch of numbers. And I have to mention our collaborators, Simpson
Gumpertz and Heger, our engineering firm., which did engineering studies of the stadium in 1992
and 2010; Skanska, one of the five largest construction companies in the world. They build
stadiums. They have a division. They provided us with a lot of information on costing. And The
Heat Group, the operators of American Airlines Arena, which has collaborated with us and
provided a lot of information on the operations of it. This is kind of our mantra: Because Miami
Deserves It. Miami deserves a great waterfront public space, and that is our goal. That's really
what we want to do. 1 think it's especially special because really, Hilario, it's built around you.
Hilario, like many people, was an immigrant; 50 years ago, who designed a building as part of
his work, which has now really achieved worldwide significance even in its current state. And in
that same way, many, many people came to Miami 50 years ago and less, and very quickly, they
built it into a pretty remarkable city. And we really think the stadium follows that arc. What we
avant to do is do this great space in the manner of the other not for profit organizations,
museums, the Performing Arts Trust, New World Symphony, which collaborated with the City,
provided additional resources and a partnership basis at a time where cities and counties and
governments don't have much money. So here is a map of the stadium -- of the -- of Virginia Key,
and here is -- this comes from the Virginia Key Master Plan. This was approved by you in 2010.
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We know it quite well. We collaborated with all of those groups. But Hilario, you and George
and the students at University of Miami were really the principal drafters of the plan. There are
three spaces there, and I hesitate to call them three spaces because they're really the foundation
of what we call Marine Stadium Park, and they need to be perceived as a whole. And 14n going
to take you through each one of them. By the way, most master plans, as you know, they're very
exciting when they come out and then they ultimately get thrown in the wastebasket. Our goal is
to implement it, at least our part of it, as you see it. So we're going to take a look to the space to
the east. It's what we call the flex park. It's bordered by parking on Rickenbacker Causeway.
And also, you see that green space, which we call the flex space, because it's needed for the
many different types of events that the stadium. will host, and 1'll get into that in a second. It's
bordered on the east by the Miami Rowing Club. And I should say we're collaborating with the
Miami Rowing Club. We're a little unsure of that boundary because it's their vision to really
have recreational boating there. There are wonderful opportunities that they're expanding upon,
and we want to collaborate and work with them in developing that campus because that's part of
our vision fbr Marine Stadium Park. The Steering Committee really put us through our paces
and tested us out in a number of ways. One of the things that they suggested to us was elevating
that park and putting parking underneath, so we did some analysis of that and this is a schematic
of it: two positives and one negative. Positive, we pick up an additional 280 parking spaces.
Positive, by elevating the park five feet, we significantly improve the view corridors towards the
water, makes it a more valuable park. Negative, it cost a lot. We costed [sic] it out. It's another
$7 million. If we should have additional sources of funding, I think it's a great potential use fbr
it. We've often been asked, Well, what do you need that space to the east of the stadium for? And
here is where a picture is worth a thousand words. On the left you see a flyer from the Miami
triathlon. Triathlons are held now at the stadium. We know all three promoters. This is really a
world -class triathlon location. They need that space to the east of the stadium for registration,
for sponsor temps, for 2,500 bicycles, for 2,500 people going into the water. At the bottom of the
screen is where they enter and exit. You can't do it with less space than that. And in the same
way, as we've talked to festival operators, they need that space. For marine -type boating races
of all kinds, they need access to the water and possibly temporary stands. When there are
concerts there, that space turns as parking, and when it's not being used, it's a Frisbee field.
Notice the date on that flyer: March of 2009. We had our second meeting in January of 2009 at
the Miami Rowing Club. Commissioner, I think you were there, as was the Mayor. It was an
event entitled The Future ofMiami Marine Stadium. We had 15 promoters and event
organizations there. We've been working with those people fbr four years. There is now a list of
40 potential users. This whole park has really been developed with users in mind. The second
element is something we call the Maritime Center, and it occupies the space just to the west of
the Marine Stadium, and it's in the master plan. Two qualifiers: Before we pursue the Maritime
Center, we really need to make some progress on funding the Marine Stadium itself because
unless that happens, the Maritime Center really can't he taken seriously. Second, we'd like to
pursue an open process with the City of Miami, some kind bikini RFP (Requestfbr Proposals),
to get the best proposals. We've developed a very, very good working relationship with staff.
And by working together, we think we can really add value. There are three things that this
Maritime Center needs to accomplish. First, it needs to generate income to help support the
stadium operations because we don't have a government safety net, unlike some other cultural
facilities, and I'll get into specifics later. It's very important that whatever is there is acceptable
and appropriate for the area. We work with a lot of environmental groups who were very
concerned about it. We are too. And when we talk about the stadium, we really have to mention
the Village of Key Biscayne. I think the common perception has been that Key Biscayne is not
positive towards the opening of the stadium. That's actually wrong. We've given five
presentations to the Village of Key Biscayne, including one to the Village Council. We have good
relationships with the Mayor and the City Manager. We've gotten great press from the Key
Biscayne islanders. Key Biscayners are very, very happy to see the restoration of the stadium
with two qualifiers. It cannot be commercially overdeveloped and we have to show that we can
mitigate any traffic concerns, and I think we can do that as well. I think the best future,
commercially, for the stadium are maritime uses, and even though we're not doing a whole lot on
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that right now, we're putting the word out. There is a big article corning out on the Marine
Stadium in Southern Boating magazine in April. I'm addressing the Marine industry trade
council for the second time in two weeks. The second function that the Maritime Center has to
provide -- and we know this from working with the Heat Group -- is that it has to provide some
services far the Marine Stadium itself specifically, one level of covered parking, which needs to
be located adjacent to the stadium, and also some event space. And the third thing it has to do --
and this really goes back to the master plan. We want this space to be an activity generator for
Marine Stadium Park. You know when you go to a stadium and there's not an event there and it
looks bombed out and nothing is happening? It's not what we want. To fill this debt -- the
destiny of this place, we need to have activities all the time, and it would be great if we could
then keep the stadium open as a park so, for example, we're working very closely with the
bicycling community 'cause there are a lot of cyders there. We're working with Collin Worth of
the City of Miami. We're talking with the Pedestrian Bicycle Committee of the Metropolitan
Planning Organization. At the very least, we ought to have a coffee shop there to replace La
Carreta. We can cut -- do a cut -through trail from the mountain hiking area so that hikers can
access this area without going on Rickenbacker Causeway; certainly a Deco Bike stand. If
there's more we can do, the better. One of the things that the master plan noticed was a maritime
museum. Well, we're serious about that. For the last year, we've been working with a group
called the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton, New York. They're one of the largest maritime
museums in the United States, and they have a very unusual problem. They have a nine -building
campus on the St. Lawrence River up in Clayton. They have a national fundraising operation,
but they're coaxed out in what they can really accomplish there so they're looking fir other
opportunities. And believe me, if you're up in Clayton, New York; Miami in March sounds pretty
good. So in fact, the executive director is corning down in a week and a half. We've talked about
the concept of a satellite museum, 8 to 10,000 square feet. They know that we're not going to pay
for it. But they're not just interested in static boating displays; they do recreational programs.
So we want to introduce them to Miami Rowing Club. Mayhe we can develop a partnership and
help the MRC (Miami Riverside Center) grow that campus. They also do high school
educational programs, and well introduce them to MAST (Maritime and Science Technology)
Academy. We've spoken there in the last month. There's great enthusiasm for those types of
programs. We had 25 teachers at the stadium two weeks ago developing some new programs.
Another group is Ama Kids, which is a program for troubled youth on Virginia Key. We could
work things there. To me, the fun of this thing is we get this thing in place and we can see how
this can really work to go through and satisfy the vision of Marine Stadium, which is to provide a
real vibrant place. Well, let's get to some numbers now, and this is some costs on the stadium
itself. This one page of costing, by the way, represents about four months and half an inch thick
of work. Hilario and George basically first sat down with the Heat Group asking them what do
you need -- what does somebody need in a modern stadium to make it work? What's the ticketing
like? What's the concession areas like? What's the hack of the house like? Over a serious of
months, Hilario, the Heat Group -- and you met with a number of people -- came up with a
serious of specs, which were then sent to Skanska and costed out. People have said to us well,
you get another hid. The important thing to note here is this is an estimate, not a hid. Because
the way Skanska will operate is they will hid all of this work out to subcontractors in a public
process and the bids can he opened up publicly. But this gives us a ballpark for what the cost is
of the stadium and the park to the east, which is approximately $30 million. Estimated
construction period is about 19 months. This is a map of how much money we need and where
does it come from. And I have to apologize; the fellow who did the graphics is a little bit
younger so he can read this, but maybe I can't. But let me just tell you the highlights. Our goal
is to raise about $37 million; $30 million for the stadium itself; $7 million for an endowment that
I will explore later. We actually have about $10 million so far; 4 to 5 million in historic tax
credits; $3 million from the County historic preservation bond fund. By the way, the City owes
the County a report on the financial and operating characteristics of the stadium. that was due of
October 2011. It is now March of 2013. As soon as the Commission and MSEA approves the
land, we can provide that report. So there's $3 million there, and also $2 million from a donor
that we cannot name yet from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. That pulls us up to
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$10 million. Twenty-seven million dollars is a lot of money to raise quickly, and I'll just tell you
what our strategy is going to be. We're aiming right now for a big naming rights sponsor
because, frankly, we're not going to pull this off with a hunch of $100, 000 donations over the
next 18 months. So here's what we're doing. First of all, we've had some tantalizing expressions
of interests from some folks. We haven't pursued them yet because we want to get our ducks in a
row. We've gotten some advice from specialists in naming rights and they've advised us to do
really a series of very sexy, high sect, 3D renderings, and we're doing those now. They'll be done
in six -- in about six weeks. We've got some good momentum building. We have our first cover
story in a national magazine coming out in two to three weeks. We had a capital campaign study
that some of you have participated in, which shows some very positive results. We are the feature
exhibit, the Marine Stadium is, at the Coral Gables museum in the fall, which ought to be a
fundraising time for us, and that came about in a typical way that this project happens. We met
with the executive director of that museum last September -- I'm sorry, last spring and we
suggested a satellite exhibit. By the third meeting, the director said no, you're not the satellite
exhibit; you're the main exhihit. You're the main exhibition space. You also have a satellite
exhibit as well. You're up for three months and not months [sic]. You need to provide us with a
schedule of events. And we walked out of that meeting, said, oh great, just what we need,
another project. But it's going to be very, very useful for us as it gives us a fundraising home at
a key time. I just want to say it again. Why are we doing this? The three of us -- a number of us
have really worked very hard for the last five years. Frankly, there have been personal and
financial sacrifices we've made, and we're doing it because Miami deserves a really, really great
place. And that's what we're trying to do here. Let's get to what is probably the most important
chart in this whole presentation, which are the five year pro formas. And id really like to thank
Henry Torre for suggesting this format because there's a lot of information that's arrayed here.
We developed these with the Heat Group, the operators of American Airlines Arena, and there is
a significant amount of backup to this. But let me just go through some of the highlights. You
may want to study it. We can come hack and answer questions at a subsequent meeting or this
meeting. Stadium. events is basically revenues from renting out the stadium. It's based on a very
specific set of assumptions, a different number of events, and different categories with different
cashflows to each one. In year one, basically, we're projecting 49 paying events. That
increases. Commercial sublease is our assumption of about two and a half to three dollars per
square foot firr the commercial space. Commissioner Sarnoff, as you know, the Steering
Committee really put us through our paces on that. All of the expenses below there's backup to.
We put in a number to fund Friends of Miami Marine Stadium at a moderate amount. The
concept here, if the budget for our group, which has worked on a volunteer basis for, five years,
were a car, it would not be a Lexus, it would not be a Pinto; it would be a four -door sedan,
enough horsepower to do the job but nothing fancy. Because not only does this organization
have to do a lot of work with historic tax credits, which have legal and accounting issues and
monitoring the operations of the stadium, hut we really want to help it fulfill its public purposes.
Looking below, you see a capital reserve item. This is like a reserve item in a condo fee set aside
for when the light fixtures go in year 9 or concrete needs some work in year 12, some technology
reserves and expenses. Kind of stepping back and looking over the whole thing, we're suggesting
that the stadium we know will probably lose money for a couple of years, which is why we know
we need to raise money for an endowment. We need a rainy -day fund. We do not have anything
-- a floor below us because, in a project like this, stuff happens. But a number of the other
performing arts centers in this town have turned around and they've had a learning curve and
they've gone positive and we think we will as well. The Performing Arts Center is now making a
profit. South Dade Cultural Center is doing better. The Fillmore, I don't know how they're
doing, but they've certainly found their groove with a great number of increases in events. The
Heat Group are comfortable with these projections. Doesn't mean they're guarantees, but they're
comfortable with them.. And I know one question that's come up with Administration is they look
at that number in year. five where the stadium. is generating a half million dollars a year maybe,
and say, Well, what happens to that profit? Can we have some of that? I'd suggest to you our
group is a not -for -profit organization. We're not in the business of making money. Our two
goals are sustainability and community. To answer that question, I think there are three
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qualifiers that you have to know and you can answer it. First, you have to look at the Marine
Stadium deed. As you know, the land for the stadium was deeded from the County to the City in
1963 for the expressed purposes of maintaining a marine stadium. So before revenue goes
someplace, your Legal Department should really look at it and understand it. Second, whatever
you do, we need to make sure that there are adequate reserves here, because what happens if we
establish this thing? Money starts going to the City and then, in three or four years, there is
some disaster and we don't have adequate reserves; puts us in a bad spot. Is the City liable?
Something that has to be thought through. And kind of the third issue is the difference between a
financial return and a community return. So let's say this thing does make a half million dollars.
Yes, maybe it could go into the general fund, but what you could also do is take that money,
invest a quarter- of a million dollars in free community concerts or to keep it open on a sunset
basis or to do some educational programming. That's a huge benefit too if you really want to
polish the jewel. I thank the benefit of the kind of format that we've established here is that it's all
out in the open. This is a disclosed way to how to operate. And those public policy decisions get
paid by you or MSEA. I'm not sure who. But they, get to he made very, very openly. Economic
benefits. We've done an economic impact study. It was done by the Washington Economics
Group. They're kind of the go -to group for these types of things. And it shows 384 jobs created
during construction, with $50 million economic impact benefit; and the recurring operations, 19
million a year and 216 jobs. We haven't figured in the Maritime Center because we really don't
know enough about it to make any kind of meaningful assumptions on it. I know there's a lot of
skepticism now about these economic impact studies, and there's a very easy way to figure nut
whether they're valid or not. Find out what the assumptions are 'cause, frankly, it's garbage in,
garbage out. We're very, very comfortable with the assumptions and I'd be happy to go over
these with you. Other benefits to the Maritime Center that would be fully taxable that goes to the
City, that's $290,000 we estimate, and also the annual parking surcharge. We've always
maintained to you that the Marine Stadium will have vast tourism benefits, and we're actually
about to get the first tourism dividend and the stadium isn't even opened yet. There's an
organization called Tourism Cares. They're a not -far -profit group funded by the travel industry.
And what they seek to do is to encourage historic preservation so people will have a place to
travel. The main event they do every year is a volunteer weekend where they'll have tourism
professionals from around the United States come to a certain site and clean it up or paint it.
Over the last ten years, they've done Gettysburg, Valley Forge. They're doing Plymouth
Plantation this fall. They've selected the Marine Stadium as their site for May of 2014. The
Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau was really excited. We're working on a specific
date and hotel room blocks. And what this means is we get to show off not just the Marine
Stadium but the new Miami to 500 tourism professionals. And as somebody who lives in a little
Art Deco condo on Ocean Drive, I believe that with the recreation of the Marine Stadium Park,
the access of tourism power will complete its shift to Miami. We romanced Tourism Cares for
three years, hut ultimately, it was an easy sell. All we had to do was bring them into the stadium
because all it takes is one look. And if you haven't been back there in 20 years, you're going to
be amazed. And it's what gives me hope that we can actually do this fundraising thing. Because
a reaction of this place is just so visceral, it's really remarkable. I'd really like to finish up now.
And Ijust have to tell you, Commissioner Sarnoff we're really humbled to be here. You know
what it was like when we started this thing five years ago. We didn't think we were going to be at
this place. All we were trying to do was to save a building. How it has generated into this, I still
don't quite understand. We've worked really, really, really hard. 1 can just say that we didn't
want to be the redevelopers of this. I don't -- it's -- I would -- we would have been thrilled if we
could have found somebody else to do this. People talked at the last meeting about an RFP. We
did an RFP for three years. We knocked on doors. We got press. But unfortunately, we couldn't
find anybody else to put $30 million into a sport stadium that doesn't have a sports team as a
tenant and wasn't financially successful to begin with and had heen abandoned for 20 years. So
unless we wanted to turn this thing into a monument, which we were not interested in doing, we
had to do it ourselves. I know this is kind Ufa very complicated issue, and I just hope that you
look at it with the right frame of mind rather than well, how -- what is wrong with this? How we
can figure out what is problems are? I really hope that you'll say, okay, here are my concerns.
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Let's see if we can work with this group and address them. Let's see if we can make something
and create something that's really wonderful and really make it happen. I think you know and
the City Administration knows you have a good working partner. We work hard, we're honest,
and we will always do our best. The support, for this place is remarkable. It's really what makes
us motivated. Seven editorials in the Miami Herald. We've given about 100 community
presentations. When you speak to people and you see their eyes light up, it what makes us want
to continue during the very difficult and challenging time. And I think, again, we're doing this
because Miami deserves a great, great place. Thank you very much. Happy to take questions.
Chair Sarnoff: Thank you, Don. What I'd like to do is just say -- 171 be brief-- 1 was put on this
committee by Commissioner Gort and after -- I think, Francisco, it was seven meetings. I don't
think it was six meetings. It was tough because I was tough on Hilario and I was tough on Don
Worth and I never was a rubber stamp. And I essentially took the devil's advocate position,
which is like why in the world should we do this? And the only answer I ever came up with is
that if ,you have any desire to save Marine Stadium, and you may not -- but if you have any desire
to do so, this is the group that could do this. Not going to tell you they will do it because I still
think they have a mountain to do. But when you look at what they have done, they have certainly
climbed Machu Picchu. They have climbed an enormous mountain. And you know, I think the
conversations they went through at that committee level, Commissioner Gort -- I'm going to
direct it at you because you put me on that committee. And the next time a Commissioner puts
me on a committee, I'm going to put them on a committee. But we were really tough on them.
Some of the committee is here. Some of the folks in the back were very, very hard on these guys.
And some people, candidly, don't want to see the Heat get involved. And if the Heat does get
involved, think the Heat should be putting some money up, but that's at the conversation of the
nuance. Is this the right group to do this? If ever going to get this done, if you ever have
a dream in your heart of saving Marine Stadium, this is the group. Because when you vote no
for this, you're saying I don't want Marine Stadium; perfectly valid thing to do, but you will not
have a marine stadium. And no, it shouldn't stay in the condition it's in right now. It should
either be, fixed or torn down. It shouldn't stay another 10 or 15 years in the condition that it's in.
So you know, once we studied hon' they do this -- I said this about the Coconut Grove Playhouse.
I still say this about the Coconut Grove Playhouse -- they all have shortfalls every year in
operating amounts if you want to pay what most people will pay for a ticket. So it's always easy
to conceive with the Coconut Grove Playhouse, and I always like to direct my attention towards
that. If you want to pay a 60 ticket to go see a play, remember, $90 of that ticket is going to be
paid from someplace else. Same thing with these guys: If they're going to put a ticket that's 60 or
65 bucks, about 50 to $60 of that ticket is going to come from some other revenue source because
that's just the nature of these type of facilities. So the revenue sources that they're creating are
what they categorize as the property of the west and the property of the east and those properties
will throw off revenue. What type of revenues? What will that revenue he? It's almost
conclusory-oriented 'cause they know they need about 2 to 3 to $400, 000 a year, by the way, the
exact same numbers that Coconut Grove Playhouse needs, not what Michael Springs said in the
newspaper today of $100, 000. It's only failed six times in a row. Let's not let these guys fail. If
this is the amount of revenue they need, then they need district line of land, so they need to have
boundaries to the east and they need to have boundaries to the west. That's about as far as the
committee went, was establishing what the boundaries would he. Then I think it has to go hack
to MSEA and they have to enter into some sort of a contract firr a lease because they need some
sort of -- what I think lawyers call an estate, that they can then go back to their fundraisers and
say this is what we have and these are the terms and conditions that we have it. I think all we're
doing today is discussing the drip line and maybe I'm not being fair by the word drip line. What
are the boundaries that they need to the east? What are the boundaries that they need to the
west? And you vote this down or you vote this up. And we're not voting today. But if you -- if
you're decidedly against it, then let's put forth your vision for what that property should be
because, eventually, it's going to be bulldozed. There's no other passionate people in the City of
Miami that can do what this group has done. There is no one -- I once got to depose Hilario, the
designer of the C-130, and he was an older man. And there had been a plane crash. And it was
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kind of fun to depose him because he was an engineer, like yourself and he could find nothing
wrong with this plane, so I called that the Grandfather Syndrome. And I know -- I know you
have a deep passion and love fin- Marine Stadium and it's not hard to figure out why you have it,
and it is infectious. You have infected me with the love for Marine Stadium. And you suffer from
grandfather syndrome, but you also know how to pass it an as well. You love the stadium. And
wejust simply have to make a decision. We need to either decide if we're going to -- this is what
I usually say to people. What do you intend on doing with the stadium for the next three years?
If you're -- if you have no intentions of doing anything, let these guys make their try. Let them
see what they can do for next three years. So I've said enough. Anyone else?
Tice Chair Gort: Well, I remember when we used to have activities in the stadium and lot of
historical site stuff, activities took place in there. We had the boat races and we had a lot of the
community services that took place that area and it was very well-known. I think -- as an
architecture [sic], I congratulate you as a young architect to come up with those ideas and
beautiful design. I agree with you. I think it's been there for twenty -some years and nothing has
been done and nobody has come up with a plan. At least you have someone that's willing to
work it and they're doing itfor the pride of maintaining the place. You always said it, and I
agree with you, to have a museum, you need some additional funds to maintain it. And I think
they'll agree to it. I think they will agree that in the future, if it's X'hmount of funds that comes
out of it, then it can be split with the City and so on, whatever we -- the Commission decide to do.
But think we should allow them to go ahead and go. I mean, we've heen at this fin- a long time
now. We make the decision. I'm all in favor of it.
Commissioner Suarez: Mr. Chair.
Chair Sarnof f: Commissioner Suarez.
Commissioner Suarez: Thank you. When we approved the MOU -- l guess at the MSEA level
and then ratified it here at the Commission level -- it was somewhat of a contentious, you know,
discussion and I think it was a 3-2 vote, if Pm not mistaken actually. And so, you know, I think --
as I was listening to Hilario and Don make their presentation, there was a couple of words that
stuck out in my mind, you know, their passion, their hard work, the great ideas that they have,
that this is a worthy cause, and that it's a great group. The Steering Committee is composed of
great people, some of which are here and some of which are not here. And I've monitored a little
bit the composition of the group and it seems to have enriched itself and gotten more and more,
you know, members of this community that are very, very reputable people with impeccable
reputations and with a lot of credibility, to be frank. I think the -- my understanding of what this
report was supposed to be was precisely what the Chairman said, which was to define the drip
line as to what are the areas that were going to he needed to support the operation of the
stadium. 1 don't think that there's any doubt that they've put an extensive amount of research and
thought into what exactly would encompass that. I think shortly after they -- we had that vote,
they came to see me, and I said, Hilario, Don, there's a -- kind of an elephant in the room that
we're not talking about, which is transferring of title, and that was, you know, something that I
think people were very resistant to at the moment or at the time. And so I don't know, you know,
that there's been -- I don't know how much thought has been given to the charter provisions that
impact how you can transfer the title or not transfer the title of the property. One of the things
that I want to offer as a suggestion, as the Chairman stated -- because I think you're absolutely
right, there's no point in just being obstructionist if there's nothing better to propose or -- you
know, and it does kind of -- I am influenced a lot by Commissioner Carollo's management or
chairmanship of the Bayfront Park Management Trust. And one of the things that I've
considered in our office is kind of looked at peripherally -- you know, it's something that I'd he
willing to look at in more detail with a group if it's -- if they're interested -- is the possibility of
putting it into a trust instead of transferring the title of the property, and the trust would operate
and function similar to the Bayfront Park Management Trust so that the City would still retain a
lot of the control that would naturally come with -- as it does with Bayfront Park Management
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Trust; we control the budget and a variety of things. I think one of the fears is that if we seek
control in terms of title aside from the charter implications of that, is that let's say they borrow
money and they are not able to pay the money hack. Then that property will go into default and
could potentially be sold atforeclosure to a third -party bidder and the City would lose complete
control of the property forever and then there could be a demolition or whatever because -- to the
extent that there are declarations in covenants on the title, they may be abolished by a
foreclosure of sale. So, you know, it's something that -- you know, and I didn't have a chance to
really share this vision with Hilario when he came to talk to me. We were more focused on the
dynamics hi his presentation, and I know that this was going to he a discussion item. And I'm not
on the Steering Committee so 1 don't get a chance to give input. These are really the only
opportunities that we have. But it's something that we were exploring post our meeting. And if
it's something that you want to continue to explore and you want to look at, I'd be more than
willing to take the time to go through, you know, why I think it's a meritorious suggestion and
why it might allay some of the concerns that people were expressing when we first -- you know,
when we first discussed this item. Cause I think there's no doubt that what the Chairman said is
absolutely correct, that there is no other group of people that are more committed to the idea of
preserving the Marine Stadium and that are more able to come up and fashion a working plan
because your heart and your soul is in it. And having said that, I think there's still
Commissioners that, at the time, had expressed some serious reservations about transferring the
property and losing control of that property. So I think maybe establishing a trust may he a
middle ground and something that you may want to explore. I know that's -- we haven't really
talked too much about it today here. It was kind of mentioned very much in passing that you
guys were going to come back to the Commission at some point seeking something hut, you
know, that may he something that you might want to explore. And if you do, I make myself
available to you. You know, and if you want a sunshine meeting or anything like that to discuss
it in greater detail, I'd be more than happy to do that. And then, of course, you know, I think this
is a little hit of a distinguishable situation. I thought about it a lot since we had the Gusman
discussion. And 1 think in the Gusman's case, you actually have it harder than the Gusman
because in the Gusman's case, it operates. So the money that has been raised so far has been
used to operate it and keep it open without subsidy from the City. The Gusman also needs a
huge infrastructure investment. I think it's $20 million or something the last time that we
discussed it. So you guys have an even harder case because you can't keep it operating. If you
raise money, there's really nothing you can do with it. So I thought the idea between -- of the
MOU was to give you a couple of years to really get commitments, financial commitments before
-- so you wouldn't he bottled in to having to deal with that transfer- of title issue right away. And
that's -- I think you guys did your work and did your job and I commend you both for the
specificity with which and the work that you put into putting this plan together because it's a very
comprehensive plan. So please count on me to he a constructive member. I voted to support,
you know, giving you an opportunity to run with this. And think you have -- in my opinion,
you've done my vote justice by putting in the kind of effort and energy that you've put into this
and the kind of presentation that you've put forth here today. So thank you.
Chair Sarnoff: Commissioner Carollo. It's not a public -- how many people from the public
want to say something? One, two -- I could afford five people if ,you wanted to say something.
But let Commissioner Carollo go and then I'll let you speak and I'm going to give you two
minutes.
Commissioner Carollo: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This is the first time I've seen the
presentation, so you know, I reserve the right to, you know, review it a little hit more, analyze it,
and maybe meet with them in the near future. I really do believe that Don Worth is doing this,
you know, because he really wants to see this preserved. So with that said, I really want to he
able to look at the presentation and analyze it, see some of the numbers. You mentioned that you
will go in the future or later on with regards to the type of events. I'm seeing the -- you blow, the
first year you said 1.5 million out of revenues from events. What, you know -- and I'm going to
ask what type of events, how do you know -- you know, and -- you know, a series of questions like
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that. Okay. Thank you.
Chair Sarnoff: All right. So if anybody wants to come up to the public hearing to speak, I'm
going to give you two minutes, but come up right now. Don't fight. Get up there, Judy.
Judith Sandoval: Judith Sandoval, 2536 Southwest 25th Terrace. I recognize the work of the
committee and of Mr. Candela. It's a great piece of architecture worthy of all the status and
praise it has received. But I think it would he fiscally irresponsible of ,you Commissioners and
this City to go for another hig project like this. First of all, to make it viable, they've got to turn
the place into Disneyland, this, and have events all the time. Look what you've done with
Bicentennial Park. You've got two museums. You used MSEA to get out of having a public
referendum, which should be -- we should have on this land as well because it is subject to the
Carollo ordinance, the Carollo law which requires this for the use, and there are a lot of
activities, safe plan to raise money which are not waterfront related. Now, the other thing is I
event along with preserving the stadium and I still do and it would be very nice if fwe could just
have these lovely counters we had when 1 first came to Miami and you're to go by boat and see
them. I think they should raise the money to stabilize the stadium and then see what's happening
and do something about the rising sea level, the plant -- the sewage plant on Key Biscayne.
There's been a lot about this in the paper recently. Because by the time the public -- because it
will eventually fall on the taxes that are required from the public -- our grandchildren will be
paying for this, and by that time, the place will he under water anyway. This City should he
building seawalls and water treatment plants and taking care of the problems we're going to
have, which are inevitable.
Chair Sarnoff: And in conclusion.
Ms. Sandoval: In conclusion, do not just say go ahead, raise the money, go with MSEA; make
them come up with this money.
Chair Sarnoff: Thank you.
Ms. Sandoval: The Heat or whomever first.
Chair Sarnoff: Thank you.
Ms. Sandoval: That's it.
Chair Sarnof f: Thank you.
Ms. Sandoval: Thank you.
Chair Sarnoff.' You're recognized for the record.
Dolly Maclntyre: I'm Dolly Maclntyre, 409 Vizcaya Avenue, in Coral Gables. Fortunately, the
Marine Stadium will probably have a floating stage. I recognize Jud'y'.s concern and I -- we all
share it, 1 think. But to hang up the Marine Stadium for this is not viable. We have a record here
in Miami of making it ever so hard to do the right thing. Let's not make this any harder. The
people who had been working on this have put untold effort into it. You could not ask for a more
reputable or credible or people of integrity than you have in this group that has put so much into
it pro Bono, so let's get behind it. Let's get the thing done. I want to -- before I die, I want to go
hack and see a concert from a hoat at the stadium like I did when I was young and thin. So let's
get this thing going, do what we can. And in perspective, say we need $40 million. You know,
that's 10 percent of that Marlin thing, 10 percent of the PAC (Per forming Arts Center). Let's
keep things in perspective. Thank you.
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Chair Sarnoff: Thank you. Anyone else? You're recognized for the record.
Lawrence Terry: Monk Terry, 296 Tigertail Avenue. I appreciate what Judy said, but I had to
get up. I've been at the Marine Stadium, for 33 years, since 1 first arrived in Miami. And we let
Fort Lauderdale take the marine business away from us. This is a chance not only to bring
people from the other side of the river, but it's a chance to bring people hack to Miami and onto
the waterfront, which is what this place is all about. And I think this is a great opportunity to do
that. So that's all I had to say.
Chair Sarnoff: Thanks, Monk. All right, so we have to give some sort of direction. I'm going to
give -- maybe somebody will support what I'm growing to say. I -- and we don't have to take a
vote. But my direction would be to come back with some sort of an estate, some sort of a lease
hold, whatever it is -- I don't think you have to give a fee simple absolute title, but come back
with some preacher that affords them the opportunity to And raise some period of time to do it
within and the boundaries that they described here to come hack to this Commission -- to this
Commission who -- 1 imagine, then it goes back to MSEA, is how it would go?
Alice Bravo (Assistant City Manager/Chief oflnfrastructure): Correct.
Chair Sarnoff: I don't know if anybody joins me in that thought.
Vice Chair Gort: Well, how long is that going to take?
Ms. Bravo: I think we could have that by the end of April or late April.
Commissioner Carollo: And when you say it goes hack -- then it goes hack to MSEA, what do
you mean? What -- there's an assumption there.
Chair Sarnoff • Because we would, correct me if I'm wrong, provide the interest to MSEA and
MSEA -- go ahead.
Julie O. Bru (City Attorney): I think what have heard in the past is is that the intent would be
for yourAuthority, Miami Sports and Exhibition Authority, which has heen enabled by state law
and then subsequently City law, to hold property, lease property, develop property for specific
purposes, including the development of conventions and tourism and facilities, sports facilities,
for that agency to be the leading agency in this endeavor. So if the City makes a policy decision
that this asset should he developed for the purposes that MSEA has been constituted for, then
MSEA would be the agency really that would take the lead role and we, as counsel to MSEA, and
the Administration as staff to MSEA, can work with MSEA in developing an agreement that we
can make sure it doesn't have any of the problems that Commissioner Suarez has identified about
giving up the whole fee simple interest where the City has reversionary rights, where the City
would not be at risk for foreclosure, and that would work for them in order to assist them in their
fundraising and their development activities.
Chair Sarnoff: So what comes hack to us then as Commission?
Ms. Bru: Well, this is -- this would he a tri-party kind of endeavor. There has to he a significant
presence from MSEA, who would he really the developer. It would he some sort of ground lease
to MSEA and then MSEA could enter into some kind of development and sublease agreement
with this entity.
Commissioner Carollo: Mr. Chairman.
Chair Sarnoff: You're recognized.
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Commissioner Carollo: Madam City Attorney, why MSEA? Why can't it just be this Commission
and the City?
Ms. Bru: Well, 1 think the City of Miami is authorized under all our different charter and code
provisions to allow MSEA to develop City assets. The City is constrained from dealing directly
with a developer because of different charter provisions which do not apply to MSEA.
Commissioner Suarez: Mr. Chairman.
Commissioner Carollo: Okay, could you elaborate on that? Because it seems that we have a
middle person, which is MSEA, or middle entity. Why MSEA? Can you elaborate then? What
charter provisions?
Ms. Bru: Okay. If the City were not to use this agency that is authorized to develop properties
for that purpose, the City would then have to go through certain competitive bidding
requirements that would not allow the City to do business directly with a firm that just makes a
proposal. We would have to go through certain competitive bidding, you know, requirements. In
this case, you have a unique situation with a unique asset with a unique group of individuals who
have been working towards the development of the asset, and you do have an entity within the
City, a separate governmental entity that is authorized to go forward directly with a development
agreement with the entity, and the City can decide that it wants to lease that -- ground lease it to
this agency that -- it's a valid way to do it. It's just a policy decision as to whether or not you
avant to develop the asset in that fashion.
Commissioner Carollo: If we do not go through MSEA, does this have to go through a
referendum?
Ms. Bru: 1t would depend on what would be going on. It is waterfront property. 1 suspect that
they would want to develop it fir more than five years, you know, they would want to have a
leasehold interest for more than five years, so more likely than not, it probably would. I mean,
there's other things that are in place. If were to use bond monies -- if the City were to use
some of our bond money that we have available to help in the development of the property, then
it wouldn't have to go through the referendum if the lease is more than five years. So there's
many ways to look at this. So really, 1 mean, once we are told exactly what the policy decision is,
we can work within the framework of our legal requirements.
Commissioner Carollo: Right.
Mr. Worth: Excuse me. Julie, there is also Chapter 29d. But just want to say we thank you
very much and we're problem solvers. We lookforward to working with each of you to address
the issues you've raised.
Commissioner Carollo: And I guess that's what this time period is for. From here to the next
Commission meeting or whenever it will come back, you know, that's what this time period is for,
so we could discuss it, I could have all my questions answered, and we could see all possibilities.
But, you know, right away there's an assumption that well, it would then have to go back to
MSEA. And I said, well, are we assuming that there's going to he already a position by the
Commission that it will go back to MSEA? Because unless I'm hearing, you know, incorrect --
Vice Chair Gort: Yeah.
Commissioner Carollo: -- there's lots of other ways that, you know, it can be done, according to
the City Attorney. And listen, I'm not here to get into details right now. All I'm asking is, you
know, questions because to he honest with you, I think the next two weeks, you know, we have to,
you know, just iron it out and get all our questions answered.
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Commissioner Suarez: Mr. Chair.
Commissioner Carollo: That's it.
Chair Sarnoff.' You're recognized, Commissioner Suarez.
Commissioner Suarez: Thank you Mr. Chair. I think -- look, I think -- let's take a deep breath
and take a step hack. I think they did what they were tasked to do, which was to develop the
parameters, the drip line as the Chairman stated, and the operational plan, which consists of a
fundraising plan, plus how you're growing to keep it open, and I think those were the things that
we were concerned about. We have given them -- and we had already given then two years to
come up with the actual fundraising itself, and we had giving them some sort of empowerment by
virtue of the MOU. So that I think the question is -- I think the next step is to deal with the
elephant in the room, which is what we talked about the day after. We got to deal with how we're
going to -- if you're saying that what we've already given you is not enough, in other words, the
MOU is not enough far you to go out to the -- because that's what it seems like is being said but
not really being said. What we've given you is not enough for you to go out to the community
and raise the funds that you need to raise because in the six months, let's face it, you haven't
raised $40 million, which I don't think anybody really expected you to do. If what you're saying
is you need something more than what you already have -- because you already have still
another, what, a year left on the MOU or -- 1 mean, you have some apparent relationship with
the City and MSEA because MSEA was, you know, talked about in terms of the possibility of
them being involved in this process. I think you can take some time now to deal with the
elephant in the room. I don't think you need to rush it. I don't think you need to bring it back in
two weeks. I don't think you need to sit on your hands either. I don't think you're the kind of
group that sits on your hands, so let's he honest. So I think we've flushed out some possible
ideas. And I think you should take our input, what we've given you -- I think, you know, there are
other members of the Commission that want to take a look at this a little more specifically -- and
come up with maybe some options for the Commission to explore in terms of disposition.
Commissioner Carollo: Mr. Chairman.
Chair Sarnoff: You're recognized.
Commissioner Carollo: And let me quickly say that, by no means, me asking questions does it
mean that I don't appreciate the work that you all have done 'cause I truly do. But the bottom
line is, I also need to justify my votes and that's why, prior to nie taking a vote, I want to make
sure that, you know, all of my answers are -- all my questions are answered and we don't, you
know, rush this as we've done with other, you know, projects. So I'm giving a heads up that,
yeah, I still, you know, have a lot of questions that need answer. But that, by no means --
Vice Chair Gort: Mr. Chair.
Commissioner Carollo: -- doesn't mean that I do not appreciate the work that you've done.
Thank you.
Chair Sarnoff. Commissioner Gort.
Vice Chair Gort: I think the main goal is how you're going to structure to make the
Commissioners at ease. At the same time, the people that going to donate millions of dollars,
they want to make sure that it's used -- that the million dollars that they donate is going to be
used for that use and not taken by the City Commissioners or the City Administration or anything
like that. I think there's many examples that we have. We have DDA (Downtown Development
Authority). We have Off=Street Parking. We have the Trust. There's many -- I think their job is
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PZ.1
11-00714sc
come up with an idea, how are we going to be organize it so they can maintain itself and we can
both be satisfied. Legal Department's got to come up with that.
Chair Sarnoff: But to be honest with you, in words of most judges, to leave no date, no time fixed
to come back to this Commission is tantamount --
Vice Chair Gort: Yeah.
Chair Sarnoff -- to letting this die and I'm not prepared to let this die on its own. I just want --
in the words of Barack Obama, bring it through a vote. If you want to vote, for it, fine. If you
want to vote against it, fine. But they deserve a vote. And I want to bring this back in 30 days.
Thirty days is enough for any Commissioner to readjust, reconfigure his schedule, her schedule,
to sit down for an hour, meet with these guys, meet with this City Attorney; if not this way, then
that way; if not that way, then this way; and you can say in 30 days I'm still not satisfied or am
satisfied. But the one thing in politics I do know: don't give it a time, don't give it a date, and
essentially, what I've done, Hilario, is call you a vampire and I've just stuck a wooden stake
through your heart. So I'm going to asking this to come back in 30 days. However- way --
whatever shape or form you wish to bring it back, whatever kind of agreement you have, if you
find some charter provision we never heard of before, call the Julie Bru exception, the double
secret section, fine, so he it, but let's bring it up here and we will bring it for a vote. And maybe
we'll Hawke it that vote. Maybe we'll refine it one more time. But to leave it without a date is to
kill it.
Vice Chair Gort: Right. Is that a motion or instruction?
Chair Sarnof f: I think it's -- I think that's an instruction.
Vice Chair Gort: Okay.
Chair Sarnoff: Is that clear enough for you? Okay.
Vice Chair Gort: Okay.
Chair Sarnoff: Thank you all very much for coming.
Commissioner Suarez: Thank you. Good job.
END OF DISCUSSION ITEMS
PART B: PLANNING AND ZONING ITEMS
RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
ATTACHMENT(S), CLOSING, VACATING, ABANDONING AND
DISCONTINUING FOR PUBLIC USE (THAT PORTION OF) CURTIS LANE
EAST OF ROGERS ROAD AND EASEMENTS LOCATED ALONG THE
NORTH AND SOUTH SIDES OF CURTIS LANE, EAST OF ROGERS ROAD,
MIAMI, FLORIDA.
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11-00714sc CC 03-14-13 Fact Sheet.pdf
11-00714sc Department Analyses & Maps.pdf
11-00714sc School Brd Concurrency & PZAB Resos.pdf
11-00714sc Application & Supporting Documentation.pdf
11-00714sc-Submittal-Ben Fernandez.pdf
11-00714sc-Fully-Executed Legislation (Version 2).pdf
11-00714sc-Exhibit-SUB.pdf
LOCATION: Approximately Curtis Lane East of Rogers Road and along the
North and South sides of Curtis Lane, East of Rogers Road [Commissioner
Marc David Sarnoff - District 2]
APPLICANT(S): Ben Fernandez, Esquire, on behalf of Stephen Bittel, as
Trustee of the Acme Real Estate Trust
FINDING(S):
PLANNING AND ZONING DEPARTMENT: Recommends approval.
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT: Recommends approval.
PLAT AND STREET COMMITTEE: Recommends approval on July 7, 2011 by
a vote of 7-0.
PLANNING, ZONING AND APPEALS BOARD: Recommends denial, which
failed, to City Commission on April 18, 2012 by a vote of 3-5. Recommends
approval as a second motion to City Commission on April 18, 2012 by a vote of
5-3.
PURPOSE: This will close and vacate Curtis Lane, East of Rodgers Road and
two North/South easements.
Motion by Chair Sarnoff, seconded by Commissioner Spence -Jones, that this matter be
ADOPTED WITH MODIFICATIONS PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 5 - Commissioner(s) Gott, Sarnoff, Carollo, Suarez and Spence -Jones
R-13-0092
Chair Sarnoff • I'd like to call up PZ.1. Do I have to open up a PZ (Planting & Zoning) meeting,
Mr. Clerk? No, okay. PZ.1 folks here? Going once, going twice, PZ.1 is now done.
Maria J. Chiaro (Deputy City Attorney): The Clerk will swear anyone who wishes to testify.
This is or may he considered a quasi-judicial hearing. We don't need to read the rest of the
procedure.
Chair Sarnoff: The Clerk (UNINTELLIGIBLE) swear at the witnesses, you said?
Maria J. Chiaro (Deputy City Attorney: Fes.
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. 1f anyone is wishing to
speak on item PZ.1, may I please have you stand and raise your right hand?
The City Clerk administered oath required under City Code Section 62-1 to those persons giving
testimony on zoning issues.
Mr. Hannon: Thank you.
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Chair Sarnoff: PZ.1, Mr. Director.
Francisco Garcia: Yes, sir. Francisco Garcia, Planning & Zoning director. Item PZ.1 is a
resolution before you seeking to close and vacate a portion of Curtis Lane in Coconut Grove.
This item was heard by the Plat & Street Committee, and it was approved unanimously by a vote
of 7-0; and subsequently, heard by the Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board, and approved by a
vote of 5-3. Our recommendation is for approval. And when I say our recommendation, that's
the Planning & Zoning Department, as well as the Public Works Department, are recommending
approval. We find that it complies with all the technical merits. I would like to note that the item
has undergone some revisions as a result of the discussions that have been had in the area. And
the documents that you have as backup materials in your respective folders have been since
revised. We -- both the Public Works director and myself -- have looked at the revised version,
and we find that it complies with the applicable requirements and is actually an improvement
over the previous version. For that reason, we would recommend favorably for the proposal that
you are about to see in a moment.
Chair Sarnoff • So is this as modified?
Mr. Garcia: As modified, please. Thank you.
Chair Sarnoff: You want to put anything on the record?
Ben Fernandez: Thank you. Yes, Mr. Chair, members of the Commission. Thank you very much
for allowing us the number of deferrals that we're required in order to reach a settlement with the
neighbors. We want to thank you for that. I'm here this evening with my partner, Jeffrey Bercow,
representing Nathan and Elizabeth Leight, as well as the technical owner of the property, which
is a trust. With us also is Mr. JackLuft, the Planning director for the City of Miami. I'll he very
brief in my statements. I've submitted for the record a revised legal description, which represents
a truncated version of the alley -- of the street, rather, that was originally proposed to be closed,
which is a segment of Curtis Lane, as the director indicated. The revision creates an 11,439
square foot area to be closed, rather than the 13,025 square foot area to be closed, which was
the original application. This plat is in the Entrada Bay subdivision. It is surrounded -- the
street to he closed is entirely surrounded by property that is owned by the Leights, and therefore,
the reversion, we believe, is appropriate. We would ask that you find that this closure complies
with Section 55-15(c) of your City Code, which is the provision that requires that you find that
the closure would be, number one, in the public interest and would generate a public benefit;
that, number two, the closures in the -- that the general public is no longer using the right-of:way
or easement, including public service vehicles, such as trash, garbage trucks, police, fire, and
other emergency vehicles. Number three, that there would he no adverse affect on the ability to
provide police, fire, or emergency services. And number. four, that the vacation and the closure
of the right-of-way or easement would have a beneficial effect on pedestrian and vehicular
circulation in the area. We think that this closure complies with those requirements, number one.
The Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board concurred and recommended approval. Your Plat &
Street Committee has recommended approval, and your Planning Department also recommends
approval. The closure would eliminate 195 feet of mad to nowhere. That will improve
neighborhood security. That addresses the first element of the test. Number two, it resolves a
dead-end situation that's difficult to monitor and potentially confusingfor motorists. It'll
generate additional tax revenues by putting the property back on the tax rolls. It will eliminate
the Citv's potential liability for accidents in the street, and it will increase overall green space.
With respect to the second test, which is whether the public is using the cul-de-sac in question,
the public is not using the cul-de-sac for the vehicular or pedestrian right -of way purposes for
which it was dedicated because this segment of the street does not provide a connection to any
other location other than the Leights' residence. Number three, is there an adverse affect on
police, fire, or emergency vehicles? We have the Plat & Street recommendation, which confirms
that the fire department and the police department have reviewed this proposed closure and they
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find that there's no negative impact on their ability to provide service to this neighborhood.
Number four, would there be a beneficial effect on pedestrian and vehicular circulation in the
area? We believe that there would he, first and foremost, because the total number of lots is
being reduced by virtue of this plat. There were three lots that are now being converted to two
lots. That means, fewer homes will be developed. Particularly, if you look at this with respect to
the potential number of lots that could be developed on this property, it's up to five, pursuant to
your Miami 21 regulations. So the potential neighborhood impacts are reduced, as well as the
actual neighborhood impacts. And it will also, finally, remove a blind spot from this
neighborhood. When you look down Curtis Lane right now, the cul-de-sac creates a hlind spot
that is difficult to monitor and difficult to provide security for. So with those elements of your
test being addressed, I would ask that you support our application and vote consistently with the
Planning and Zoning Appeals Board recommendation of approval.
Chair Sarnof f: I'm going to make a motion, Mr. Chairman, if. you don't mind.
Vice Chair Gort: Yes. Wait a minute. This is --
Chair Sarnoff.' I'm going to make a --
Vice Chair Gort: -- a public hearing. Do you want to make the motion before the public
hearing?
Chair Sarnoff. Please, sir. 1 want to make a motion that this is compatible with the
neighborhood, encompassing the findings as stated by the applicant as part of my motion and
findings. So moved.
Vice Chair Gort: Okay, it's moved. Is there a second?
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Second.
Vice Chair Gort: It's moved and second. Further discussion? Is anyone in the public would like
to address this issue? Seeing none, being none, all in favor, state it by saying aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): As amended.
Vice Chair Gort: As amended.
Mr. Fernandez: Thank you.
Chair Sarnoff.' Thank you, Mr. Chair.
END OF PLANNING AND ZONING ITEMS
MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS' ITEMS
CITYWIDE
HONORABLE MAYOR TOMAS REGALADO
END OF CITYWIDE ITEMS
DISTRICT 1
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D1.1
13-00313
D1.2
13-00317
D2.1
13-00225
D2.2
12-01391
D2.3
12-01397
VICE CHAIR WIFREDO (WILLY) GORT
DISCUSSION ITEM
DISCUSSION ON TRIATHLONS.
13-00313 Email - Save Our Triathlons.pdf
DEFERRED
Note for the Record: Item D1.1 was deferred to the March 28, 2013 Commission Meeting.
DISCUSSION ITEM
DISCUSSION: FIND GRANT FOR WAGNER CREEK.
13-00317 Email - FIND Grant for Wagner Creek.pdf
DEFERRED
Note fbr the Record: Item D 1.2 was deferred to the March 28, 2013 Commission Meeting.
END OF DISTRICT 1
DISTRICT 2
CHAIR MARC DAVID SARNOFF
DISCUSSION ITEM
STATUS OF HIRING POLICE OFFICERS.
13-00225 Status - Hiring Police Officers.pdf
13-00225-Submittal-Memo-MPD Staffing Levels 03-12-13.pdf
13-00225-Submittal-Commissioner Sarnoff.pdf
NO ACTION TAKEN
DISCUSSION ITEM
DISCUSSION ON DEMOLITIONS PERFORMED WITHOUT PERMITS
AND/OR CERTIFICATES OF APPROPRIATENESS.
12-01391 Email - Demolitions Performed without Permits.pdf
WITHDRAWN
DISCUSSION ITEM
DISCUSSION ON TRASH HOLES.
12-01397 Email - Trash Holes.pdf
WITHDRAWN
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D2.4
12-01398
D2.5
12-01466
D2.6
13-00236
D3.1
12-01486
D3.2
13-00165
DISCUSSION ITEM
DISCUSSION ON RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES RENTED FOR
COMMERCIAL PURPOSES.
12-01398 Residential Properties Rented for Commercial Purposes.pdf
NO ACTION TAKEN
DISCUSSION ITEM
DISCUSSION REGARDING CONTRACTORS' NEGLIGENCE IN FAILING TO
PROTECT TREES.
12-01466 Contractor's Negligence - Failing to Protect Trees.pdf
NO ACTION TAKEN
DISCUSSION ITEM
UPDATE ON ENFORCEMENT OF VEHICLES FAILING TO YIELD TO
PEDESTRIANS IN THE RIGHT-OF-WAY.
13-00236 Enforcement - Failing to Yield to Pedestrians
NO ACTION TAKEN
END OF DISTRICT 2
DISTRICT 3
COMMISSIONER FRANK CAROLLO
DISCUSSION ITEM
UPDATE REGARDING WORK PERFORMED BY OTHER
GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES ON CITY STREETS AND THE LACK OF
ADEQUATE MILLING AND RESURFACING TO RESTORE STREETS TO
THEIR ORIGINAL CONDITION.
12-01486 Update - Lack of Adequate Milling & Resurfacing Streets 03/28/13.pdf
DEFERRED
Note for the Record: Item D3.1 was deferred to the March 28, 2013 Commission Meeting.
DISCUSSION ITEM
UPDATE PROCEDURES REGARDING THE CIP PROCESS IN ORDER TO
BETTER THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY.
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D3.3
13-00167
D3.4
13-00315
13-00165 Update Procedures - CIP Process 03/28/13.pdf
DEFERRED
Note for the Record: Item D3.2 was deferred to the March 28, 2013 Commission Meeting.
DISCUSSION ITEM
UPDATE REGARDING COMPLIANCE WITH THE FINANCIAL INTEGRITY
PRINCIPLES ORDINANCE.
13-00167 Update - Financial Integrity Principles Ordinance 03/28/13.pdf
DEFERRED
Note for the Record:: Item D3.3 was deferred to the March 28, 2013 Commission Meeting.
DISCUSSION ITEM
UPDATE REGARDING THE TIMELY ISSUANCE OF THE AUDITED
FINANCIAL STATEMENT ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2012.
13-00315 Update - Audited Financial Statement FY' 12.pdf
DISCUSSED
Commissioner Carollo: Mr. Chairman.
Chair Sarnoff • Yes, sir.
Commissioner Carollo: I don't mind deferring all my discussion items for the exception of one,
which is the CAFR (Comprehensive Annual Financial Report), the audited financial statements,
and it'll be quick.
Chair Sarnoff • Let's recognize you on that.
Commissioner Carollo: Thank you. Madam CFO (Chief Financial Officer), I'll make it real
quick. Are we going to issue our audited financial statements by the deadline of March 31?
Janice Larned: Janice Larned, assistant City Manager/chief financial officer. Yes, sir, we will
meet that date.
Commissioner Carollo: Thank you. And once again, I need to thank the County for lending
their auditors over here and being able to diligently do as much work with our Administration
and he ahle to issue our financial statements on time, which, originally, we were not going to
meet that deadline, so thank you.
Commissioner Suarez: And kudos to you, too, for getting the County to chip in.
Commissioner Carollo: Thank you.
END OF DISTRICT 3
DISTRICT 4
COMMISSIONER FRANCIS SUAREZ
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D4.1
12-01455
DISCUSSION ITEM
DISCUSSION REGARDING MIAMI 21'S BLANKET PROHIBITION ON
COMMERCIAL VEHICLES IN RESIDENTIAL ZONES.
12-01455 Email - Miami 21's Blanket Prohibition.pdf
DISCUSSED
Commissioner Suarez: Mr. Chair.
Chair Sarnoff: You're recognized fbr the record.
Commissioner Suarez: I just -- I feel compelled to at least just bring this up. It'll take 30
seconds. It's just -- I've had it on my blue page item time in and time out and I've constantly
deferred it. It's -- Miami 21, I know commercial vehicles in residential zones are a very
controversial issue. You know, there are some people that hate it and think it's horrible, and
there are some people that feel that they should have some, you know, ability to have some sort
of commercial vehicle at home, as long as it's not some massive thing or whatever 'cause a lot of
people work with their cars and have some sort of signage. The only thing I would ask is if the
Administration could look at 11000 -- 'cause I think there was a change between 11000 and
Miami 21 -- and maybe look at what other jurisdictions are doing in South Florida and see if
there's anything -- and by the way, if the Commission -- it would not bother nie if the Commission
decided to just leave it status quo or didn't like whatever they came up with. I don't feel -- Ijust
feel like it's an issue that has occurred -- I've gotten both sides of it actually, calls on both sides
on this issue. People that don't like it and people that like it and that don't understand why it's
not allowed. So if we could just have a little bit -- the Administration just give it a little bit of
attention and come back with something -- if they can come back with something. If they can't
come back with something, then, you know, it is what it is. But I felt compelled to at least bring
it up 'cause we did get some calls on it.
Vice Chair Gort: Could it he the size of the vehicle itself?
Commissioner Suarez: It could be the size --
Vice Chair Gort: 'Cause I think that's what bothers people, like when you have people that bring
the trucks and the --
Commissioner Suarez: Right.
Vice Chair Gort: -- 18-wheelers and those big, major trucks. I think vans and maybe vans and
pickup trucks is a different thing.
Commissioner Suarez: Okay.
Chair Sarnof f: Okay. All right.
Commissioner Suarez: Thank you.
END OF DISTRICT 4
DISTRICT 5
COMMISSIONER MICHELLE SPENCE-JONES
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D5.1
13-00170
NA.1
13-00378
DISCUSSION ITEM
DISCUSSION ON THE SUCCESSION PLAN AS A RESULT OF
SIGNIFICANT 2013 EMPLOYEE RETIREMENTS.
13-00170 Succession Plan - Employee Retirements 2013.pdf
13-00170 Drop Succession Plan.pdf
NO ACTION TAKEN
END OF DISTRICT 5
NON AGENDA ITEMS
DISCUSSION ITEM
DISCUSSION BY COMMISSIONER SPENCE-JONES REGARDING AN
UPDATE ON THE STATUS OF IMPLEMENTING CRIME PREVENTION
INITIATIVES.
13-00378-Submittal-Commissioner Spence-Jones.pdf
13-00378-Submittal-Marked Agenda for File Id 13-00307.pdf
13-00378-Submittal-Memo-Police Technology Currently Being Explored.pdf
DISCUSSED
Chair Sarnof f: All right. Commissioner Spence -Jones, you had some issues you wanted to bring
up, and the Manager is going to he here for another, I guess, hour or so, so let's do it now.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: All right. Okay. I think he's going to get (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
So while he's doing that, let me just start with the first thing. I'm going to ask for -- 1 know Alice,
I know Public Works, and CIP (Capital Improvements Program) have been very involved, Mr.
Manager, in this issue of Liberty Square. I want to thank the Police Department and the Fire
Department for working hand in hand with us on it. My staff is just passing out to you -- From
the last meeting we had, there was some directives that were given to the Chief. We can just deal
with the crime prevention initiatives, for now so that at least I can make sure you guys are all an
the same page about where we are. As far as the personnel issue and the cost analysis, 171 wait
until this afternoon for us to have that discussion on my blue pages. Okay. So the first thing that
I wanted to chat with you guys about was the crime prevention initiatives. This is in reference to
the shootings, the many shootings that we've had at Liberty Square, the housing development and
the planters. I wanted far the Chief to give us a quick update on the installation of the planters.
I have -- so that you know, since --,for the last week -- week and a half, have gone out to Liberty
Square with Florida Power & Light. I want to thank Public Works for making that happen. And
over 100 lights were out in one housing development, 100 lights. It's no wonder that the police
officers, when they rode in the middle of night or in the evenings there, all of those dark alleys
that -- I mean, who would want to go in there not knowing what they would he faced with? It is
-- it's wonderful to see how well lit that place is now. So I wanted to at least let you guys know
that there's a lot of light happening in the heart of Liberty Square. And the kids, actually the last
night when we took the final tour to make sure all the lights were working, they were actually
outside playing at like 8 o'clock at night, which was something that's unseen -- unheard of at
Liberty Square. So just really quickly, Chief, you want to give us a quick update -- and I know
that we have Public Works here as well -- just on the street beautification project is what we call
it.
Manuel Orosa: Correct. We've been working with the -- Chief Manny Orosa, Miami Police
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Department. We've been working with our Public Works Department and the County's Public
Works Department, as well as HUD (Department of Housing and Urban Development), and
everybody has agreed to heautify Liberty Square by installing planters that, at the same time,
limit most of the vehicular traffic so that we avoid people. from other areas coming into Liberty
Square and causing problems. You can walk in. Those planters will be beautiful enough that --
they will have some beautiful trees that -- like similar to the ones we have here in the back by the
marina. In that way, we will have a limited access of cars into Liberty Square. That will provide
-- between the lighting and the limited access, it'll be a safer neighborhood. There's been plenty
of studies across the country in which when you enclose a community by gates or walls or
whatever, the crime rate has dropped in that particular community as long as you provide
visibility and maintenance to that community. If you just enclose it and abandon it, crime gets
worse. But if you provide activities inside, it becomes better. The -- our other phase of trying to
help out in Liberty Square is going to be technology -based, which is we will try to implement not
one but probably three different technologies, such as ShotSpotter, CCTV (Closed -Circuit
Television) cameras, as well as license plate readers so that everybody's aware that the place is
under camera observation. If you drive around the area to commit a crime, the license plate
readers will capture your tag, tell us who you are, and ShotSpotters [sic] has -- and what I mean
ShotSpotter, I don't mean exactly that company. I mean something similar to that. -- has a
technology that can be attached to CCTVs that when a shot rings out, ShotSpotter goes to that
area and the camera span into that area as well to try to capture someone leaving the area. I
think that with these three technologies in place, it will -- and people aware that you will not he
able to go into Liberty Square and shoot and not be seen, then I think it will reduce, if not
eliminate, a lot of the problems that our residents are having there with outsiders coining in and
shooting up the place.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: And, Chief, you mentioned the red-light cameras, which I thought
was a hrilliant idea, which would also save us money.
Chief Orosa: Yes. The license plate readers, there's a whole hunch of different companies out
there that will come in and will install it. Each reader is about 25,000, plus installation costs,
which can be anywhere from 10 to 15,000 per camera. However, in talks with the company that
has our red-light cameras, that software is already installed in the red-light cameras. All they
have to do is flip the switch. And for a minimal charge, they will he ahle to do that, so we don't
have all these upfront costs of installation and purchasing of the cameras. It's their equipment.
They maintain it. And all we do is pay a fee, which could he taken off the top of what they pay us
in revenues for the red-light cameras. So it would eventually have no significant cost to the City.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: So I've asked the Chief to come hack and at least get with the
Manager -- and I want to thank the Manager for his support with the issue -- to come hack and
at least know -- let us know the cost of the pilot project, you know, combination between the
red-light cameras and the ShotSpotters [sic] only in the area where we're having a lot of gunfire
take place to begin to address what happening, and also to make sure that the residents and the
people in the areas know that the areas are under surveillance now because we are trying to
reduce the issue of crime.
Johnny Martinez (City Manager): The blue light. We talked about the blue light.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: And adding a blue light in those areas so that people will actually
see that the cameras do exist.
Chief Ornsa: Let me add one more thing. The company that has our red-light cameras, they are
-- I'm having a meeting -- I had a meeting a couple weeks ago with a representative, but I think
the vice president of operations is coining down next Thursday and I'll be meeting with him. And
they're -- they are -- for the most part, they're willing to do a pilot program using us to do this.
Eventually, they're hoping to sell this product elsewhere, but if they do a free pilot program with
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us, that will help us and, in turn, help them as well.
Chair Sarnnff Commissioner Gort. I'm sorry.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: No.
Vice Chair Gort: I'll wait until she finish.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: No, no. Go ahead if you have a question.
Tice Chair Gort: Chief, what's important about this, the pilot program, if 1 works, you have the
statistics, you know where the problems exist, and you can move it around.
Chief Orosa: Correct.
Vice Chair Gort: I mean, once it's implemented in one area, you can -- in other areas it'll be --
maybe even the business in the area are willing to pay for whatever needs to be done. But I think
it's a great idea, the pilot program.
Chief Orosa: And Commissioner, since we have red-light cameras throughout the City -
Vice Chair Gort: Right.
Chief Orosa: -- it's just a matter of telling them what services in which areas we want and then
just flipping the switch and charging us that minimal fee once the pilot program's over.
Vice Chair Gort: There's an additional benefit that we give to the residents.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Yes.
Chief Orosa: Correct.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: And then real fast, I don't know if Public Works wants to justgive
us a quick little update on where we are. I know you've been working back and. forth. And 1
appreciate the support of my Commissioners regarding these street beautification -- I don't want
to use the word closures, but street beautification pro -- the street beautification project.
Vice Chair Gort: That's a good name.
Nzeribe Ihekwaba: Good afternoon. Zerry Ihekwaba, Public Works director. We've carried out
extensive review and evaluation of this area in combination with Miami police as well as the
County. There are about 19 locations that are being identified for restriction of vehicular access
in order to enhance the installation of the planters for beautification purposes as well as for
public safety. Out of those 19 locations, 9 of those are private driveways under the exclusive
direction of HUD, managed by Mianii-Dade County. It's my understanding that HUD is actually
in affirmation of proceeding forward. The additional locations are streets under the
maintenance purview of the City, which, in our opinion and also based on the recommendation
of Miami Police, is a very good location to proceed with the installation of the planters, and
those are essentially at Northwest 13 Avenue, Northwest 14th Avenue, adding to sections of 62nd
Street and 67th Streets, as well as Northwest 63rd Street and Northwest 65th Street, adding to
sections n_ f I2th Avenue and 15th Avenue. Now, there will he two principal entrances into this
area with (UNINTELLIGIBLE) houses at Northwest 63rd at both 15th Avenue and 1 2th Avenue.
Public Works Department and the City has no preliminary objection to this to move forward
since, principally, this is a life -safety issue. Any questions?
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Commissioner Spence -Jones: So I just wanted to make sure that you -- my fellow colleagues
know that we're moving in this direction. And one of the things that the Chief and I talked about
yesterday, it -- was it -- it's really, really important that we don't wait a long time to get this
started. As you know, these retaliation shootings come back, you know. The young man that got
shot the last time, another young man prior to that was three months ago. So we just avant to
keep, you know, the enthusiasm, the residents feeling good about what's happening in the area,
and to also let people know that the heat is on in the area and we're not going to allow or
tolerate for anyone to have guns in that community. So I know that I'm using actually the dollars
from my street dollars in CIP, and the Manager, we all went through those yesterday. So I'll he
using it to do this beautification project in the area. 1 just wanted to make sure that 1 had your
support on the issue. And I think one or two of the Commissioners said -- made the comment,
you know, we want to make sure the County's supporting what we're doing and that we don't
have any opposition, and it appears that we have that. But I know that in our last meeting, it was
made -- the statement was made if fit's about safety, let's just get it done, you know, so it is
something that we're putting in place. Anything else you want to add, Marc? You need to add
anything to it? Okay. Any questions you guys have an it?
Tice Chair Gort: The -- I think it's a great program, but the question that I have through the
health district, I drive through there all the time. We have a lot of problems with the lights out
and you get all my e-mails (electronic) every day, you get K'hmount of e-mail the lights are out.
We got to find a way to notify because you can only do it at night. And I travel around at -- I'm
not going to get down and get at each pole and write down the pole, but 1 get more or less the
addresses. We need to come -- by to come up with some kind of a system where we, in a joint
venture with FP&L, do that. There's certain corridors where we have -- and the Chief can tell
you where the crimes are taking place and so on and we need to look at those corridors to make
sure the lights are on.
Mr. Ihekwaba: The City, in conjunction with the IT Department, is looking into the development
of ARPS, intelligent reporting system, for- smartphones, so that residents and local area
businesses can actually report it as they see it. However, what we've been doing in the interim,
just like we've just done for Liberty Square, we've conducted a couple of nights tracking and
monitoring patrols. It was a joint effort between the City's Public Works, Florida Power & Light,
and Miami Police, with the participation nfDistrict 5.
Vice Chair Gort: Right now -- my understanding right now, the police is going back to the
citizen on patrol, something like that. That citizen patrol probably could be part of the
assignment that they can take it. Look at the lights are out and report it. I mean, they want to do
work so --
Chief Orosa: Commissioner, we can do that and we can create a directive to have our patrol
officers, whenever they come across a light that's off to go ahead and report it to my office and
we can in turn report it to Public Works.
Vice Chair Gort: Thank you.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: And then last but not -- oh, you had a --?
Chair Sarnoff. You mind ifI say something? Yeah. Chief -- and I'm speaking to the Miami
Herald, even though Kathleen's not here; instead, we got Chuck. But --
Vice Chair Gort: Welcome hack, Chuck.
Chair Sarnoff • Welcome back Chuck. We just got a March 12, 2013 Miami department staffing
levels report from you, Chief
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Chief Orosa: Okay.
Chair Sarnof: I had said earlier that your earlier report was the hest report I had ever received
from any City employee. This is now the new high-water mark best report I've ever seen and
here's what it describes. I'll give you one of his conclusions and, Commissioner Spence -Jones,
you should listen to this. We are significantly understaffed in our terms of our ability to properly
address violent crime. That is on page 2. We are the smallest number of police officers of any
major police department in the nation. Page 3, under such conditions, the City of Miami Police
Department's sworn force, per 1,000 inhabitants, visitors and workers is reduced -- remember,
we were at 2.6? -- to 1.7 and 1.5 respectively. No other major metropolitan area in the United
States goes that low. We were tied with Tampa at 1.9 sworn officers, but when you add the, fact
that we are America's most visited city, we are completely and utterly understaffed. Whatever
goals we set, this Chief has said we need to get to 1,244 sworn officers. We are presently at
1,067, although we budget fir 1,144; and intermediate goals should be to get to 1,360. How do
others police departments deal with this? Well, he chose to look at the City gfNew York because
the City of New York could have 12,000 police officers to deal with this, but instead -- here it is,
Chief -- the City of New York Department, for example, would have to deploy 12,802 officers in
order to meet the 4-1 ratio. You know what they deploy instead, Commissioner Suarez?
Thirty four thousand five hundred and forty-two officers. The City of Miami is completely
understaffed in policing, and this isn't the first time that this has ever reared its ugly head and
been talked about in public. I give the Chief an amazing amount of courage for writing this
report. I give him. creditfor bringing this report to this Commission's attention, because we don't
even fit the southern strategy of policing because we're way below the southern strategy. We
don't even come within the same hemisphere of northern strategy policing because we're not even
close to being a northern strategy. I think this is something that we all need to wake up to and
wake up to now because I don't care whether we put cameras, and I don't care if put
whatever it is you're going to put, you're going to need the manpower simply to deal with violent
crime. I'm not even talking about quality, qf life. Violent crime. And remember, as you deploy
men to the north, you take from central and you take from south because you just don't have the
manpower to do it. So I keep bringing this up, and I don't mean to sound like a broken record,
but here you have a Chief of Police picking a number that -- he actually came under the 1.9
number I was able to cone up with. He's at 1.7 and 1.5 respectively. How you do your job,
Chief, is -- must he like putting a Band-Aid on a great hig cut and watching it continue to spurt
the artery out blood. 1 think we all had better take cognizance of this and we all better strategize
how to fix this problem.
Chief Orosa: Commissioner, and traditionally, our staffing levels are based on our population
and our population -- our staffing levels are based on our population of probably a decade ago
when we were at 340, 350, 000. Now we're around 410. And it has never taken into account a
daytime population of people coming into the City to work and play, nor has it taken into
account the population that constantly is visiting the City for events, such as Calle Ocho, Ultra,
the World League of Baseball now occurring. You know, they hire off -duty officers for those
events. But all those visitors come through the City and leap through the City and the staffing
levels do not accommodate those numbers of people that visit the City.
Chair Sarnoff: And your report points that out extremely well because you take us from the 2.6
number down to a 1.9 number down to a 1.7 number, then finally down to the 1.5 number; which
would qualify us as probably the most understaffed police department of any city with a
population over 100,000 people in the United States.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Mr. Chairman.
Chair Sarnoff • You're recognized.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: We all agree that we need police officers, so I just want to finish
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my crime --
Chair Sarnoff: Okay.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: -- my little crime prevention initiatives to make sure we're on the
same page. I know you were flowing with it, but can I just finish this one item?
Chair Sarnof f: Go right ahead.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: 1 know you're passionate about it. Love passion. I just want to be
clear on the last item. We did talk about community -based crime intervention and
prevention -related initiatives. We really think that it's important to make sure that we focus our
attention on preventing young people from gelling involved in guns, period, so that we don't have
this issue of crime. So I know that that was one of the things that we talked about, and the Chief
is going to bring hack some recommendations on how we should handle that.
Chief Orosa: Correct, Commissioner. And you know, I'm more than willing and happy to use
some of our LETF (Law Enforcement Trust Fund) funding to try to create programs that will
keep kids from getting in trouble and trying to straighten out kids that have been in trouble
before and they want to straighten their lives out, so I'll be more than happy.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: And I just want to be clear. For me, it's really more, focused on
the gun issue --
Chief Orosa: Correct.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: -- because I think we have PAL (Police Athletic League) and other
programs. I'm talking about that hard -to -reach kid, that kid that has been involved in negative
activities already, trying to figure out a way to get them on the right track and not just kind of
like throwing them away. Trying to figure out a way to address them.
Chief Orosa: That's exactly right.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: So those are my issues and I wanted to make sure that at least my
fellow colleagues know that we are trying to come up with positive solutions to address the issue.
NA.2 DISCUSSION ITEM
13-00379
DISCUSSION BY COMMISSIONER SPENCE-JONES ON DIRECTIVES
ISSUED TO THE ADMINISTRATION AT THE FEBRUARY 28, 2013
COMMISSION MEETING REGARDING THE MIAMI POLICE
DEPARTMENT; FURTHER DIRECTING THAT THESE ITEMS BE PLACED
ON THE MARCH 28, 2013 COMMISSION MEETING AGENDA.
13-00379-Submittal-Commissioner Spence-Jones.pdf
DISCUSSED
Commissioner Spence -Jones: On my other items, the directives that I had on here, which was the
sworn police officer, the key personnel in DROP (Deferred Retirement Option Plan), and then
the plan for the cost analysis. I did askfor the Manager to give me that information. I haven't
gotten it from Danny as of yet. But what do want to do is roll it over until the next -- till my
next blue pages. Okay. So I'll he rolling over one, two -- the other two -- three directives thatl
talked about. I'm going to roll that over until the next meeting.
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NA.3
13-00380
DISCUSSION ITEM
DISCUSSION BY VICE CHAIR GORT REGARDING POTENTIAL
SOURCES OF FUNDING FOR POLICE OFFICERS.
DISCUSSED
Chair Sarnoff: Commissioner Gort, then Commissioner Suarez.
Tice Chair Gort: Your budget for how many officers, your actual budget today?
Chief Orosa: Excuse nie?
Vice Chair Gort: Your budgetfor how many officers?
Chief Orosa: 1,044.
Vice Chair Gort: Ten --
Chief Orosa: 1,144.
Vice Chair Gort: 1,144.
Chief Orosa: 1,144
Vice Chair Gort: And you have?
Chief Orosa: We -- right now, starting Monday, we have 20 more on board, so we are down 37.
Vice Chair Gort: Thirty-seven.
Chief Orosa: Correct.
Vice Chair Gort: And you're budget for it so you can bring on board any time -- you can
expedite the hiring of the officers.
Chief Orosa: Correct. We're trying to do that to try to fill those 37 positions as soon as possible.
Vice Chair Gort: And people need to understand, the additional 100 that we're requesting is
going to need increase in the budget.
Chief Orosa: Correct.
Vice Chair Gort: Thank you.
Chief Orosa: And ifI may add, it'll be probably, salaries and benefits, about seven and -- seven
million and change; and with equipment and all that, it can come up to about nine, close to ten
million.
Chair Sarnoff: Commissioner Suarez.
Commissioner Suarez: Thank you, Mr. Chair. I avant to commend you both, I think, you know,
the Chairman and Commissioner Spence -Jones, because I think -- and I think the whole entire
Commission is really not accepting the status quo, and I think that's the message here. We're not
going to accept the status quo. I do commend the Chief and his staff for painting a true picture
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of what's going on because I have to tell you, since I got elected, there's -- and I know that
Commissioner Carollo can identify with this -- actually, we can all identify with this. When we
go to community meetings, that our residents oftentimes are asking why isn't there more police
presence. And you -- you know, from an anecdotal perspective, it's a constant -- you hear it
constantly, but this is the first time that you see it kind of objectively putting to an objective
measurement -- objective numbers, and I have to say that if it wasn't for your persistence, I don't
know that we would have ever gotten here. This is the first time that we really see how stark the
problem is and how dramatic the problem is and how much work we have to do to have a city
that is policed at a level that we should he, so I commend you for that, fbr continuing to work on
that and not accepting -- not slowing down, not stopping, not ever taking it off. Believe me,
there's been some times where I look at it and Igo, again? And then, you know -- but you
persist, you keep going, you keep going, and I -- and, you know, you see -- it's only taken a year
and a half, but now we're really starting to see a lot of the fruits of your persistence. So thank
you.
Chair Sarnoff: And you know, Chief, I've been through one, two, three chiefs now and you just --
you're not afraid of any issue and you're not afraid of the truth and you're not afraid of saying
this is the way it is. And this Commission has a lot of work to do 'cause once we budget for it,
then we can find you at fault, but we need to budget fbr it. And, you know, I won't quote Joe
Biden again, but we need to budget for it, we need to strategize for it, and we need to
demonstrate why it is crime will only stay at the level it is now unless we throw some resources at
this. Thank you.
Johnny Martinez (City Manager): Commissioner, just one --
Chair Sarnoff: Yes.
Mr. Martinez: -- minor point. The previous presentation, the state of real estate, identified a lot
of vertical construction which is going to add added pressure to the policing of those areas.
Chair Sarnoff: Right. And with those pressures comes -- their solution of their ad valorem so --
All right, we'll go back to -- we had a time certain, I believe. We are now up to -- go ahead.
Vice Chair Gort: Let me ask a question. A lot of the need fbr additional policemen is because of
the amount of the visitors that we have in the City and people that work in the City that don't live
in the City. I think we should also try to see if we can find some additional funding from other
sources and not put all the -- on the residents.
Chair Sarnoff: Well -- and you bring up a good point, Commissioner, because there are three
municipalities in the state of Florida that live off CDT, Convention Development Tax, and tourist
development tax. Those three cities are Miami Beach, which takes in annually about $105
million, Bal Harbour, and Surfside. Why is it that we are not petitioning the Legislature to he
treated like Miami Beach, Surfside, Bal Harbour, in saying, look, we can find a direct correlation
to crime in tourism. Obviously, the fewer crime, the more safe you feel, the more tourists you
would have.
Vice Chair Gort: Yes.
Chair Sarnoff: Why couldn't we special revenue CDT and TDT dollars with a legislative change
to help pay for police?
Vice Chair Gort: Food for thought.
Mr. Martinez: The County collects that and they use it to pay for the Marlin's stadium.
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NA.4
13-00381
Chair Sarnoff: No. It's a bricks and mortar issue, I agree. But why is it three municipalities in
the state of Florida don't have that same constraint that 36 municipalities or 35 municipalities
do have? We're not talking about a little hit n f money. We're talking about $100 million.
Tice Chair Gort: I think we should look at the options.
Chair Sarnoff: I know nobody likes to talk about it, but we should talk about that on this side of
the water. All right.
Commissioner Suarez: Mr. Chair.
Chair Sarnoff' Yes.
Commissioner Suarez: I think it's something we should definitely talk about because we -- one of
the big issues and arguments over the conventions and stadiums is that that money can only he
used fbr those things. And 1 think the, fact of the matter is, as you just said, you know, tourism
does have -- it does stress and burden our resources. So maybe we should think about opening
up that source for other uses. I mean --
Chair Sarnof f: New York City has, what, a -- what do they call it? A commuter tax? And the
reason they have a commuter tax is 'cause New York City swells by something in the
neighborhood of a million people a day, and as soon as you cross that line, you're a commuter
and you pay for- it. We do nothing of that nature other than parking surcharge. People smarten
up and they don't park in the City of Miami. We don't tax them at all. There's no way of ever
recovering their revenue for the police, fire, and sanitation services that are provided to them.
Enough said.
DISCUSSION ITEM
CHAIR SARNOFF ACKNOWLEDGED THE PRESENCE, IN THE MIAMI
CITY COMMISSION CHAMBERS, OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY ELECTIONS
SUPERVISOR, PENELOPE TOWNSLEY.
DISCUSSED
Chair Sarnoff.' Guys want to run through some of the regular agenda? I agree, I agree. Haven't
boards --
Commissioner Carrillo: Yeah, we haven't done hoards in over a month.
Chair Sarnoff.• Okay.
Commissioner Carollo: Or longer. I think we're on SR.4.
Chair Sarnoff Sn -- I'm. not good at this, hut let me try it. So Ijust want to announce, that if she
would just take a bow, the Miami -Dade Supervisor of Elections, Penelope Townsley is here. If
you would just say hello to everybody, Penelope. All right, that was my first time. How did I do,
Penelope, okay?
Penelope Townsley: Very good.
Chair Sarnoff All right, cool. Usually it's Suarez or Carollo and, you know, they usually -- they
bring flowers and balloons and I'm not good at that.
NA.5 ORDINANCE First Reading
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13-00375
Miami Parking
Authority
AN ORDINANCE OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION AMENDING CHAPTER
54/ ARTICLE I/SECTION 54-9 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI,
FLORIDA, AS AMENDED, ENTITLED "STREETS AND SIDEWALKS/ IN
GENERAL/ PLACING SIGNS ON ANY PORTION OF THE PUBLIC
RIGHT-OF-WAY, STREET, OR SIDEWALK SURFACE", MORE
PARTICULARLY BY AMENDING SUBSECTION (A) TO ALLOW THE
DEPARTMENT OF OFF-STREET PARKING OF THE CITY OF MIAMI
("DOSP") TO PROCURE CERTAIN SIGNAGE SUBJECT TO SPECIFIED
TERMS, CONDITIONS AND LIMITATIONS; FURTHER ADDING A NEW
SUBSECTION (G) TO PERMIT THE PLACEMENT OF SIGNAGE OR
ADVERTISEMENTS ON CITY OF MIAMI OWNED, OR DOSP OWNED,
PARKING PAYMENT MACHINES WITHIN THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY;
CONTAINING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE AND PROVIDING FOR AN
EFFECTIVE DATE
13-00375 Summary Form SR.pdf
13-00375 Legislation SR.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Spence -Jones, seconded by Commissioner Suarez, that this
matter be PASSED ON FIRST READING WITH MODIFICATIONS PASSED by the following
vote.
Votes: Ayes: 4 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff, Suarez and Spence -Jones
Noes: 1 - Commissioner(s) Carollo
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Clerk, I want you to be very clear on the record right now. That's
what I'm saying.
Commissioner Gort: Very clear, that I was asked to remove my second; I did. You guys made a
motion for a first --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: He never seconded.
Commissioner Gort: -- I never second that.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: That's what 1 was telling you. I'm. sitting on the side of him, so I
know.
Chair Sarnoff: Okay.
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): My apologies, Commissioners. I didn't hear the withdrawal. So
then if .we can have movener [sic] and a seconder for the first reading ordinance.
Commissioner Suarez: I'll second it.
Chair Sarnoff: All right, so you have --
Commissioner Suarez: 1'l1 second it.
Chair Sarnoff: You have Commissioner Spence -Jones as the mover. Commissioner Suarez is the
seconder. Do we need to revote?
Mr. Hannon: Yes, sir.
Chair Sarnoff • So Madam City Attorney, I assume that your previous read is good.
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Julie O. Bru (City Attorney): Right.
Chair Sarnoff: Mr. Clerk, it is now --
Commissioner Gort So you read it on the first --, far first --
Chair Sarnoff: -- you to call the roll.
Mr. Hannon: Commissioner Carollo?
Commissioner Carollo: No.
Mr. Hannon: Vice Chair Gort?
Vice Chair Gort: Yes.
Mr. Hannon: Commissioner Suarez?
Commissioner Suarez: Yes, on firs(
Mr. Hannon: Commissioner Spence -Jones?
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Yes.
Mr. Hannon: Chair Sarnoff?
Chair Sarnoff: Well, things changed now. Yes.
Mr. Hannon: The ordinance passes on first reading, 4-1.
NA.6 RESOLUTION
13-00382
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION URGING
GOVERNOR RICK SCOTT AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION ("FDOT") TO HONOR THE COMMITMENT TO
PROVIDE A "SIGNATURE" BRIDGE DESIGN FOR 1-395, EXPRESSING
THE CITY OF MIAMI'S SUPPORT FOR A SIGNATURE BRIDGE; AND
FURTHER OPPOSING ANY EFFORTS BY FDOT TO DIMINISH THE
DESIGN OF 1-395 AGAINST THE EXPRESSED NEEDS AND WISHES OF
THE COMMUNITY; DIRECTING THE CITY CLERK TO TRANSMIT A COPY
OF THIS RESOLUTION TO THE ELECTED OFFICIALS STATED HEREIN.
13-00382-Submittal-Draft Language.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Suarez, seconded by Commissioner Spence -Jones, that this
matter be ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 5 - Commissioners) Gort, Sarnoff, Carollo, Suarez and Spence -Jones
R-13-0112
Chair Sarnoff: I have a pocket item, guys. It's in front of you. If you haven't heard about the
signature bridge with regard to 395, as you know --
Tice Chair Gort: Move it.
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Chair Sarnof f: -- FD --
Commissioner Suarez: Second.
Commissioner Carollo: Well, hold on, hold on, hold on.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Let's talk about it.
Chair Sarnaff: Let's talk -- real quick.
Commissioner Suarez: No. We have to talk about it, but I still second it.
Commissioner Carollo: Yeah.
Chair Sarnaff: This -- well, number one, as our MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization)
guy, you're going --
Commissioner Suarez: Yeah, 1 was going to say.
Chair Sarnaff -- to he discussing this. I'm going to he taking some action on this. But I'm not
going to read from this. Essentially, FDOT (Florida Department of Transportation) made a
promise to former Vfayor Manny Diaz, to many other people in this city, to the district
Commissioner, to the District 5 Commissioner, that they would build a signature bridge. And
that signature bridge, one of the variations is in front of you, and so much so that in their NEPA
(National Environmental Policy Act) study, they actually gave us two pictures of what they
described to he signature bridges. Then they came hack -- and there's another one. And by the
way, one of these is designed by Calatrava, so you got to say that's a pretty damned good
signature bridge.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Yeah.
Chair Sarnaff However, now they come hack with this. See that thing there? That's right.
There's no bridge. It is called a segmental bridge, and they are now saying this is a segmental
bridge. This community has been bait and switched. It is an absolute baiting and switching.
And I'm telling you, as a Commission, we should take action. We should at least put this in front
of the Governor and say, Governor, you made a promise --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Yeah.
Chair Sarnaff • -- maybe not you, but your department made a promise to this community. I'm
not even going to get into the history of it, Commissioner Spence -Jones, because, historically,
this is what really killed the neighborhood. And you need to simply honor your obligation that
started in 1992. Bill Clinton passed an executive order stopping this from going forward
because he said they didn't do a NEPA study. The NEPA study has even ajustice component to it
to the injustice that was done underneath this bridge. 10 having this (UNINTELLIGIBLE), not
only do you get a higher bridge and not only do you get a pretty bridge, but the underneath part
becomes so expansive that it becomes --
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Green space.
Chair Sarnaff: Right, part of what you want. I've said enough. I'm going to recognize
Commissioner Suarez. I'm going to recognize Commissioner Spence -Jones, and then we're going
to vote on it, and then we're going home.
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Commissioner Suarez: Mr. Chair -- and thank you, 'cause this is a very important issue. And as
the Commission's MPO hoard member, you can rest assured that once we have this resolution
passed, that I will fight vehemently at the MPO on our body's behalf make sure that this
doesn't happen. And you have my commitment beyond the MPO, whatever else 1 can do. I think
that area is the epicenter of how Miami's being redeveloped and developed. You have the
Performing Arts Center, American Airlines Arena. You have all the buildings from 900 Biscayne
all the way to 600 Biscayne that are -- the ones that are built and the ones that are going to he
built. You have whatever the Genting Group ends up doing with their property. I mean, not only
is that area -- not only is that a signature area or going to he a signature area, it deserves a
signature bridge. We don't get a second chance to do this. That's the other thing with a massive
project,• you never get a second chance. And I think:, ,for me, it would he a travesty to he
short-sighted, myopic in view on this issue. And you know, it's an area that's just going to
blossom and we have the parks coming on line. I mean, everything is happening in that area. So
for me, this is a no-brainer, and I'm glad you brought it up as a resolution.
Chair Sarnoff: Commissioner Spence -Jones.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Ditto, and I support it.
Chair Sarnof f: Oh, wow. That was (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Just so you know --
Vice Chair Gort: Hey --
Chair Sarnoff.' -- I am so impassioned on this --
Vice Chair Gort: -- (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
Chair Sarnoff: -- 1 may take this a further step 'cause I cannot believe -- and 1 was privy to a lot
of these meetings. It was one of these meeting after meeting after meeting, and they would come
with this signature bridge and say, We're going to build this, we're going to build this.
Vice Chair Gort: It's been --
Chair Sarnoff: A month ago, they come back --
Vice Chair Gort: -- moved and second.
Chair Sarnof f: There you go. All in favor, say aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
NA.7 RESOLUTION
13-00345
District 5- A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION EXTENDING THE
Commissioner HOURS OF SALE FOR ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES FOR CONSUMPTION ON
Michelle THE PREMISES OF CHURCHILL'S LEMON CITY OASIS, LOCATED AT 5501
Spence -Jones NORTHEAST 2ND AVENUE, MIAMI, FLORIDA, TO ACCOMMODATE THE
WINTER MUSIC CONFERENCE 2013 DJ SPIN-OFF, ON MONDAY MARCH
18, 2013, FROM 3:00 A.M. TO 6:00 A.M., THROUGH SUNDAY MARCH 24,
2013, FROM 3:00 A.M. TO 6:00 A.M., PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 4/ARTICLE
1/SECTION 4-3, ENTITLED "ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES/IN
GENERAL/HOURS DURING WHICH SALES ALLOWED; SUNDAY SALES."
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ADJOURNMENT
13-00345-Legislation.pdf
13-00345-Submittal-Commissioner Spence-Jones.pdf
13-00345-Submittal-Marked Agenda for File Id 13-00226.pdf
Motion by Commissioner Suarez, seconded by Commissioner Carollo, that this matter be
ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 4 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Carollo, Suarez and Spence -Jones
Noes: 1 - Commissioner(s) Sarnoff
R-13-0111
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Wait. I have one pocket item. I just want to finish --
Vice Chair Gort: Oh, yeah.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Remember? And this is just for the -- this is a resolution for the
Miami City Commission extending the hours for Churchill's Leman City Oasis.
Commissioner Suarez: Move it.
Vice Chair Gort: Move it.
Commissioner Suarez: Aye.
Chair Sarnoff' I'm sorry. All in favor, please say aye."
Vice Chair Gort: Aye.
Commissioner Spence -Jones: Aye.
Chair Sarnoff' I'm just going to register a no. Do not take offense to it. It's just the 6 o'clock
issue. Okay, I'm leaving now.
Commissioner Suarez: You saw that stare, huh?
Chair Sarnoff.' I did. I saw that.
The meeting adjourned at 8:16 p.m.
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