HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC 2014-09-23 MinutesCity of Miami
City Hall
3500 Pan American Drive
Miami, FL 33133
www.miamigov.com
Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
5:05 PM
SECOND BUDGET HEARING
City Hall Commission Chambers
City Commission
Tomas Regalado, Mayor
Wifredo (Willy) Gort, Chair
Keon Hardemon, Vice Chair
Marc David Sarnoff, Commissioner District Two
Frank Carollo, Commissioner District Three
Francis Suarez, Commissioner District Four
Daniel J. Alfonso, City Manager
Victoria Mendez, City Attorney
Todd B. Hannon, City Clerk
City Commission
Meeting Minutes September 23, 2014
5:05 P.M. INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
ORDER OF THE DAY
Present: Chair Gort, Commissioner Sarnoff, Commissioner Carollo, Commissioner Suarez and
Vice Chair Hardemon
On the 23rd day of September 2014, the City Commission of the City ofMiami, Florida, met at
its regular meeting place in City Hall, 3500 Pan American Drive, Miami, Florida, for its second
budget hearing session. The meeting was called to order by Chair Gort at 5: 07 p.m., recessed at
6:36p.m., reconvened at 6:51 p.m., and adjourned at 7: 01 p.m.
Note for the Record: Commissioner Carollo entered the Commission chambers at 5:10 p.m., and
Commissioner Suarez entered the Commission chambers at 5: 21 p.m.
ALSO PRESENT:
Victoria Mendez, City Attorney
Daniel J. Alfonso, City Manager
ToddB. Hannon, City Clerk
Chair Gort: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the second budget hearing
meeting of the City ofMiami, Miami City Commission, in these historic chambers. The members
of the City Commission are Marc Sarnoff, Frank Carollo, Francis Suarez, Vice Chairman Keon
Hardemon; and me, myself, W fredo Gort, as Chairperson. Also on the dais is Daniel Alfonso;
Vicky Mendez, the City Attorney; and also Todd Hannon, the City Clerk. And happy birthday to
you; may you have many more, with a lot of health. God bless you. At this time, if you will
stand, we'll have the invocation by Vice Chairman Hardemon and the pledge of allegiance by
Commissioner Sarnoff.
Invocation and pledge of allegiance delivered.
Chair Gort: Madam Attorney, would you go over the procedures.
Victoria Mendez (City Attorney): Yes, Chairman. We will now begin the second budget meeting
and related hearings, andl will state the procedures to be followed during this meeting. 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 on the City Clerk's
Office in the -- at the City Clerk's Office and online 24 hours a day at wwwmiamigov. com [sic].
Any person may be heard by the City Commission through the Chair for not more than two
minutes on any proposition before the City Commission today, unless such time period to be
heard is modified by the Chair. If the proposition is being continued or rescheduled, the
opportunity to be heard may be at such later date before the City Commission takes action on
such proposition. Pursuant to Florida Administrative Code Rule 12D-17.005, anyone wishing to
appeal any decision made by the City Commission for any matter considered at the second
budget meeting does not need a verbatim transcript of the record, but a video of this meeting may
be requested at the Office of Communications or viewed online at wwwmiamigov. com [sic]. No
cell phones or other noise -making devices are permitted in Commission chambers; please silence
those now. No clapping, or applauding, heckling or verbal outbursts, support or opposition to a
speaker or his remarks shall be permitted; anyone doing such thing could be subject to arrest.
No signs or placards shall be allowed in the Commission chambers. Any person making
offensive remarks or becomes unruly in the Commission chambers will be barred from further
attending Commission meetings. Any person with a disability or requiring assistance, auxiliary
aids and services for this meeting may notift, the City Clerk. Persons exiting the Commission
chambers shall do so quietly and quickly. The meeting shall end at the conclusion of the
regularly scheduled second budget meeting agenda being heard or as modified by the Chair.
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Meeting Minutes September 23, 2014
Please note, Commissioners have generally been briefed by City staff and the City Attorney on
the items on the agenda today. At this time, the Administration will make any announcements
needed. Thankyou.
Chair Gort: Thankyou, ma'am.
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Meeting Minutes September 23, 2014
SECOND BUDGET HEARING
BH.1 DISCUSSION ITEM
14-00818a
Office of Management FINAL PUBLIC HEARING TO DISCUSS THE PROPOSED MILLAGE AND
and Budget TENTATIVE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2014-15.
THE PROPOSED GENERAL OPERATING MILLAGE RATE OF 7.6465
FOR THE CITY OF MIAMI FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING
OCTOBER 1, 2014 AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2015 IS 12.26
PERCENT HIGHER THAN THE STATE -DEFINED ROLLED -BACK RATE
OF 6.8115.
CITY COMMISSION LISTENS AND RESPONDS TO CITIZENS'
COMMENTS REGARDING THE PROPOSED MILLAGE RATE AND THE
PROPOSED BUDGET. ACTION RELATED TO THIS DISCUSSION ITEM
OCCURS BY ENACTMENT OF BH.7 AND BH.8.
14-00818a Proposed Millage.pdf
DISCUSSED
Chair Gort: Mr. Mayor, you're recognized.
Mayor Tomas Regalado: Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Good afternoon, Chairman,
Vice Chairman, Commissioners. This is our second budget hearing, and we have heard you; we
have heard the residents; we have heard all the groups in the City ofMiami. And we have come
a long way in this budget process. We have come an even longer way since the lowest moments
of the 2010 budget. What is in front of you, the Manager's recommendation is a good budget
and a good solution for all. It adds a total of 80 net new police officers on top of the 35 in last
year's budget, including six new dedicated officers funded by the Southeast Overtown/Park West
CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency). Thank you very much, Chairman Hardemon and
Commissioners. On the first budget, we thanked the Chairman of the Omni CRA and the
Commissioners for the six officers. So today, as agreed by you, we have a budget with 80 new
net police officers on top of the 35 in last year's budget. This budget also adds a total of one
point two hundred and fifty thousand dollars for the Poverty Initiative. This budget addresses
the backlog in our tree permit sanction of Planning & Zoning Department. Now, to afford this,
we have used some savings in different departments. We have reduced the number of vehicles
planned to purchase next year, and we do not plan to convert temporary employees to fulltime.
We also have reduced reserve for about half a million dollar [sic], but we still lowered the
overall property tax rate for the fourth year in a row. We have grown reserve; not as much, but
we still are growing the reserve, and add the other improvement included in the proposed budget
of July [sic] 9 that you all discussed on the first budget hearing. So that's basically what this
proposal is in front of you. I give you now the City Manager, Daniel Alfonso.
Daniell Alfonso (City Manager): Good evening, Commissioners. Thank you. I'm going to be
very brief. We will have plenty of discussion today. I just want to take a moment of privilege
here and plug the Clerk's Office. They're having a fundraiser for the United Way, so if this
meeting goes long and you get hungry, they have pizza and soda out there, so just in case. Other
than that, I'm going to say we listened to the Commission and we brought back what the
Commission wanted, or at least what the Commission had asked for. We understand also this fits
with our strategic plan, you know, and the strategic plan, as we polled people, we realized that
public safety was a big priority, and so was Poverty Initiatives. So we are bringing this budget
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to you today -- excuse me -- and for continuing with the order of business, the Budget director
will read into the record the required items as to the millage.
Christopher Rose (Director): Good evening, Commissioners. Chris Rose, Office ofManagement
& Budget. The proposed general operating millage rate is 7.6465 mills for the City ofMiami for
the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2014 and ending September 30, 2015. That operating
millage rate is 12.26 percent higher than the State -defined rollback rate of 6.8115 mills.
Chair Gort: Thankyou, sir. We will now have the public hearing open for those individuals
would like to discuss the items in front of us.
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): Thank you, Chair. I do have a few people that have signed up to
speak, and the public hearing will be open for items BH.1, BH.7 andBH.8. The first person that
I have is Albio Castillo.
Albio Castillo: Good afternoon, gentlemen. My name is Albio Castillo. I live in 2235 Southwest
15th Terrace. I'd like to know, we're going to have a problem with the Police Department of
people retirement with the Fire and Police, we now -- I make a suggestion to you: Just check the
drop-off list in these two departments. And I'd also like to know if anybody could tell me if
they're hiring people for fingerprinting, 'cause we're getting a lot of burglaries; if -- is that
department -- are there adding people [sic]. I also like to know is if the City ofMiami is going to
do something with Flagstone. It's been 13 years. I know it's been in litigation, but it's about time
that the City does something about that. I'd like to also -- that the trolley is a good thing, 'cause
I sometimes take it and it's very helpful for citizens that don't have money. The routes are
excellent, 'cause it's a good alternative. I'd like to know if -- is anything is going to be done on
these issues that I have said? And my finger -- I covered everything. Any question from the
Administration? Any question from the Commission?
Chair Gort: Thankyou, Albio; appreciate it.
Mr. Castillo: You're welcome.
Chair Gort: Mr. Manager, I want to make sure you made -- take notes during the presentation of
the public so we can answer some of the questions later on. Thank you. Next.
Mr. Hannon: Mariano Cruz.
Mr. Castillo: Excuse me. I forgot to -- if the Chairman says -- I'd like to know also, what is the
City going to do about living facilities in the City ofMiami? I know the Commissioner, District 3
did something about this, and my Commissioner has been working hard on this in Tallahassee
that we should do something; Tallahassee's not doing nothing about this. It's been three years
since nothing is being done in Tallahassee. I think we have either lobbyist or liaison andl think
the City should take this bull by the horn. Thank you for letting me say that, sir.
Chair Gort: Thankyou.
Mariano Cruz: Mariano Cruz, 1227 Northwest 26th Street, Miami. I do not come here as a City
taxpayer, 'cause I don't pay taxes to the City, but I pay taxes to the Federal Government, capital
gain, 401(k), whatever, deferred comp. or everything, with a lot of money in Federal taxes, but
not City, 'cause I get service -collected disability and all that, but I am a City resident. I live in
the City of Miami since 1963, before any of you were around here -- oh, not you; you been here a
long time. But I want to know things, whatever happen. I laugh when I hear the Mayor in radio
talking about things. Last night in Faria Show, I was laughing about that. No, we don't have to
fire anybody. Oh, they don't fire people. They say, "Your service are no longer needed." Oh,
that's not firing you, a euphemism? It's still telling you termination, firing. Lourdes Loyal
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working there and a good worker. I don't know how many of you -- you know what happened?
Because the one that rules the Mayor office is Mikki Canton; Mikki Canton, that's the one that
rules the Mayor's office. Another one thing --
Chair Gort: The budget.
Mr. Cruz: -- I want to know what's going on with EB-5 (Employment -Based Category 5 Visa).
We start EB-5. Manuel over here, and me, we start in Allapattah EB-5, and now -- more than
two years ago, and we have a meeting there, and you know what happened? Mikki and -- they
stole our -- the other day came news of the week and all that. Oh, news of the week, oh, the
EB-5. What is that?
Chair Gort: Okay, we'll explain it to you.
Mr. Cruz: Well, I want that -- we allocate a hundred thousand dollar last year for EB-5. What
they have done? I was in Philadelphia the other day. They got plenty of Chinese people going
there --
Chair Gort: Right.
Mr. Cruz: -- in other cities, okay? Thankyou.
Chair Gort: Thankyou. Next.
Mr. Hannon: Sean Moy.
Sean Moy: Good afternoon, Commissioners. Sean Moy, General Employees Local 1907, 4011
West Flagler Street, Unit 405; just wanted to talk to you guys about four years ago, general
employees took significant pay cuts to our benefits. I have had the opportunity to talk to some of
you guys. The concessions that we took are in excess of $88 million. Four years ago, we made a
commitment to the City that the employees would do their part to be able to withstand the cuts so
long as we got our benefits restored. I think it's about time; this is the right time to begin to start
doing the restoration of our benefits. City finances are doing better; they have improved. The
amount of restoration that's been budgeted for is just not enough to split amongst four unions --
five and a half million dollars -- firefighters, police officers, general employees and solid waste
workers; it's just not going to get it done. We want -- we negotiated with the Manager in best
faith, but we need something more structured, something -- a lot more allocated to the employees
is -- we just want what's fair. I think Commissioner Suarez said it best: We have brutalized our
employees, and our lives have changed forever. Some of the members have lost their homes,
their cars; they're not able to provide for their families. We got to start the process of restoring
the benefits. The general employees have done our part. We're just the same as all of you; we're
no different. We have working families and kids to provide for. The right thing and the right
decision is to restore the benefits for general employees, firefighters, police officers and solid
waste workers. I stand here on behalf of all of them here today. Please restore our benefits and
pay. This must stop now. Thank you.
Chair Gort: Thankyou. Next.
Mr. Hannon: Jean Souffrant.
Jean Souffrant: Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Jean Souffrant with Notre Dame,
located at 130 Northeast 2nd Street in the heart of Little Haiti, and l just wanted to bring -- to
show some support for one of the items that's being talked about this evening, the Poverty
Initiative. I'm part of I would say, the largest Haitian community here in the City ofMiami,
which is Notre Dame'd Haiti, and although we've done a great deal of things to help the
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community, we'll still remain likely one of the most impoverished communities in the City. And
having the funds for a Poverty Initiative would greatly help some of the programs that we have
for our young people, the elderly that flock to the church on a regular basis. So I highly
encourage you all to support this initiative so we, as constituents of the City, can somewhat
benefit from these funds, so I thank you.
Chair Gort: Thankyou, sir. Next.
Mr. Hannon: Peter Ehrlich.
Peter Ehrlich: Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Mayor, Commissioners. My name is Peter
Ehrlich; address is 720 Northeast 69th Street in Bayside, andl work in Lemon City on 59th
Street. Just -- I know the budget issue is extremely complicated, but I just have two brief points,
simplified. Please endeavor not to increase taxes, and please work as hard as you can to reduce
expenses. I know our Miami -Dade County tax bill includes taxes that go to the County, and
taxes that go to the School Board, so when people look at the entire bill, they don't always
understand that there's three segments of government that are getting part of our money. And my
second point is that please consider our scenic beauty. In that regard, on Monday, when the
Miami Worldcenter item comes up, please endeavor to amend the proposed development
agreement so that billboards of an unlimited size and unlimited height are not allowed, and
amend it so that that responsibility goes to the Planning Department. A more scenic Miami
would be more attractive to residents and the tourists, and we'll all benefit. Thank you very
much.
Chair Gort: Thankyou.
Mr. Hannon: The last speaker that I have signed up for items BH.1, 7, and 8, which is the City
of Miami's budget, is Javier Ortiz.
Javier Ortiz: Hi, everyone. Sergeant Javier Ortiz, Miami Fraternal Order ofPolice president,
710 Southwest 12th Avenue. All the unions have been saying the same thing for the past four or
five years now, restoring our benefits. Out of all the union organizations that represent our
employees here in the City ofMiami, the Miami Fraternal Order ofPolice is extremely close in
reaching a tentative agreement. We have done everything in our part to make it happen. We
were -- just to keep you up to date of what's going on, we have been waiting for what was
supposedly going to be a tentative agreement as of Monday morning. It's Tuesday at 5 p.m.; we
still have not received it. There -- it's completely out of our hands; it's in management hands.
We are doing everything possible to work with the City, but it's now the City's turn to get it going.
Thank you.
Chair Gort: Thankyou. Next.
Mr. Hannon: Chair, I have no remaining speakers for the City of Miami's budget.
Chair Gort: Thankyou.
BH.2 DISCUSSION ITEM
14-00819a
Downtown DISCUSSION OF PROPOSED MILLAGE RATE AND FINAL BUDGET FOR
Development THE MIAMI DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.
Authority
PERCENTAGE INCREASE IN MILLAGE OVER ROLLED -BACK RATE.
RESPONSE: 13.4% (0.478 IS THE PROPOSED RATE, 0.4215 IS THE
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ROLLED -BACK RATE)
CITY COMMISSION LISTENS AND RESPONDS TO CITIZENS COMMENTS
REGARDING THE PROPOSED MILLAGE AND EXPLAINS THE REASONS
FOR THE INCREASE OVER THE ROLLED -BACK RATE.
14-00819a Proposed Millage.pdf
DISCUSSED
Chair Gort: Budget Hearing 1. We already did that. DDA (Downtown Development Authority).
Alyce Robertson: Good evening. Alyce Robertson, executive director of the Miami Downtown
Development Authority. The public hearing item today is on the proposed millage and the final
budget for the Miami Downtown Development Authority. This is -- there is a percentage
increase over the rollback rate of 13.4 percent. The proposed rate is flat from what we levied last
year at .478, andl guess as far as the -- I guess they have to have -- open the public hearing then
now, so if there's anything else, I'll be glad to answer any questions you may have.
Chair Gort: Okay. Anyone would like to address the DDA budget hearing? You're recognized,
Mr. Cruz.
Mariano Cruz: Mariano Cruz, 1227 26th. I know Alyce since he [sic] was working in the
County and we went there, and she good working in the County and good work in the DDA, so I
agree with what she's saying there. Thank you.
Chair Gort: Great. Thank you. Anyone else?
Ms. Robertson: Mariano andl have been friends --
Chair Gort: Seeing none --
Ms. Robertson: -- for a long time.
Chair Gort: -- hearing none, we'll close the public hearing.
BH.3 ORDINANCE Second Reading
14-00820
Downtown AN ORDINANCE OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
Development ATTACHMENT(S), RELATED TO TAXATION, DEFINING AND DESIGNATING
Authority THE TERRITORIAL LIMITS OF THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT
DISTRICT ("DISTRICT') OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA ("CITY"); FIXING
THE FINAL MILLAGE AND LEVYING TAXES IN SAID CITY DISTRICT FOR
THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2014 AND ENDING
SEPTEMBER 30, 2015, AT .478 MILLS ON THE DOLLAR OF NONEXEMPT
ASSESSED VALUE OF ALL REAL AND PERSONAL PROPERTY IN SAID
DISTRICT; PROVIDING THAT SAID MILLAGE AND THE LEVYING OF TAXES
WITHIN THE TERRITORIAL LIMITS OF THE CITY AS REFLECTED IN THE
CITY'S MILLAGE LEVY ORDINANCE FOR THE AFORESAID FISCAL YEAR
WHICH IS REQUIRED BY CITY CHARTER SECTION 27, SECTION 14-60 OF
THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS AMENDED, AND
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FLORIDA STATUTES SECTIONS 200.065 AND 200.081; PROVIDING THAT
THE FIXING OF THE MILLAGE AND THE LEVYING OF TAXES HEREIN
SHALL BE IN ADDITION TO SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS; PROVIDING THAT
THIS ORDINANCE SHALL NOT BE DEEMED AS REPEALING OR AMENDING
ANY OTHER ORDINANCE FIXING MILLAGE OR LEVYING TAXES, BUT
SHALL BE DEEMED SUPPLEMENTAL AND IN ADDITION THERETO;
CONTAINING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE AND PROVIDING FOR AN
EFFECTIVE DATE.
14-00820 Memo - DDA SR. pdf
14-00820 DDA Resolution FR/SR.pdf
14-00820 Pre -Legislation FR/SR.pdf
14-00820 Back -Up from Law Dept FR/SR.pdf
14-00820 Legislation SR.pdf
14-00820 Exhibit A SR. pdf
ACTIONS BY THE CITY COMMISSION:
1. RECOMPUTE THE PROPOSED MILLAGE RATE, IF NECESSARY
2. ADOPT THE FINAL MILLAGE RATE
Motion by Commissioner Sarnoff, seconded by Vice Chair Hardemon, that this matter be
ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 5 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff, Carollo, Suarez and Hardemon
13477
Chair Gort: Yes.
Commissioner Sarnoff. Move it.
Chair Gort: It's been moved by Commissioner Sarnoff second for discussion by Vice Chairman
Hardemon.
ToddB. Hannon (City Clerk): And Chair, for the record, the motion is item BH.3.
Chair Gort: Correct.
Commissioner Carollo: AndBH.3, just to veri, is for the tentative millage, correct?
Mr. Hannon: This will be adopting the final millage for the DDA.
Chair Gort: You're recognized, Vice Chair. Discussion; any further discussion? Being none, all
in favor, state it by saying "aye."
Mr. Hannon: Chair, Chair.
Chair Gort: Yes.
Mr. Hannon: My apologies; it is an ordinance.
Chair Gort: An ordinance; my apologies.
The Ordinance was read by title into the public record by the City Attorney.
Mr. Hannon: Roll call on item BH.3.
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A roll call was taken, the result of which is stated above.
Mr. Hannon: The ordinance passes on second reading, 5-0.
Chair Gort: Thank you.
BH.4 RESOLUTION
14-00821a
Downtown A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION ADOPTING A FINAL
Development BUDGET IN THE AMOUNT OF $8,972,156.00 AND MAKING
Authority APPROPRIATIONS FROM THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT AD
VALOREM TAX LEVY AND OTHER MISCELLANEOUS INCOME FOR THE
DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ("DDA") OF THE CITY OF
MIAMI, FLORIDA ("CITY") FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1,
2014 AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2015; AUTHORIZING THE DDA TO
INVITE AND ADVERTISE REQUIRED BIDS; PROVIDING FOR BUDGETARY
FLEXIBILITY; PROVIDING THAT THIS RESOLUTION BE DEEMED
SUPPLEMENTAL AND IN ADDITION TO THE RESOLUTION MAKING
APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2014
AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2015 FOR THE OPERATIONS OF THE CITY.
14-00821a Memo - DDA.pdf
14-00821a DDA Resolution.pdf
14-00821 a Back -Up -DDA Trim Forms. pdf
14-00821a Back -Up from Law Dept. pdf
14-00821a Legislation.pdf
ACTIONS BY THE CITY COMMISSION:
1. AMEND THE BUDGET, IF NECESSARY
2. ADOPT THE FINAL BUDGET
Motion by Commissioner Sarnoff, seconded by Commissioner Carollo, that this matter be
ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 4 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff, Carollo and Hardemon
Absent: 1 - Commissioner(s) Suarez
R-14-0359
Chair Gort: Budget.
Alyce Robertson: All right. The budget -- this is the -- for a budget that totals 8.657 million. A
million and a half of that is, as I presented at the last budget hearing, for signage and way
finding, and we're hoping that goes forward this year and that it's completed within the next
fiscal year; been rolling that over for several years on end. The taxable value in the DDA
(Downtown Development Authority) District has gone up to $13.4 billion, and I'd like to point
out that's actually bill -- larger than the City of Coral Gables. So we've been growing in leaps
and bounds in the DDA District. So unless there's questions, specific questions, I'm here to
answer them.
Chair Gort: We haven't opened the public hearings. Anyone in the public would like to address
this issue? You're recognized.
Al Crespo: Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and members of the Commission. Couple of months
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ago, I sent a public records request to the executive director of the DDA, because the DDA was
putting together a promotional book for Commissioner Sarnoff, extolling his many
accomplishments in the last seven years he's been a Commissioner. I'd like to find out how much
of their DDA budget was expended in the preparation of this book, and whether or not they're
going to pay for its publishing. This is using public money to promote the Commissioner. Well,
isn't that great, huh, Commissioner? You look so great in some of those photos; almost like you
were a model.
Commissioner Sarnoff. I saw your new prison photo. You looked pretty good there, too.
Mr. Crespo: I did, yeah, I know, I know.
Commissioner Sarnoff. It's amazing what a little --
Chair Gort: Okay, excuse me, excuse me.
Mr. Crespo: I know what you would look like in prison.
Commissioner Sarnoff. -- makeup will do.
Chair Gort: Let's keep decorum, please.
Mr. Crespo: I know what your makeup -- I know what you would look like, punk.
Chair Gort: Excuse me.
Commissioner Sarnoff. Sorry?
Mr. Crespo: Sony?
Chair Gort: Excuse me.
Commissioner Sarnoff. I didn't hear what --
Mr. Crespo: Sony?
Commissioner Sarnofff. -- what you --
Mr. Crespo: Did you say "sorry"?
Chair Gort: Hey --
Mr. Crespo: Did you bring up 'Prison"?
Commissioner Sarnoff. (UNINTET,TIGIBT,F).
Mr. Crespo: Yes, sir.
Chair Gort: You're out of order, come on. Let's --
Mr. Crespo: Yes, sir.
Chair Gort: -- keep it -- go ahead, sir.
Mr. Crespo: I'm just making a request.
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Chair Gort: Thankyou.
Mr. Crespo: I'll match any bet, pal.
Commissioner Sarnoff. I'm sorry?
Chair Gort: Thankyou, sir.
Mr. Crespo: I said, `I'll match any bet."
Commissioner Sarnoff. Bet?
Mr. Crespo: Bet.
Chair Gort: Gentlemen, come on. We got a lot --
Commissioner Sarnoff. I offered you a competition.
Chair Gort: -- long way to go. Yes, ma'am, is any -- anyone else would like to address this
Commission on this item? Seeing none, hearing none, we close the public hearing. This is a
resolution. I need a motion.
Commissioner Sarnoff. So move.
Chair Gort: Moved by Commissioner Sarnoff. Is there a second?
Commissioner Carollo: Second for discussion.
Chair Gort: Second by Commissioner Carollo. Discussion. Commissioner, you're recognized.
Commissioner Carollo: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. First of all, I'd like to thank Alyce Robertson
for providing me the additional information that requested, and speaking with me over the
phone. I will admit still think the salaries are high, andl know some received more than 10
percent raises; however, you mentioned that the reason for that is because you were going to
lose personnel if those raises didn't occur, and you didn't want to lose the personnel. Listen, in
all fairness, I still think some of the expenses are quite high or budgeted for expenses, but, listen,
you have a Commissioner as your chairman, and you have very educated and highly respected
people on your board, and if they're okay with their budget, then I will be flexible andl would
approve it. There is one issue that I do want to bring up, and that's your office expense. I know
I've brought it up in the past, 'cause it's quite high, butl don't know what your agreement is, but
it went -- even though it's been extremely high -- extremely, extremely high over the years -- it
went up 10 percent for this current year andl just -- I'm just amazed that it's even higher than
what it was before. So I don't know if that's part of the agreement, and if -- and I think -- and as
-- and we've spoken about this before, so I don't know how many years is the agreement, or
where are we with the lease of the office, but it's just -- again, this is the people's money, andl
just rather it be used, you know, for the reasons that this DDA was created instead of it being for
office expense.
Ms. Robertson: Yes, Commissioner, ifI may address that. Approximately two years ago, we
went through a six-month process of reviewing what we needed to do as far as the office space,
and we had two professionals on our board who worked with us; it was Ms. Danette Linares and
Commissioner Carollo: Mm-hmm.
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Ms. Robertson: -- Jerome Hollo. Both worked on the committee to take a look at that, and it
was made a determination that the current office space we're in is part of the deal when we
market downtown Miami to foreign -- we've hosted many different groups, including the City's
bond counsel and others. We host different kinds of meetings, and that's part of the marketing
strategy for marketing downtown, is being in that office space. At the time -- in fact, for the
office that we're in, we're very lucky we negotiated it back then; otherwise, it would be much
higher now than it was two years ago. And there is an escalation clause that comes in, andl
don't remember off the top of the head -- my head. Do you remember?
Commissioner Carollo: It's over 10 percent.
Ms. Robertson: Okay. As part of the negotiated deal -- andl had forgotten -- they gave us one
month of free rent last year, and so it looks like it's going up by that one month, because it was
only offered for one year. There's five percent escalation every year.
Commissioner Sarnoff Can I --
Chair Gort: Thank you.
Commissioner Sarnoff -- address that, Mr. Chair?
Chair Gort: Yes, sir, go ahead.
Commissioner Sarnoff Commissioner, just so you know, like yourself, I was thinking of putting
the DDA maybe a little bit closer to the first floor and/or down on the bottom.
Commissioner Carollo: Understood.
Commissioner Sarnoff We did an analysis to see if we could either rent or purchase a building,
'cause if you recall, about two and a half, three years ago -- this probably was done three years
ago -- we were pretty much in the bottom of the recession. We had two very respected people on
the DDA that actually did the analysis of purchase, rent, and the move, and the effective lease
rate, and we actually were very fortunate -- I actually wish my law firm were as fortunate -- to
have captured the dip. And as you project this out, I think the effective lease rate is something in
the neighborhood of between 26 and $32 a square foot and I'd love to be paying that from a
business standpoint. It's an extremely effective lease rate that -- I think a lot of us had thought
maybe it's time to move to different digs, if you will, and that expression is appropriate, and what
we determined was it was actually more effective to stay where we were. And, obviously, we
captured a very good first year, and then it escalates every so often, as most commercial leases
do.
Chair Gort: Could you do me a favor and explain to the public? 'Cause we understand, but the
public might not be aware. This is a special tax paid by the property owners.
Ms. Robertson: Right. It's a millage on top of the City's millage of .478, and that's paid by the
parcels that are located within the boundaries that were just read into the record by the City
Attorney. And the purpose of the DDA is to make it the most economically -- to drive the
economic development of our largest employment center in South Florida. And, in fact, we
recently did a study by Remy, and it shows that the employment in downtown Miami actually
exceeds that of Disney World in its impact on Florida. So, I mean, I think this is one of the --
while it looks high from a typical government perspective, it really is an effective marketing tool
in the physical plant, itself.
Chair Gort: I can tell you, I go back to the time when Roy Kenzie was there and the whole thing
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began, and what you have today in downtown Miami, Brickell area and all that, is thanks to the
work done by the DDA.
Ms. Robertson: Thankyou. Andl think one of the things that even from the time I've been there,
which has been the last six years, we've seen the public space of downtown change in its
appearance. It's cleaner, it's -- there's more pedestrians on the street, and so.
Chair Gort: I also understand as the term finishes for the chairperson of the DDA, the book
comes out that can tell the -- what the person has done during the seven years or the eight years.
Thank you.
Ms. Robertson: Thankyou.
Chair Gort: Anyone else? Okay, it's a resolution. All in favor, state it by saying "aye.
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
BH.5 RESOLUTION
14-00816
Civilian Investigative A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
Panel ATTACHMENT(S), APPROVING THE ANNUAL BUDGET FOR THE CIVILIAN
INVESTIGATIVE PANEL IN THE AMOUNT OF $744,100.00, ATTACHED AND
INCORPORATED, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR COMMENCING OCTOBER 1,
2014 AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2015.
14-00816 Memo - CIP.pdf
14-00816 Back -Up from Law Dept.pdf
14-00816 Legislation.pdf
14-00816 Exhibit.pdf
14-00816-Submittal-Bradford Brown -Statement on CIP Budget.pdf
Motion by Vice Chair Hardemon, seconded by Commissioner Sarnoff, that this matter be
ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 5 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff, Carollo, Suarez and Hardemon
R-14-0360
Chair Gort: BH.5, City ofMiami Civilian Investigative Panel.
Horacio Stuart -Aguirre: Chairman Gort, Vice Chairman Hardemon, Horacio Stuart -Aguirre as
the recently -elected chairman of the City ofMiami Civilian Investigative Panel; offices at 97
Southeast 1st Street. With me is the executive director, Ms. Cristina Beamud, and our
presentation is a team effort, the two of us. We're coming back to you for the second time with a
new and improved budget; we've reduced it. Ms. Beamud was able to take a very sharp pencil to
the budget we showed you two weeks ago, so we're coming back today asking for about 28,500
less than what we asked for two weeks ago. As a matter of fact, the long-term effect of that
reduction is even greater, because when we came to you two weeks ago, we were sticking to the
six employees that we had been begging for, for the last couple of years. And Ms. Beamud andl
sat down, and she looked at her plan and her vision, based on her -- I won't say how long -- but
many years of experience in this profession, and she thinks that we can run a new and improved,
and very effective Civilian Investigative Panel with just five people for right now, and not six. So
not only are we asking for 28,000 and some less than we did two weeks ago, but by having one
person less, the backroom cost of carrying employees will actually be lower in the course of the
coming years. So our total request today is lower than it was two weeks ago, and it's real, it's
sharp, and it's effective, and it will work. Cris.
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Chair Gort: Thankyou.
Cristina Beamud: Yes, thank you. What I've done is I've tried to rearrange some of the
personnel cost, 'cause we know that personnel costs really eat up most of any budget, and what
we've decided to do is to eliminate one of the administrative aides and give a higher salary and a
different title -- analyst, title 2, and replace the investigate -- one of the investigator positions
with an analyst position. So now, we will have one investigator, one analyst, and one
investigator 2. We will have one admin. (administrative) in the office. Andl wanted to add as
well that realize that the Commission is very interested in public safety, and l just wanted to at
least explain why I think that this should be calculated with your public safety costs, and that is
because where you have a community that trusts and cooperates with the police, you have a
lower crime rate, and that's one of the major goals that we have; not only myself, but the
members of the panel.
Chair Gort: The total budget is?
Mr. Stuart -Aguirre: Right now?
Chair Gort: Yeah.
Mr. Stuart -Aguirre: I'll tell you in a second. 744,100.
Chair Gort: Okay, thank you. We now open the public hearings and is anyone in the public
would like to address? You have --
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): The first speaker that I have is Gary Johnson.
Gary Johnson: Commissioner, Gary Johnson, president of SCLC. I'll reserve my comments until
the independent panel that's on the review considers some issues that still are involved with the
CIP (Civilian Investigative Panel) Board. So I want to reserve until that is resolved and you
have your final report. I thank all the Commissioners for the opportunity and the great job you
continue to do. Thankyou.
Chair Gort: Thankyou. Next.
Mr. Hannon: Jeanne Baker.
Jeanne Baker: Good afternoon. I am here, as I have been several times, on behalf of the CIP
Community Coalition and the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) in particular, but we have
in the audience representatives of NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored
People), PULSE (People United to Lead the Struggle for Equality), our own ACLU, and other
organizations that have all combined to really try very hard to improve the functioning of the
CIP over the last few years. It has not yet been stated to you from this podium today, but I hope
that you will hear from the new chairman of the CIP and the executive director that they have
found a way to implement what we have referred to before you as a settlement that is what I
would like to urge and call an elegant solution to a problem. I was a philosophy major in
college, andl was taught by one of my philosophy professors that an elegant solution is a
solution that solves several different problems all at once. And we have before you and are
requesting that this Commission adopt an elegant solution. It is a solution that, first of all,
would totally satisfy this Commission with respect to its budgetary request. The Commission
asked that the CIP's budget be reduced, and they came before you two weeks ago with an
$860, 000 request, which they've now reduced to 744,000; savings, real money for the City, just
as you requested. So the settlement proposal that we're going to be asking you to endorse allows
that savings for the City. It also would allow afresh start for the CIP. The community and the
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representatives here are a testament to it, have been -- and today's Herald article was also
testament to it. The community has been asking for a more vigorous, a more activist CIP, and we
have a new executive director who has a different vision, and a vision which the community is
very much in tune with. There's an independent counsel who has served for quite a few years.
There's been a lot of toing andfroing, and back and forth discussion about whether the
independent counsel has been satisfactory to the community. A solution is there that Mr. Mays, I
understand, is present and is delighted to accept. And under the solution, there would be no
additional money; that the payment to him would be over a two-year period of time.
Commissioner, I see that your --
Chair Gort: Thankyou, ma'am.
Ms. Baker: I --
Chair Gort: Talk about the budget, the budget, the rest of the budget and that's what we're
talking to.
Ms. Baker: Well, I definitely want to support the budget request that has been made by the CIP
Chair Gort: Thankyou.
Ms. Baker: -- chairman and the executive director, andl hope you will also consider the
community's needs and come up with a peaceful solution to everybody's satisfaction. Thank you.
Chair Gort: Next.
Mr. Hannon: Bradford Brown.
Bradford Brown: Good evening, Mr. Chair and Commissioners. Name is Brad Brown. I'm the
vice president of the Miami -Dade NAACP. Last week, I had the opportunity to discuss police
community issues with the formerly leader of the Pittsburgh, New York [sic] NAACP. In the late
1990s, following a police shooting of unarmed black men, Pittsburgh was investigated by the
U.S. (United States) Department ofJustice, and later signed a consent decree with a great deal
of attention to handling of police complaints. Like Miami, the citizens voted to establish a
Civilian Oversight Board with subpoena power. I was discouraged to hear the view that he felt
the process had not been effective in dealing with police shootings. Similarly, in Miami, when
the CIP was founded with subpoena power, I, along with others, hoped the situation would
change in Miami with regard to deadly shootings of unarmed black men. Yet, the recent
Department of Justice findings makes it clear that conditions have not changed despite the
presence of the CIP. We know that the Justice Department has considered the CIP in its
investigations. The NAACP is pushing for the consent decree between Justice and the City to be
signed to move forward faster than going the court would -- route would be. I believe that there
is a possibility for the CIP to become a real force, but if and only if there is a leadership at staff
and panel levels that will push the envelope in this area. A conservative route can only lead the
CIP irrelevant, and we could no longer, in good conscience, refer cases to the CIP. We take this
position with no malice or judgment of the individuals who have been in place and their overall
skills in their professions; only that the results are not there, as shown by the Justice
Department's findings, and thus, a change needs to be made, and urge you to support a budget
that could allow this to happen amicably. The NAACP is also firmly convinced that the senior
staff of the CIP be inclusive ofAfrican Americans, and will continue to work in that direction,
and are aware that progress is being made. In addition, if the independent counsel's task is
contracted we will work to ensure that black law firms get full opportunity and consideration,
recognizing that they may bring a unique understanding to this task. Thank you.
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Chair Gort: Thankyou, sir. Next.
Mr. Hannon: Renita Holmes.
Renita Holmes: Good evening, Mr. Chair, Commissioners. My name is Madam Renita Holmes.
I'm the executive director of the Women's Association Alliance Against Injustice and Violence,
Wave of Education, Advocacy and Support, and we originate from -- basically speaks for itself.
We began in 1993 in public housing where we just did not fit the profile; where quite often, many
of us who are there now, many of us who are moving towards affordable housing and who are
being gentrified across from the waterfront colonization as a result of this great drastic change to
create a global city where women and mothers are -- particularly in my community and in our
district, Commissioner Hardemon -- are now still suffering. I have a folder of complaints that
have yet gotten to the CIP; however, I can tell you that brought three successful "stand your
ground" cases to the CIP, and I'm not an attorney; just a great paralegal. But we've done that.
We've resolved our issues. However, you cannot represent with our Florida Bar -- I'm just
looking at my little hair sticking out here, 'cause I get excited on this issue. I'm not one to think
in simple mathematics when women are offended, when women are losing their children as a
result of their protectors, who have issues or we still have a police agency which we put tons of
money into, to hire new officers, who have yet to resolve their internal issues that we are really
being positively assured that the rights to quality of life and protection is being provided. The
CIP is an instrument for that. I look at -- in closing, I just want to say this, 'cause this is real
simple. We spent so much money on litigation with consent decrees and Department ofJustice
which somehow just pushed us further in these potential areas of being arrested for poverty and
other things as I described. Wouldn't this seem unfair in balancing a budget to take money from
those who do mediation, who allow us to do conflict resolution; particularly with the right
components now that are best practices? Which we are now even going through litigation with
the attorney that's on the board, does that make sense in mathematics? Does that make sense in
fairness? I encourage you to fully fund extend the funds, save me some work, working freebie
before law school, and maybe not have a lot of pissed off moms now coming, too, because things
are still going on. Just think about it. If you can keep a child safe, keep an officer safe and stop
this ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) situation here at home, put some money into it. There's
just some things you can't cut back on. Thank you so kindly.
Chair Gort: Thankyou. Next.
Mr. Hannon: Nathan Kurland.
Nathan Kurland: Nathan Kurland, 3132 Day Avenue. I come before you as a resident, City of
Miami. I fully support funding the CIP. I believe every great city that aspires to be a great city
should have not only a well -compensated police force, but also a CIP that prevents the abuse of
same force. It is also imperative that we understand the absolute necessity of supporting. It's my
-- my only problem here is that, unfortunately, we had to cut an investigator out of the budget for
the CIP. I believe one investigator might not be enough, but truly believe that this is very, very
important to all of us as citizens. Please support funding the CIP. Thankyou.
Chair Gort: Thankyou. Next.
Mr. Hannon: Javier Ortiz.
Javier Ortiz: Sergeant Javier Ortiz, Miami Fraternal Order ofPolice president, 710 Southwest
12th Avenue. Paying off an attorney is not an elegant solution. I know that one of the main
issues watching and monitoring the CIP ourselves that there's this whole issue with the subpoena
power. It is the position of the Fraternal Order ofPolice that it's a violation of our Bill of
Rights. All over the State, the FOP (Fraternal Order ofPolice) has been successful in stopping
this subpoena power in other CIPs. They mentioned the Department of Justice findings. There
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no longer is a pattern or practice. And as far as the money, what that money should be utilized
instead of trying to pay off an attorney, is use that money to either put another investigator, fund
another investigator for the Internal Affairs Division, or use that money for something more
important, like affordable housing. In my tenure and my experience here with the Miami Police
Department, I patrol the areas of Overtown, Model City, especially the areas of the Pork 'N
Beans, and one of the things that -- and we were just talking about it the other day with several
police officers -- is that it's the same thing; history repeats itself over and over again. And what
needs to change there is they need to start funding proper housing for that area, not keeping it
the way it's been all these years. Thankyou.
Chair Gort: Thankyou. Next.
Mr. Hannon: Mariano Cruz.
Mariano Cruz: Mariano Cruz, 1227 26th Street. I support the money for the CIP, because the
CIP serve -- I remember when the Leon case, the problem there on 57th and Flagler, even the
Mayor was almost arrested there, at the time there with the -- you know, there was something
going on. And like I say, I am a member ACLU, NRA (National Rifle Association) that covers
First and Second Amendment; member of Southern Polity Center, checkbook membership, no;
anyway, but I send money. But it's good, it's good to have something, I mean. I agree, it's little
money, very little money compared to the money sometimes we spend, because I look at the
agendas every meeting that we got the Commission. We got to pay thousand -- hundreds of
thousands of dollars in litigation on different things there. Thankyou.
Chair Gort: Thankyou, sir. Anyone else?
Mr. Hannon: The last person I have signed up to speak for item BH.5, the Civilian Investigative
Panel's fiscal year '15 budget, is Julia Dawson.
Julia Dawson: Thank you and good evening. Julia Dawson, 1701 Southwest 4 th Avenue,
Miami, Florida 33129. I am with the coalition that has been monitoring and studying the CIP
now for more than three and a half years. You've seen me up here many times. I hope that has
convinced you of the passion that I have for effective civilian oversight. I urge you to support
not just the budget that is before you for the CIP, which has been reworked and leaned down, but
also the proposal that would solve the other problems; the problem that we will refer to as "the
settlement"; that is extremely necessary. I would like to point out that at this point, the budget
for the CIP is less than one half of one percent of the budget for the Police Department. That is
a pittance by comparison. And even though it is, you've heard from the executive director that
she will be able to do a great deal of good with that amount. With your support behind her and
behind the CIP, that will be possible. So looking at that balance, $181 million versus $744,100,
less than one half of one percent, I hope that you will do whatever you can, listening to the
people that are coming to speak before you, to show that we can and will have in the City of
Miami a check and balance system; the very system that our government in this nation is based
on and relies on for good governance, and without which you cannot have good governance; all
you can have is an invitation to abuse, and an invitation to corruption, and an invitation to
misuse. So please support the check and balance that we have in this community, fund it, andl
thank you for your time.
Chair Gort: Thankyou, ma'am. Okay, we close the public hearings. Comments. Do I have a
motion?
Vice Chair Hardemon: What was the recommended -- Mr. Chairman, what was the
recommended amount from the Administration?
Mr. Alfonso: Commissioners, it's not a recommended amount from the Administration. This is
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the budget request from the Civilian Investigative Panel. The number is $741, 000 --
Vice Chair Hardemon: I believe it's 744,100?
Mr. Alfonso: Seven forty -four -one.
Commissioner Sarnoff. Seven --
Commissioner Suarez: Seven (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
Chair Gort: Seventy-four.
Commissioner Suarez: Dyslexia.
Ms. Dawson: Seven --
Chair Gort: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) --
Mr. Alfonso: Seven four --
Ms. Dawson: Seven -seven -four, one -zero -zero.
Chair Gort: That's including the surplus from last year?
Ms. Dawson: Yes.
Mr. Alfonso: Seven hundred and forty-four thousand, one hundred dollars.
Vice Chair Hardemon: And last year's approved budget was 742,200?
Mr. Alfonso: Correct. There's a $1,900 difference.
Vice Chair Hardemon: I move to approve the budget.
Commissioner Sarnoff. Second.
Chair Gort: It's been moved by Commissioner Sarnoff second by Commissioner -- excuse me --
Vice -- Motion by Vice Chairman Hardemon; second by Commissioner Sarnoff. Any further
discussion? Being none, all in favor, state it by saying, "aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Chair Gort: Thank you.
Mr. Stuart -Aguirre: Thank you, gentlemen.
BH.6 RESOLUTION
14-00732
Liberty City A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
Community ATTACHMENT(S), APPROVING THE LIBERTY CITY COMMUNITY
Revitalization Trust REVITALIZATION TRUSTS FISCAL YEAR 2014-2015 BUDGET, IN THE
AMOUNT OF $591,993.00, ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED, FOR THE
FISCAL YEAR COMMENCING OCTOBER 1, 2014 AND ENDING
SEPTEMBER 30, 2015.
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14-00732 Summary Form.pdf
14-00732 Back -Up from Law Dept.pdf
14-00732 Legislation.pdf
14-00732 Exhibit.pdf
Motion by Vice Chair Hardemon, seconded by Commissioner Suarez, that this matter be
ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 5 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff, Carollo, Suarez and Hardemon
R-14-0361
Chair Gort: Budget Hearing 6, the Liberty City Community Rehabilitation [sic] Trust. Yes,
ma'am.
Elaine Black: Good afternoon. My name is Elaine Black, Liberty City Community
Revitalization Trust, 4800 Northwest 12th Avenue. We're requesting a budget amount of
$591,993. We're happy to say that 350,000 of those dollars will be going to projects as a result
of the Bayside's SkyRise project; approximately $200, 000 will be going towards our budget. We
have been -- this is a increase in our budget for this year. We are adding one additional person.
Right now our budget is one person and three part-time people. Our goal is to leverage the
dollars that we'll be getting from the Bayside project to allow more projects to be accomplished
within the Liberty City community, because we need monies to put into projects within our
community. Our goal is to leverage it. Our Commissioner, Commissioner Hardemon, has
created a plan, and our goal is to go to the community, ensure that our Poverty Initiative Plan is
implemented within the Liberty City Community addressing many of the needs that have been
expressed here. So we are asking approval of our budget for this year. Thank you.
Chair Gort: Thankyou, ma'am. Is anyone in the public would like to address this issue?
Grady Muhammad: Good afternoon, Mr. Chair. Grady Muhammad --
Chair Gort: Yes, sir.
Mr. Muhammad: -- president and CEO (Chief Executive Officer) ofMiami-Dade First.
Commission, Mr. Mayor. Looking at the budget, there's no request granted by the district
Commissioner. They have 34 -- $43, 000 at the most; can't run and organization that way. The
lawsuit holding up the 350, as well as the 10 million to the City, we're urge the City to give the
funds adequately to the Liberty City Trust, and whenever those other funds come, we have to
ensure the community gets those dollars and use them for economic development. And one of the
things I got to do -- I think sent y'all e-mails (electronic). Because one of things we have to do
is create business development. Business development creates jobs. Always, like Commissioner
Sarnoff say, "You get the job, you can buy the house, you can walk the dog, you could get a
wife." But it's jobs, jobs, jobs first. Those are the things that's needed, a job. In business
development, businesses create those things. Everything else, it's great, it's needed. We have to
ensure, Mr. Vice Chairman, we have the necessary funds adequately to fund the Trust so they can
finally do what they were created to do and do the businesses, the homes that was approved in
March and all the other things that any -- the entity's supposed to do. They need help. We're
asking the Commissioners to help. Thank you.
Chair Gort: Thankyou. Anyone else? Seeing none --
Renita Holmes: I apologize. I am Madam Holmes again, and you know me. I just -- Mr.
Muhammad basically said it, and my point of concern. I've known Madam Black for a while,
since the beginning of time. And you say, "What's the relevancy? Is that the leadership?" But
then Madam Black is a black woman in charge of an agency in a black community that has not
had -- has had disproportionate funding, particularly in sustainability in comparison to any
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other agency, trust, or foundation that is dealing with public land. This Trust board, I've
watched it from the very creation and still attend meetings. Now, mind you, I'm a person with
disability, which is a large percentage. I'm about to get my McDonald's discount for coffee too.
I'm going to tell you that much. But I qualify like the rest of the folks in AARP (American
Association of Retired Persons). Managing a corporation and an organization in a growing
world where black women just don't get a part, when I go to these things that the University of
Miami do every day -- that's what we need to do. You can blow my Facebook, my Twitter, my
Tweet up. You say, "What's the relevancy?" There is a disparity. You cannot be an
administrator, go to all of these meetings, remain at high capacity education, train volunteers,
come here, make sure the paperwork is done on that. I know Bayside gets more than that. So
here's my question: According to the population that this organization serves with the land
issues that it serves, does it has the right amount of sustainable funds to leverage what it needs to
do for expansion, let alone sustainability and administration, in comparison to the others? I not
only ask you this question, through the Chair; I've asked HUD (Department of Housing and
Urban Development) that question. Why is the poorest community and the foundation of the
poorest community -- andl haven't -- Curley's House is facing the same. We get 1 percent of
what's given to other groups, but yet, we have that population. We have that land. So in all
fairness, we're going to back to ask the federal government for funds based on the entitlement
population that we have listed here. We suffice and she develops land in a community that has
more than just economic development and job development issues. We got plenty of folks around
there getting money, using our ZIP (Zone Improvement Plan) Code, saying they need it. I'm just
saying. We're asking some legal questions, some federal guideline questions, some
disproportionate expenditures, in all fairness. We don't want them guidelines, so in closing, how
do we take the poorest community, the one organization that's led by a black woman that's trying
to sustain families and black women and give them -- keeping us in the red? I don't think HUD
likes that. I know I don't.
Chair Gort: Thank you.
Ms. Holmes: Thank you.
Chair Gort: Anyone else? Close the public hearings. Motion? Discussion?
Vice Chair Hardemon: Mr. Chairman, ifI may?
Chair Gort: Sure.
Vice Chair Hardemon: It's one of those days where you know that when you start a discussion,
it's going to have all types of repercussions. You never know what the conversation is going to
turn into, but I will say this: I looked at some information -- I left some information at home. I
have too many -- I carry too many papers in too many different bags; that's my problem. But I
did get some summary of just some funding that the Liberty City Trust used to receive from the
general funds. So to be clear, in this budget, the Liberty City Community Revitalization Trust is
asking for about $199, 000, andl believe that was a decrease from the amount of money they
initially asked for from Administration, and that was the number that I told my City Manager
that would give him, a number that was below 200, 000. In 2001 they received about $700, 000
in general fund dollars; 2002, 650,000; 2003, 647,000; 2004, 641; 2005, 616. In 2001 I was
still at Miami Northwestern Senior High School, so I was not here, right. I was not here through
2005 either. I know that in 2000 -- andl have some gaps, butt know that in 2010, the amount
that they received was 46,943; of course, 2011, nothing; 2012, nothing; 2013, nothing.
Something that was very interesting -- of course, when the Liberty City Trust was initially started,
I mean, we had some great people that served on those boards, people that still come to the City
ofMiami today to lobby us; people like Lucia Dougherty. This organization was meant -- it was
created to actually do something in that community, and when it was created, it was given the
funds to attempt to get it done. And pay homage to our late Commissioner, Commissioner
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Arthur Teele, who was the brainchild of this, because when it was started, it had the land. When
it was started, it had the funds to actually do something. Andl think that if -- as the Trust has
begun to -- as the Trust was defunded and now trying to climb out of that, it's given us a lot more
issues in trying to solve the issues that we have within our community. I happened to stop by
55th Street and 7th Avenue, and there's a business there called Shantel's. The Mayor's very
familiar with it. He's given money towards Shantel's for economic development. It's a business
that sells food; provides music, live music; people sit there and they also talk. It's a community
business right there on 7th Avenue, the heart of where we're trying to do a lot of our
revitalization for businesses; one of the avenues, actually. It's also -- it's on 55th Street, like I
said. On 62nd Street, you know the County is providing that large investment. They have the
transit building -- the transit village, where you're going to have affordable housing, you're
going to have some businesses and things going to that avenue. So a lot of things are happening
on 7th Avenue. On 79th Street you already have affordable housing there, but there's another
hotel that has the -- bought and it's been redeveloped. It is the gateway through a lot of our
different communities. If you travel 7th Avenue, you could drive through not only my district, but
then Commissioner Gort's district and continue south. So the question is: Well, why do they
need money? What has happened differently from this organization that has set us apart from
any other organization is that this organization was able to be the benefactor of that $350, 000,
plus the annual -- the annuity of $200, 000, or the 1.5 percent increase. No other organization
that has been put in this position has been able to capture that. And the Commissioner to the left
of me knows very well what that means. That means that they'll have the money from the private
sector to do a lot of the development that we need in our communities. We're leveraging private
sector dollars to have some private, but ultimately a public benefit, a benefit to the City of
Miami. And with that type of commitment from the private sector, I think it would be silly of us
not to also throw our hands in the pot to make this happen. And one of the commitments thatl
made of that -- of those funds was that not a penny of it was going to go towards salaries. That
is purely for business development within that community, because that's what the community
needs. It needs more businesses. It's disheartening. I had a friend who was actually visiting
from out of the country, andl drove him down not in the City ofMiami, but drove him down in
North Miami. As we went through about 135th Street and -- we looked at a lot of the businesses
at nighttime and how the businesses were lit up, and all the opportunities we had to stop and
have a drink, or stop and have a hamburger, or stop and have a decent conversation with
people, and then I drove him down 7th Avenue, and you don't have that at all, except for
Shantel's, except for Shantel's. You do have an opportunity to stop there. We need more of the
economic development within our communities. And whatl appreciate about the Trust is, one,
we have a staff that is very knowledgeable, that's involved with not just the Trust but other
organizations that provide a great benefit to the City ofMiami, such as the Miami Children's
Initiative that do large fundraising and et cetera. And what the Trust will get better at is trying
to get those grant -- or getting grant dollars through the assistance of our City, having the
fundraises that it needs, because I don't want -- I think that the Trust at this time needs general
fund dollars to move forward, and it has now the private sector dollars to move forward, but I
also want to start to see the budget begin to increase but with grant dollars, with other dollars
that can be used to benefit the Liberty City area. The one thing that I'm asking of you all is the
$199, 000, which I don't think is a problem when we're trying to meet our budget today. And you
know, I've heard different comments from different Commissioners and some to the effect of why
do we -- and the word that's being used is "throw" money at Liberty City when it's not
changing? And we have to think about those communities the same way that we think about our
children. And when we think about our children, if you have a child, any one of you here today,
that has problems reading, if you have a child that has problems in mathematics, and you realize
that when the child is young, you as a parent will do what you can to make that child come to
par. You want him to excel, but at least get to par. So what does that mean? That means that
you will put that child in different reading classes, that means that you will buy that child a tutor
so that he can meet with him every other day, if not every day, because you want your child to be
successful in the future. So any time there's a deficiency in life, what we do is we put more
money so that we can at least get it to where it needs to be so that it can survive. And so, in the
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community that we call Liberty City, where we have these different issues that are going on, there
is a deficiency there, and the deficiency is not the -- is not of the result of people like me that
grew up in that community. The deficiency is not because I was born there, or not because
anyone else was born there. That's not why the deficiency is there. The deficiency has
long -rooted problems. The deficiency comes from many different things that involve the federal
government, the City, and the County in many different fashions, but mostly, it's because the
people who live in that community are besieged with a number of different issues that the public
sector can do some things, I believe, to help address. And the Anti -Poverty Initiative, which this
Commission seems to be in favor of is an initiative that is used to create -- or used to reduce that
type of poverty in not just my district, but in Commissioner Gort's district, in Commissioner
Carollo's district, because that's how the money should be split. The money should be split
where the poverty is. One point two five million dollars won't go to Liberty City. So if that's
what people believe, then you are incorrect. The money has to follow the poverty wherever it is,
because that is the issue that we have to face within the City ofMiami. I have a presentation,
andl may get into it later, but not at this time, that talks about poverty and how we can use some
of the Poverty Initiative dollars. So what I'm asking of this Commission is to approve the budget
as it is, the budget request at $591,993. It is extremely -- I don't -- it's a shoe string budget, but
in that community, people have done more with less.
Commissioner Suarez: Second. Move it.
Commissioner Carollo: Mr. Chairman.
Chair Gort: It's been moved by Vice Chairman and second by Commissioner Suarez.
Commissioner Carollo, you're recognized.
Commissioner Carollo: Thank you. The first thing, Commissioner Hardemon, is that the 199 is
not in the City's budget, so it's not in the City's budget, so it would actually put us behind
$200,000 in the City's budget. So that's the first thing we would have to address. I think the
Manager wants to speak to that effect.
Daniell Alfonso (City Manager): Yes, Commissioners. I want to point out a couple things.
First, I want to point out that the budget that was approved by the C -- for the CIP (Civilian
Investigative Panel) a few minutes ago made available another $31,300, so we would be looking
for $167, 700. I want to point out that the operating budget of the Liberty City Trust really hasn't
grown that much. It's -- they're asking for an additional position. The total operating budget
rose about $50, 000. The issue here is that the funding that they had been using in the past
program income, et cetera, is no longer there. So to keep them running, we would need this
general fund allocation.
Commissioner Carollo: Mr. Chairman.
Chair Gort: Yes, sir.
Commissioner Carollo: And I'm glad you mentioned it, 'cause that's where I see the big decrease
from one year to the next. What happened to their program generated income, their grants and
program generated income? 'Cause that's where it dips quite a bit. It's not necessarily in your
operation that you increase that much or -- that's not the issue. The issue is that there is a big
dip in your grants or program generated income, and it seems like it's -- it wants to be
supplementing now where it's proposed to be supplemented with general fund dollars, so why the
big dip? I mean, the actual amount in the '12/13 budget was 139,000 and now you're propose --
well, you're estimating that it'll be just under 20,000, so why the big dip of 110,000?
Ms. Black: Sir, the funds were used for our operating budget. The original dollars came from a
federal grant that we received in 2003, and we have spent all of those funds.
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Mr. Alfonso: Right. It has not been recurring, Commissioner. They have been whittling it down.
Commissioner Carollo: Right. But at the same time, I see in 2011 and '12, they had 134, 000.
Mr. Alfonso: Commissioner --
Commissioner Carollo: In '10/11 --
Mr. Alfonso: I'm sorry. I wasn't clear. Those were not new revenues. Those were --
Commissioner Carollo: Carryovers?
Mr. Alfonso: -- carry-over revenues.
Vice Chair Hardemon: So the money that they had been using for -- and -- the money they had
been using was a result of the grants that they had before, but they had to use those dollars -- I
mean, they've been basically living off of -- I almost -- a fund moving forward, so --
Chair Gort: Let me ask a question. The -- we have a program in CDBG (Community
Development Block Grant) to help business people with grants up to $10, 000, so I don't know if
you used that.
Mr. Muhammad: It's not the program, Mr. Chair. It's not the program, Mr. Chair. They haven't
used --
Chair Gort: Excuse me; I'm not talking to you. Thank you.
Ms. Black: The Liberty City Trust is a quasi public organization, and it cannot apply for any
Community Development Block Grant funds.
Chair Gort: Got you.
Commissioner Sarnoff. Mr. Chair.
Chair Gort: Yes.
Commissioner Sarnoff. So, Commissioner, I may support you on this, but I thought I was very,
very clear at the last Commission meeting. If you didn't come see me to talk about your budget, I
would not be approving your budget. So now I'm forced to do on the dais what I think could
have and should have done not on the dais. So, Ms. Black, you didn't come to try to see me, and
some of the things that we -- andl want to be fair, because I did this -- we did this to GESE
(General Employees and Sanitation Employees). We did this to everyone. So when -- as the
Commissioner pointed out very accurately, in 2011/2012, 2013/2014, 2000 -- andl can go on.
When you didn't receive City ofMiami funding, your -- I could tell you that you went from 93,903
to 101, 781 to 119,054 to $130, 000. You kept on increasing salaries and benefits, despite the fact
you weren't receiving any income from the City or any contributions from the City; equally, your
expenses went up. And l just wonder if that's good stewardship when you're not receiving monies
from the City ofMiami, and that's a question I would have asked you in private as to why that
happened. Your expenses, your -- we were pretty hard on some folks up here with regard to
photocopy expenses. The same case could be made for you in that your expenses went up despite
the fact you had no income.
Ms. Black: Sir, I understand perfectly. We had such a need in our community; that is why I had
to bring on another part-time person. Andl initially tried to do it all by myself with people in the
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community providing volunteer services, but you just can't do it all that way. So we decided that
in 2013/14, we would at least attempt to provide a higher quality of services to our residents.
Commissioner Sarnoff. So -- now my next question would be -- to you would be is it then fair to
say from 2010 to today, nobody received a raise or any sort of increased compensation?
Ms. Black: None.
Commissioner Sarnoff. Okay. So instead, you added people, but everybody's salary -- and let
me be very, very clear. Total compensation, which includes cell phone, which includes car
allowance, which includes everything you can imagine, has remained flat since 2010, other than
adding additional personnel?
Ms. Black: Since 2010, I would say that we have had some -- the only thing that we've had is
transportation, additional dollars for transportation. Other than that, nothing has really
increased. We brought on another staff person. No, no, no. We just -- operating budgets.
Commissioner Sarnoff. So to get my vote, you would have to say to me as follows:
Commissioner Sarnoff, I can assure you, nobody has received any time -- kind of increase in any
total compensation since 2010 to today.
Ms. Black: To the best of my knowledge, Commissioner, we have not received any additional
budget.
Commissioner Sarnoff. That's not any question.
Ms. Black: We have not received any additional dollars.
Commissioner Sarnoff. That's not my question. My question is different.
Ms. Black: We have not -- I mean, we have not received any additional --
Commissioner Sarnoff. No. My question is for your employees, including yourself.
Ms. Black: Including myself. My salary --
Commissioner Sarnoff. Andl don't need to know your salary.
Ms. Black: Okay.
Commissioner Sarnoff. I'm not here to advertise -- I would have done this in private.
Ms. Black: Okay. No, no, that's fine. My salary -- let me say this: My salary went down in
2010 and '11. It then became the same from 2011 on, because I took such a tremendous dip in
2011. And what we did in 2010/'11, we sold some property, and that's why we were able to
continue on.
Commissioner Sarnoff. So, to answer my question, you took a reduction in salary from 2010 to
2011 --
Ms. Black: Two thousand --
Commissioner Sarnoff. -- 2011 to 2012 you remain in that dip or did you just --?
Ms. Black: From '11/12 to now, I've remain -- I think I've kept the same salary.
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Commissioner Sarnoff. So you increased your salary --?
Ms. Black: I increased my salary from 2010/11, andl brought on additional people in 2013/14,
because we needed additional staff.
Commissioner Sarnoff. All right. Now without disclosing your salary to me, how much of a
reduction did you take and then how much did you give yourself back?
Ms. Black: I actually took a 50 percent -- from 2009, I took over a 50 percent reduction in
salary, andl took no benefits, whatsoever. I had health care benefits and other benefits. I
dropped all of that as of that time.
Commissioner Sarnoff. Okay. And you said you brought it back on in '11 and '12?
Ms. Black: Eleven/'twelve, I brought my salary back up. The benefits remained zero for
everybody.
Commissioner Sarnoff. Okay.
Commissioner Suarez: Call the question.
Chair Gort: Yes, sir. Any further discussion?
Commissioner Carollo: Yes, Mr. Chairman. It goes to my original question. Even if those
30,000 would be used, we're still approximately 167,000 that is not in our City budget to fund
this --
Commissioner Suarez: Right.
Commissioner Carollo: -- organization. I mean, I could have suggestions if you want to -- you
know, where to find fundings, but as it is right now, there is no funding in the City's budget for
this.
Vice Chair Hardemon: Mr. Chairman.
Chair Gort: Yes.
Vice Chair Hardemon: You know, one of the things that I think when the GESE organization
came before us and they were seemingly bothered by our simple request to try to get some
information from them and they ending up having -- we had to refund it, their last year salary,
which saved us about $361, 000 at that time on the dais. I believe I looked at the City Manager,
and I said to him, "You know where I would like this $200, 000 to go," and any other
Commissioner that has any of their needs, I'm sure they have some space that they can pull some
resources from also. Now, I know that the City Manager probably has considered some of that
money already -- or all of it in his proposal, but I would love to see the 167, whatever that
difference is, be included with this.
Commissioner Suarez: Mr. Chair.
Chair Gort: Yes, sir.
Commissioner Suarez: Thank you. Look, I think, you know, we're going to be talking very soon
about a $516 million budget. A hundred and sixth -seven thousand dollars, we have a program
surplus. I spoke to the Manager about this potential deficiency before the Commission meeting.
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He said that he felt -- you know, obviously, it's not something that he would always recommend,
but that he felt comfortable, you know, dipping into these, quote/unquote .Iurplus'by $167, 000 on
a continuing basis, because this is an agency that has not really been funded, if you think about
it. It's been funded through a continuing -- it's essentially similar to what happened with Virginia
Key. So aside from that, I think there are ample areas -- andl would touch on something that
Commissioner Carollo just said. I think there are ample areas in our $566 million budget,
irrespective of the reserves, where we could find $170, 000 in savings, recurring savings. You
know, I think this is extremely important. This is an area -- when you talk about ShotSpotter and
you talk about the area identified in ShotSpotters, it's an area where there is the highest number
of shots fired. The Liberty City area is one of those areas. So I think it's an area that screams for
help. I commend you for making it a priority, andl think it should be rolled into the Poverty
Initiative. We obviously don't have a CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) for that area, but
it's an area that has certain aspects of it that are impoverished. And you actually did hit on a
good point, because from a -- like I said before at the last Commission meeting, from a
single-family residential community perspective, it's actually a very beautiful area. What I think
it lacks, somewhat, is in the businesses, as you correctly pointed out. So I feel perfectly
comfortable -- if the worst -case scenario today were that we had to take $167, 000 from our
reserves, I'd be perfectly fine with that. I don't think it's going to come to that, to be honest with
you. I think we're going to have ample other opportunities in the budget. One of the ones I can
think of with all respect to my dear colleague, the City Attorney, is her budget and her proposal
for six new attorneys. To me, having six new attorneys that have not -- that are above and
beyond the six new that we gave in the budget in this current budget for me is not necessarily --
or six new positions, I should say -- for me, personally, funding the Liberty City Trust is more
important. So like I said, budgetary allocations are a matter of priorities for me. This is a
priority, so I think it should be funded. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Chair Gort: Okay. Any further discussion? Yes, sir.
Commissioner Carollo: Yes, Mr. Chairman. We still -- we need to identify where from the City
budget. And by the way, the $361, 000 from GESE, actually, part of that was used for the
additional 500,000 in Poverty Initiative.
Vice Chair Hardemon: That's how he quickly identified it, but --
Commissioner Carollo: So, in essence, you know -- so, again --
Vice Chair Hardemon: If you want to reduce your Poverty Initiative funds that will be going in
your district, you can do it, but wouldn't suggest it.
Commissioner Carollo: Well --
Vice Chair Hardemon: What I mean is that --
Chair Gort: Excuse me.
Vice Chair Hardemon: Mr. Chairman, I apologize for speaking out of turn.
Chair Gort: Go ahead; finish.
Commissioner Carollo: No. Go ahead.
Vice Chair Hardemon: What I'm saying to you is that I believe that the dollars -- for instance,
the $350, 000, plus the $200, 000, if you -- that's the -- what I'm saying to you, that money, in and
of itself, if you consider what the greater goal is, is anti poverty money. I mean, that money's
going to create economic development, and economic development is something that you need to
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tackle poverty. What I'm asking of the City ofMiami, historically, we -- well, I don't want to put
it that way, because we have had some dollars that have been used towards Anti -Poverty
Initiative. But we have to take a more serious role, because not only is it a major issue that has
been unspoken of but people are talking about it more and more nowadays, that we have these
problems. So what I'm saying to you is that don't believe that we have to reduce the seven -- the
1.25 million at all to meet $167, 000. And I will further dare to say that $160, 000 is a rounding
error, and -- when you consider a five hundred -something million dollar budget.
Commissioner Carollo: Understood. But at the same time, it's two police officers.
Vice Chair Hardemon: May I say one thing?
Chair Gort: Yes, go right ahead.
Vice Chair Hardemon: Well, I want to ask a quick question. Mr. City Manager, do you believe
that it's possible for you to find $167, 000 within this budget and be okay?
Mr. Alfonso: In the Police budget?
Vice Chair Hardemon: No, no, no, no.
Mr. Alfonso: Oh.
Vice Chair Hardemon: In --
Commissioner Sarnoff. This budget.
Mr. Alfonso: Commissioner, if this board decided we could get 167.7 -- a hundred sixty-seven
thousand seven -- whatever -- hundred dollars, and if it was the will of this Commission, I could
take it out of estimated $8.82 million unallocated reserve or, if we find it somewhere else today in
the budget, and we would continue on.
Chair Gort: We can find it. Okay, any further discussion? Let me tell you what I would like to
see. I'm going to vote for it, but I'd like for you to come and let me see what your plan's going to
be, how you going to realize it, because you andl discussed this before, and there's many way
you can find matching funds to go along with you to improve the economic development in
certain area.
Ms. Black: Thank you.
Chair Gort: So I will appreciate it that you would come to my office once you have your plan
together, the whole thing together, andl would like to discuss it with you. Okay, any further
discussion?
Commissioner Carollo: Yes, Mr. Chairman.
Chair Gort: Yes, sir.
Commissioner Carollo: Andl echo your words. Please, in the near future, can you make an
appointment with our office so we could discuss, andl want to see also deliverables, exactly the
programs that you're going to be initiated and exactly what are the deliverables. It seems like
the will of this Commission is to go forward with this. I will vote with my colleagues, but at the
same time, I'm concerned that we keep dipping into the reserves and keep dipping into reserves,
and whenever there is any issue with regards to where we're going to pay for it, we go into the
reserves, and they keep going down and down, and I'm starting to get concerned about that.
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Besides that, I do believe there's other areas in the budget that we could actually obtain those
fundings. I'll leave it at that, because I think the bigger discussion is the whole budget of the
City ofMiami. And by the way, Commissioner, 167,000 is two officers for the first year, so it is a
big deal, but -- andl know where you're going. It's not just about police officers. It's also about
the poverty issue for the overall reduction of crime, so I understand that. Again, I'm going to
show good faith. I'm going to go ahead and vote in favor of it, along with what I perceive my
colleagues will do. But I would like in the near future to get together with you, Ms. Black, and
see what your programs are, your goals, and see what the deliverables are going to be so we
could have some type of I guess, monitoring or some type of goals set for what your agency will
do and where the monies of the City ofMiami will be going.
Commissioner Sarnoff. Mr. Chair.
Commissioner Carollo: And by the way -- one last thing -- is there any other way for you to
obtain funding like you did before; any of those grants?
Ms. Black: No.
Commissioner Carollo: Is there a way that --? I don't know. Our Department of Grants could
help out. Why couldn't you obtain any more grants, Ms. Black, if it was done in the past?
Ms. Black: When the Liberty City Trust -- what we can do is let us look into it, because we've
wanted to get grants -- anything over $5, 000 that we received has to come to the -- through the
City Commission; has to be approved. But we will be more than happy, and that's part of our
objective here, is to leverage the funds that we have. And we definitely want to receive
additional grants, and we would have to get special approval, in many cases, to do it, because
most federal grants do not allow quasi -publics to receive the funds.
Commissioner Suarez: Mr. Chair.
Chair Gort: Yes, sir.
Commissioner Suarez: Thankyou. I'm definitely going to support this. I think Liberty City
needs far more funds than this to really notice an impact and a difference. I do believe that there
are a lot of funds out there; that whether it be on a grant basis, whether it be on a competitive
basis, whether it be on a variety of other opportunities that are out there -- andl would urge you
to use the funds that we're giving you, which are limited, very limited, andl -- I would guess that
the funds that we're giving you are not really the ones that are going to make the impact as much
as they're going to give you the opportunity to find other funds, because the fact of the matter is
that $500, 000 for a community as large as Liberty City with the needs that Liberty City has is
really a very small amount of money. Really, Liberty City needs a lot more help. So, you know, I
would tell you that, yes, there are not only grants, but there are competitive processes by which
you can obtain millions of dollars, and I'm -- I'd be happy to share some of those ideas with the
Commissioner; love to continue working with him on the Poverty Initiative, because I do think
that there are not only innovative ideas which could be funded, but there are also other
opportunities that are out there that would allow us to get a lot more money for the Liberty City
community. Thankyou.
Chair Gort: See, one thing I've learned in life: If you create the right product, it can be solved.
Any further discussion? Being none, all in favor, state it by saying aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Ms. Black: Thank you so very much. And l will be visiting each of you.
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Chair Gort: Thank you.
Vice Chair Hardemon: Ms. Black.
Commissioner Carollo: We're on recess?
Chair Gort: Let's take five, a real five.
Commissioner Carollo: Okay.
BH.7 ORDINANCE Second Reading
14-00822
Office of Management AN ORDINANCE OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION DEFINING AND
and Budget DESIGNATING THE TERRITORIAL LIMITS FOR THE CITY OF MIAMI FOR
THE PURPOSE OF TAXATION; ADOPTING THE FINAL MILLAGE AND
LEVYING AD VALOREM TAXES IN THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, FOR THE
FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2014 AND ENDING SEPTEMBER
30, 2015; CONTAINING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE, AND PROVIDING FOR
AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
14-00822 Summary Form SR.pdf
14-00822 Legislation SR.pdf
ACTIONS BY THE CITY COMMISSION:
1. RECOMPUTE THE PROPOSED MILLAGE RATE, IF NECESSARY
2. ADOPT THE FINAL MILLAGE RATE
Motion by Commissioner Sarnoff, seconded by Vice Chair Hardemon, that this matter be
ADOPTED PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 4 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff, Carollo and Hardemon
Noes: 1 - Commissioner(s) Suarez
13478
Chair Gort: Yes, sir, you're recognized.
Christopher Rose (Director): Good evening, Commissioners. Chris Rose, Office ofManagement
& Budget. BH.7 is the millage item. It is an ordinance. I'm just going to read it into the record
again. The City's operating millage is 7.6465. The City's debt millage is 0.7385 mills. This is
an overall reduction from the current fiscal year millage rates of 0.0460 mills.
Chair Gort: Okay, thank you. Do I have a motion?
Commissioner Sarnoff. I would move it, Mr. Chair, but) would make the same statement) said
before: I would have increased the millage slightly to special -revenue it for police officers, but I
will move it.
Chair Gort: Okay, it's been moved by Commissioner Sarnoff. Is there a second?
Vice Chair Hardemon: Second.
Chair Gort: Second by Vice Chairman Hardemon. Any discussion? This on the millage. Any
discussion? It's an ordinance.
The Ordinance was read by title into the public record by the City Attorney.
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ToddB. Hannon (City Clerk): Roll call on item BH.7. Commissioner Suarez?
Commissioner Suarez: No.
Mr. Hannon: Commissioner Carollo?
Commissioner Carollo: Yes.
Mr. Hannon: Vice Chair Hardemon?
Vice Chair Hardemon: For.
Mr. Hannon: Commissioner Sarnoff?
Commissioner Sarnoff. Yes.
Mr. Hannon: Chair Gort?
Chair Gort: Yes.
Mr. Hannon: The ordinance passes on second reading, 4-1.
Chair Gort: Thank you.
BH.8 RESOLUTION
14-00823a
Office of Management A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
and Budget ATTACHMENT(S), ADOPTING A FINAL BUDGET AND MAKING
APPROPRIATIONS RELATING TO OPERATIONAL AND BUDGETARY
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2015.
14-00823a Summary Form.pdf
14-00823a Legislation.pdf
14-00823a - Exhibit - SUB.pdf
14-00823a - ExhibitA.pdf
ACTIONS BY THE CITY COMMISSION:
1. AMEND THE BUDGET, IF NECESSARY
2. ADOPT THE FINAL BUDGET
Motion by Commissioner Sarnoff, seconded by Commissioner Suarez, that this matter be
ADOPTED WITH MODIFICATIONS PASSED by the following vote.
Votes: Ayes: 4 - Commissioner(s) Gort, Sarnoff, Suarez and Hardemon
Noes: 1 - Commissioner(s) Carollo
R-14-0362
Chair Gort: Next.
Christopher Rose (Director): Good evening, Commissioners. Chris Rose, Office ofManagement
& Budget. BH.8 is the budget for the City ofMiami. I have a few items to read into the record
briefly. In the budget resolution, the last "whereas" provisions have been duly made by the City
Commission for public hearings, as modified at the last hearing. And then Section 3, the same
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Meeting Minutes September 23, 2014
thing. I just need to read into the record, "as modified by the first hearing and the 'Changes'
memo in front of you today and any floor amendments made tonight." Thank you,
Commissioners.
Chair Gort: Thank you. Motion, discussion?
Commissioner Sarnoff. So moved.
Commissioner Suarez: Second.
Chair Gort: Been moved by Commissioner Sarnoff, second by Commissioner Suarez.
Discussion.
Vice Chair Hardemon: You want to do the public hearing first?
ToddB. Hannon (City Clerk): Chair --
Chair Gort: We already did. We already went over the public hearing.
Vice Chair Hardemon: You did on this? Okay, good. May I ask a question?
Chair Gort: Yes, sir.
Vice Chair Hardemon: I had some conversation -- well, first off I just want to make it very clear
that gave this board my word, andl will follow through on it on providing six additional -- I
believe it's six additional officers through the Community Redevelopment Agency of Overtown.
And in conversation I've had with the lawyer from the CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency),
there was discussion about how was it that we go about doing that? So, for instance, if the CRA
passes a resolution, like we did in the Omni, to bring forth the additional officers there, I think on
the next agenda we have the acceptance of those officers for the Omni CRA, that those dollars
for us moving forward. What we're trying to stick away from, from what I understand, is fall into
a position where there is a wrongdoing on behalf of the Overtown CRA by -- in the City ofMiami
or us now budgeting it into our budget before the approval from the Omni -- from the Overtown
CRA.
Daniell Alfonso (City Manager): Okay. Commissioners, I want to say that the budget is a
plan. We assume many revenue sources in the budget, and to the extent that those revenues
materialize, then we adjust or not adjust the budget.
Vice Chair Hardemon: Right.
Mr. Alfonso: So we are making a plan -- if this budget is passed as approved and amended,
we're simply saying we're making a plan that these are the way that we'll receive and spend the
money. If the CRA cannot support the officers, then we simply would come back to the
Commission and say, "This part is not happening. " And it's just a plan. It's not --
Vice Chair Hardemon: And that's --
Mr. Alfonso: -- ratifying
Vice Chair Hardemon: -- how I understood it to be, so I'm trying to grab the attention of Madam
City Attorney, because I don't want to find us in a position in the CRA or in the City ofMiami
where we have any troubles with our big brothers in the County regarding how we go about
devising a plan to provide better services to the people that live within our community
development areas.
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NA.1
14-00971
Mr. Alfonso: And I'm sorry. I want to further point out that the County has not yet approved the
Omni CRA's budget either, but this is just, again, a plan.
Vice Chair Hardemon: So, Madam City Attorney, you don't see any issues with us planning
today for the six additional officers -- I'm saying six because I'm assuming it's going to be six --
additional officers that will be provided to the CRA area using CRA dollars and us accounting
for them in our budget today without us directly providing funding -- without it seeming as if the
CRA is providing funding to the City ofMiami?
Victoria Mendez (City Attorney): No, I don't any see problem with that. I mean, this is
benefitting -- strictly benefitting the CRA in that regard, and don't see any problem at this time
at all.
Vice Chair Hardemon: Okay.
Chair Gort: Any other question? Do I have a motion?
Commissioner Sarnoff. It's moved.
Chair Gort: It was moved. It was second?
Mr. Hannon: Yes, sir.
Commissioner Sarnoff. Yes.
Chair Gort: Do you have any further discussion? Being none, all in favor, state it by saying
aye."
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Commissioner Suarez: Aye.
Chair Gort: Aye.
Commissioner Sarnoff. Aye.
Commissioner Carollo: No.
Mr. Hannon: As modified.
Chair Gort: As modified.
Commissioner Sarnoff. We're done.
Mr. Alfonso: Thank you, Commissioners.
END OF SECOND BUDGET HEARING
NON AGENDA ITEM(S)
DISCUSSION ITEM
CHAIR GORTAND THE CITY OF MIAMI COMMISSION WISHES CITY CLERK
TODD B. HANNON HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
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Meeting Minutes September 23, 2014
ADJOURNMENT
DISCUSSED
Daniel J. Alfonso (City Manager): Move to adjourn or --?
Chair Gort: Wait a minute. I think we have to sing happy birthday to City Clerk, Mr. Todd
Hannon.
Mr. Alfonso: Prior to adjournment?
Chair Gort: Where's the cake?
Commissioner Suarez: Good.
Mr. Alfonso: I still encourage people to buy pizza; otherwise, we're going to have a problem.
Chair Gort: Buy pizza; take it home. Happy birthday. May you have many more with a lot of
health. Thank you.
Commissioner Sarnoff. Wait. Who's birthday? Who's birthday?
Chair Gort: Todd.
Commissioner Sarnoff. Todd? Dude, you owe us a dinner. So for your birthday, you could take
us all to dinner.
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): We have plenty of pizza that we could feed an army.
Chair Gort: Motion to adjourn.
Commissioner Sarnoff. So moved.
The meeting adjourned at 7: 01 p.m.
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