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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC 2022-09-22 MinutesCity of Miami City Hall 3500 Pan American Drive Miami, FL 33133 www.miamigov.com Meeting Minutes Thursday, September 22, 2022 5:05 PM Second Budget Hearing City Hall City Commission Francis X. Suarez, Mayor Christine King, Chair, District Five Joe Carollo, Vice Chair, District Three Alex Diaz de la Portilla, Commissioner, District One Ken Russell, Commissioner, District Two Manolo Reyes, Commissioner, District Four Arthur Noriega, V, City Manager Victoria Mendez, City Attorney Todd B. Hannon, City Clerk City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 5:05 PM INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE CALL TO ORDER ORDER OF THE DAY Present: Chairwoman King, Vice Chair Carollo, Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla, Commissioner Russell and Commissioner Reyes On the 22nd day of September, 2022, the City Commission of the City of Miami, Florida, met at its regular meeting place in City Hall, 3500 Pan American Drive, Miami, Florida, in regular session. The Commission Meeting was called to order by Chairwoman King at 5:35 p.m., and adjourned at 8: 05 p.m. Note for the Record: Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla entered the Commission chambers at 5:42 p.fn., and Vice Chair Carollo entered the Commission chambers at 5:46 p.m. ALSO PRESENT: Arthur Noriega, V, City Manager Victoria Mendez, City Attorney Todd B. Hannon, City Clerk Chair King: Welcome to the September 22nd, 2022 Second Budget Hearing. At this time, I am going to ask my favorite D5 (District 5) pastors to give us prayer for this meeting. We will start with Pastor Johnny Barber. Invocation delivered. Chair King: Thank you so much. And at this time, Commissioner Reyes, would you please do the pledge of allegiance? Commissioner Reyes: My pleasure. Pledge of allegiance delivered. Chair King: At this time, we will begin with BH.3. The Budget Director will make a presentation. Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): Chair, Madam City Attorney, I believe, has a brief statement to read into the record. Chair King: Madam City Attorney. Victoria Mendez (City Attorney): Thank you, Madam Chair. This evening is the City of Miami's budget, second budget meeting and related second budget public hearing for the purposes of fixing the final millage rate, adopting a final budget, and approving various agency budgets. These hearings were set pursuant to Resolution Number R-22-0286 adopted on July 28, 2022 and in compliance with Chapter 200 and Section 166-241 Florida Statutes and all other applicable rules and regulations. Any person who is a lobbyist pursuant to Chapter 2, Article 6 of the City Code must register with the City Clerk and comply with related requirements for lobbyists before appearing before the City Commission. A person may not lobby a City official, board member, or staff member until registering. A copy of the code section about lobbyists is available in the City City of Miami Page 1 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 Clerk's Office or online at www.municode.com. Any person making a presentation, formal request, or petition to the City Commission concerning real property must make the disclosures required by the City Code in writing. The City of Miami requires that anyone requesting action by the City Commission must disclose before the hearing any consideration provided or committed to anyone for agreement to support or withhold objection. Any documents offered to the City Commission that have not been provided in the last seven days before the meeting as part of the agenda materials will be entered into the record at the City Commission's discretion. In accordance with Section 2-33(f) and (g) of the City Code, the agenda and material for this agenda is available at the City Clerk's Office and online 24 hours a day at www.miamigov.com. Any person may be heard through the Chair for not more than two minutes on any proposition before the City Commission unless modified by the Chair. Public comment will begin at approximately 5:30 and remain open until public comment is closed by the Chair. Members of the public wishing to address the body may do so by submitting written comments via the online comment form. Please visit www.miamigov.coin/meetinginstructions for detailed instructions on how to provide public comment using the form. The comments submitted through the commentform have been and will be distributed to elected officials and City Administration throughout the day so that the elected officials may consider the comments before taking action. Additionally, the comment form will remain open during the meeting to accept comments and distribute to the elected officials up until the Chair closes public comment. Public comment may also be provided live at 3500 Pan American Drive, subject to any and all City rules. If the item is being continued or rescheduled, the opportunity to be heard may be at such later date before the City takes action. When addressing the City Commission, the member of the public must first state their name, their address, and what item will be spoken about. Any person requiring assistance, auxiliary aids, and services for this meeting may notify the City Clerk. The City has provided different public comment methods to indicate, among other things, the public's support, opposition, or neutrality on the items and topics to be discussed today. The public has also been given the opportunity to provide public comment during the meeting and within reasonable proximity and time before this meeting. Commissioners have generally been briefed by City staff on the items on the agenda today. Anyone wishing a verbatim record of the item considered at this meeting may be requested at the Office of Communications or view it online at www.miamigov.com. Notwithstanding the foregoing, pursuance of Florida Statute Sections 200.0653 and 286.0105 and Administrative Florida Code Rule 12D- 17.005-2(c)22, no verbatim record is required for the appeal of any decision made during the public hearings required by Chapter 200. This meeting can be viewed live on Miami TV, the City's Facebook page, the City's Twitter page, the City's YouTube channel, and Comcast Channel 77. The broadcast will also have closed captioning. Thank you. Chair King: Mr. City Clerk, do you have anything that you need to read into the record? Mr. Hannon: No, ma'am. Chair King: Okay. City of Miami Page 2 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR ALL ITEM(S) 12637 DISCUSSION ITEM Office of the City Clerk PUBLIC COMMENTS SUBMITTED ONLINE BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC FOR THE SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 SECOND BUDGET HEARING. RESULT: PRESENTED Chair King: At this time, we will open the meeting up for public comments. Those who would like to speak, please step forward. We'll have public comments at this time. Good evening. Michael Swerdlow: Hi, I'm Michael Swerdlow. My address is 2490 Florida Avenue, City of Miami. I am a local real estate developer. The reason I'm commenting tonight is because you are discussing the budget upon which the RFP (Request for Proposals) at Allapattah will have a significant, present, and gigantic future effect. I believe that that RFP was modified via a pocket item, which I think was inappropriate so close to the RFP. I believe that unless you reconsider that item, it might cost the City $100 million or more. I know how it will affect my proposal and 1 can demonstrate why it's going to cost the City that money. And I think and I know this is not the forum for reconsideration of anything but you've got to take another look at modifying that and making it less attractive to a whole lot ofpeople. Thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Good evening. Nicholas Duran: Good evening, Madam Chair, members of the Commission. My name is Nicholas Duran, and I'm here representing Transit Alliance Miami. Our office address is 2103 Coral Way. And we're here to request today that you increase funding to support the Office of Resilience and its mission. This board has recognized the critical threat that the climate crisis poses to the security of our roads, our homes, and most importantly, our residents. Of course, the values of the City are not found in press conferences or even necessarily the laws that we pass. Instead, our true values and priorities are reflected in the budget and the issues we choose to invest in. With millions of dollars in federal funding coming down the pipeline, an increase in the Office of Resilience's budget can give the staff the wherewithal to apply for grant funding and secure additional money for necessary infrastructure projects. As others here will likely tell you today, every dollar invested in community resilience can generate a six to one return on investment. So, I implore you, invest in greater resilience and get a slice of that federal government cheese. Thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Good evening. Olivia Collins: Hi, my name is Olivia Collins. My address is 2103 Coral Way, Miami, Florida, 33145. I'm the senior director of programs for the CLEO (Climate Leadership Engagement Opportunities) Institute, a non-profit nonpartisan organization that is dedicated to climate crisis education and advocacy. I'm here to talk about the issue of resilience and climate funding that 's earmarked in the budget. Our city mayor continues to be recognized as one of the most climate friendly mayors in the United States through his involvement in different initiatives that celebrate the City of Miami's climate readiness. Indeed, the City of Miami has made great strides and we commend those efforts, like the Miami Forever Carbon Neutral Plan, and more recently, how the City of Miami was able to change its FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) community rating score to six, which we know that it's going to save residents thousands on flood insurance. However, every year, here we are again, we have to come to these budget hearings to fight .for a more suitable City of Miami Page 3 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 amount of funding for this purpose. The lack of funding for resilience directly contradicts the scope of vulnerability that we face in the City of Miami from the climate crisis. Extreme heat, energy burden, flooding, hurricanes, saltwater intrusion, and I could go on. Therefore, the budget that's allocated for resilience and climate mitigation and adaptation does not reflect the risk that we lace as a community. With the passing of the bipartisan infrastructure law and the Inflation Reduction Act, many important funding opportunities can be made available to the City, but we're going to need staff to apply for those grants, manage and execute the resilience projects that these funds could make available. I really hope that in the future you consider more firnding for climate and resilience and that you make it a priority and that we put Miami's long-term survival on the front burner instead of on the back burner where it always seems to be. Thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Good evening. Michele Drucker: Good evening. My name is Michele Drucker. I wear many hats. I am an attorney with the Department of Homeland Security and I sat on the 100 percent Clean Energy Task Force for Miami -Dade County Public Schools. I was vice chair alongside of Jane Gilbert, the first chief heat officer in the country. I'm also the environmental chair for the Miami -Dade County Council and the Florida PTA (Parent Teacher Association), representing 50,000 families right here in Miami. Our community, our students, our families committed to 100 percent clean energy with Miami Day County Public Schools and we have a pathway to do that, and we showed we would save our school district $100 million if we committed to these goals. You should do the same and fund your resilience office. FP&L (Florida Power & Light) is raising energy rates 21 percent over the next four years. 1 'in sure that has a huge impact on your budget. Likewise, the new federal money that is coming down will give you a 30 to 50 percent reduction on installing solar on your rooftops. Anybody here, raise your hand if you've ever seen a solar panel on any City of Miami roofs. There are none. You need to walk the walk, put solar panels, not the solar trees that are just demonstrator exhibits, but actual solar panels. Let's reduce emissions. Let's save you money. Twenty-one percent increase in your electricity costs and a 30 percent rebate for installing solar for the first time ever because of this federal law. Thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Good evening. Michael Clarkson: Good evening, Madam Chair. My name is Michael Clarkson. I live 122 Northeast 78th Street in the heart of Little Haiti. And I'm here tonight to speak on the budget item when it's about the resilience. We fought, what, six years ago, and we fought for the Office of Resilience when Jane Gilbert was there, and that got eliminated. Now here we are back again talking about funding for resilience when it got -- in my view, when it got hijacked and put with Public Works. I mean, you can just travel throughout Miami and see the Public Works doesn't work any damn way, in my view. So, why would you take an Office of Resilience and put it in Public Works? It needs to be an office unto itself. It needs funding. It needs the type of funding where people can actually go out and get more grants, fight for this city. We are in an emergency right now. I don't think a lot of us realize that our city is in danger. Not from foreign people, but from climate change, from the environment itself And if we do not start knuckling it down and fighting for our youth, fighting for their future, then they will have no future here. If you go and you look at some of these maps and how they're showing that the in lines, they're going to be covered up. So, the Office of Resilience needs funding. And it needs proper funding. And it needs its own space. Not to be, in my view, not to be cluttered up with Public Works. Thank you for your time. Chair King: Thank you. Good evening. City of Miami Page 4 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 Katrina Envin: Hi, good evening. My name is Katrina Envin. I understand that the budget this year is facing a millage rollback to provide release for the citizens of Miami. However, if the City of Miami is trying to save money and provide economic relief,' why are they attempting to build a multi -million dollar encampment project on Virginia Key? I hope that in the future, you all have the funding to have a budget that prioritizes relief from the climate crisis. It's been unbearable. Just this month, we've experienced flash flood warnings, extreme heat, and our friends in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic are experiencing the impacts of a hurricane. With how hurricane season is looking, it looks like Miami is going to be next. As the climate emergency increases, it is essential that we continue to fund climate resilience efforts. With the passing of the bipartisan infrastructure law and the inflation reduction law, the funding is there. Even the federal government agrees that more funding is needed. And the City of Miami is a great candidate for federal funding, and I recommend you all jump at this opportunity. Additional resilient staff members, though, are needed to ensure they even have the capacity to apply for these grants. Lastly, I would like to ask the City of Miami looks for funding to And a position that solely focuses on extreme heat. It's hot out there. Historically in Florida there have been more than 25 days out of the year where it is too hot outside and we are risking the possibility of illness or death. By 2050, there will be a hundred and five days out of the year where Miami residents will have that risk. Extreme heat is a silent killer and thousands of people are hospitalized every year. It is -- it also intensifies aggression and violence increases during times of extreme heat. By funding a position that works to add cooling centers and decrease the urban heat island effect, the amount you will save by not having to respond to heat -related emergencies will be exponential. Please prioritize finding in the Resilience Office. Thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Good evening. Dennis Fuller: Good evening, Commissioners. Thank you for being here. My name is Dennis Fuller. I live at 2576 Trapp Avenue. I am here to support the current Board of Trustees at Historic Virginia Key Beach Park. These board members, some of whom I have spoken with and grown to know over the years, have served the park selflessly, cultivating a multi -generational relationship to the park and its patrons through history, ecology, stewardship, cultural events, and improvement to the park after it was neglected and subsequently abandoned by the City of Miami in 1982. I came to this very room and heard our constituents voice their concerns about a houseless encampment pilot program located on the Key. The vote was then deliberately ran back at the end of a long day when most of the public had left and the movement moved forward with the project -- the pilot project passed. If minds can be changed here in mere hours, that instance alone indicates that a replacement board is incapable of the steadfast devotion, love, that the current Virginia Key Board of Trustees, park aides, volunteers and park visitors have shown. Thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Good evening. Gabriela McGrath Moreira: Good evening, Madam Chair, fellow Commissioners. My name is Gabriela McGrath-Moreira and I am a junior at Coral Gables Senior High School. After living here my whole life, it is hard not to see the effects of climate change in our city. From sea level rise to extreme heat, I worry. I worry how Miami will recover if we get hit by a strong hurricane. Miami is a beautiful city, but it is also ground zero for climate crisis. And unless we begin to implement measures towards becoming more resilient, I worry what this city will look like when I am older. This is why, I urge you all to increase funding for the Office of Resilience and help Miami adapt to the climate crisis so I can still call this nay home when I'm older. Thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Good evening. City of Miami Page 5 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 Asher Sacyaczewski: Good evening, Madam Chairwoman and good evening, Commissioners. My name is Asher and my address is 4361 Northwest II th Street, zip code 333126 [sic]. And 1 am a high school senior. 1 am here today to demand that the City invest more money in the Office of Resilience. In case you couldn't tell by my attire, I came straight from school to be here, so I would not be here today ifI did not think that this issue was absolutely critical to the future of Miami as we know it. The Miami website clearly states the City's desire to "ensure a sustainable and enduring future for the City and its residents." The City of Miami is taking bold steps toward implementing an innovative and holistic approach to resilience. But in order to meet this promise, the City must provide its Office of Resilience with the tools and resources required to succeed. There's no denying that climate change is already here, with more extreme weather events like flooding and hurricanes. So, the City's decision to invest more money in the Office of Resilience won't only be smart, and it won't only be a good environmental decision, but it will also be a good economic decision. I know that's what a lot of you all care about. So, with the report commissioned by the investments to adapt to climate change impacts, the cost of damages could exceed $38 billion by investment -- by 2070. In order to implement the City's goals, the office needs to be given the tools and resources to succeed. And don 't get me wrong, I'm thankful for the City's commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60 percent by 2035 and be net zero by 2050. Chair King: Thank you. Mr. Sacyaczewski: Thank you. Have a good night. Chair King: Very well said. Thank you. Good evening. Roy Hardemon: Good evening. Former State Representative Roy Hardemon, former chairman of the Housing of the Liberty City Trust, board member of the Model City Advisory Board of Dade County. And I'm here today to, you know, to urge and encourage this board to consider. We have property that we bought and tore down over 300 houses in Liberty City, 61st Street between 12th Avenue and 17th Avenue. We tore those houses down back in 2005, and we have not replaced them. Instead of investing all the money, in the homeless under the 1-95, we don't want no under the I- 95 in Liberty City. We want those houses replaced that the City of Miami tore down and never replaced. We have a homeless problem in Liberty City because of this. I want to see George Mensah of Community Development office move from downtown, save some of that money and bring it in. You got space in Liberty City, which is the most suffering in Dade County, and you have Little Haiti. So, we got space for George Mensah's staff to come in there for he can see what's going on in these poverty areas that I live in. So, we want that done. Also, we want to make sure that the right people, the right organization, get the dollars that you're going to be giving to Liberty City Trust to invest in this community the right way. We need economic development. No money has been spent on 15th Avenue to actually do what the Liberty City/Model City Trust put in place, and I'm very upset about that. The last thing I want to talk about is the fact that we have a bank that sits on 58th Street. It used to be the one -- whatever it got named, but we have Friendship that's right across the street. It is a development and I would love to see them get the money to purchase that land and develop it as a beautiful place instead of the eyesore it is today. Thank y'all. Chair King: Thank you. Good evening. Nkosi Muse: Good evening, Madam Chair, Commissioners. My name is Nkosi Muse. I am here on behalf of the Climate Resilience Committee and the many constituents of this Citv who demand not only a climate resilient future, but a climate protected future. So, I'm going to beat a dead horse. We don't expect you to solve the issue of climate change. We don't expect you to solve the issue of global warming. That is a City of Miami Page 6 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 global issue. But what we do expect of the City and the City's Commissioners is to invest in protecting folks that live in the City from the issues of climate change, such as extreme heat, such as flooding, such as the hurricanes, because if Hurricane Fiona, which is right now a Category 4 storm, would have hit Miami, I don't think we would have been ready. We weren't ready for the potential tropical cyclone 1 and that was in June and it dumped almost two feet of rain on the city. So, we do that by investing in our Resilience Department, we do it by investing in our Resilient staff we do that by investing in our Climate Resilience Committee. I believe one of my former members, or excuse me, fellow members came today to talk about the mangrove or the baywalk ordinance. Mangroves protect us from hurricanes. Why are we banning them? We plant trees in places where there's no trees and where it's hot. We use green infrastructure to mitigate flooding, things of that sort. So, thank you for all you've done so far for the Resilience Department, and we just ask that you keep the pressure on and continue to fund the Resilience Department. Thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Good evening. Ijamyn Gray: Great rising, Kings and Queens. My name is Brother Ijamyn Gray. I'm the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of Encouraging Dreamers, Breaking Barriers, a second chance youth escape program located at 1490 Northwest 3rd Avenue. I'm just coming in and speaking on behalf of all the youth in the City of Miami that 's looking to get the self-sufficiency, that's looking to get a second chance. And we have created a car wash initiative that we're looking to -- that we need you guys' support to help us to save our youth because that's our future and our youth is where it's at. By creating job opportunities, by creating -- finding their gifts. So, once again, I need your support and we ask in the name -- thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Good evening. Dania Toledo: Good evening, Madam Chairwoman, Commissioners. My name is Dania Toledo. Climate change is here and it's present in the daily lives of Miamians. Our streets have flooded, the outdoor heat has worsened, and we are at risk of intensifying hurricanes as the climate crisis persists. The inequitable distribution of resources amongst the community continues to place some residents in a worse position to face these impacts. What's more, a report commissioned by the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact found that if the region does not make investments to adapt to the impacts of the climate crisis, the cost of damages could exceed 38 billion by 2070. So, if you don't take urgent action now, we will be steps away from landing in disaster. The City of Miami's Office of Resilience is a fantastic move in the right direction at making sure that our community is prepared to face this future. And they have accomplished some incredible feats over the past year. Among them, two youth representatives were added to the Climate Resilience Committee and the offices at Miami Carbon Forever Neutral Plan has committed themselves, along with the Commission, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions drastically by 2035 with the goal of going net zero by 2050. On the back of these incredible accomplishments, I request that the City of Miami do the following: First, I ask that the City continues to fund the Office of Resilience so that they can keep our communities safe in the face of the worsening climate. The Office needs to have the resources to increase their staff and to provide the necessary expertise and preparation to implement their goals and apply to grants for additional funding. Second, I also request that the City of Miami properly invest in equitable climate infrastructure and clean energy so that our vulnerable communities can also reap the benefits of proper community resiliency. This will require consistent public input through every capital investment and resiliency project to ensure the voices of those immediately affected are heard. And finally, I demand that the City of Miami implement a robust tracking and accountability system so that the public can ensure that the City's commitment to drastically reducing greenhouse gases does not remain an empty promise. Thank you. City of Miami Page 7 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 Chair King: Thank you. Good evening. Broadway Harewood: Good evening, everybody. I hope y'all feeling well tonight because tonight is a very important night to do the right thing. I am Broadway from Turn A Coin, a non-profit organization. Today is my birthday, September 22nd. Chair King: Happy birthday. Mr. Harewood: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) say happy birthday at the same time. Chair King: Happy birthday. Mr. Harewood: Thank you. My mother told me, son, I know it's your birthday and 1 know where you live at, but I need you to be down there to that meeting to make sure you put your two cent in for Virginia Key Beach. That was a historical beach. It still is a historical beach. She took me there when I was a child. She made me feel very proud. And I want to make sure my grandkids be able to have the same joy, the same love, the same atmosphere that I had. And if anybody got kids, you know how important it is to make them happy. And if I didn't say something that made you happy, be happy anyway. Do the right thing. Chair King: Thank you. Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): I'm sorry, Chair, ifl can get the speaker's name again. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Your name. Chair King: He'd like your name. Mr. Harewood: Broadway Harewood. Oh, you can check me out. I got the key to the City. Francis gave it to me. I do the right thing all the time. Chair King: Good evening. Good evening. Lourdes Cabrera Fuller: Good evening to all. My name is Lourdes Cabrera. I am here from 2576 Trapp Avenue, and I am here today to support the current Board of Trustees for Historic Virginia Key Beach Park. I heard a lot about resiliency today. You want to know who's resilient? That board. That board, when everybody left Virginia Key, was there. That board, when everybody gave up and called Virginia Key a nothing place, was there. They worked tirelessly, they worked with the community, they build bonds, they created a historic preservation from generation to generation to generation. It's unfair to right now dismiss that board. It's unfair to right now erase that board because they have done so much, so much. So, again, my whole thing here is to support that board, to support historic Virginia Key. So much of Miami gets torn down. So much of Miami gets swept away in a hurricane. So much is replaced. Let's keep something that's historic for all of us, for our children, our grandchildren, and our Attire generations. There are other places -- this is also a meeting about budget. There are other homeless places that have not been fully funded. Why not fund those things that you started already instead of starting a new thing that really the citizens don't want. So, again, I'm going to repeat, I am here for support of Virginia Key board. Chair King: Thank you. Thank you. Good evening. Marti Richenstein: Hello, good evening. My name is Marti Richenstein and I live in Key Biscayne at 1121 Crandon Boulevard. I was actually born and raised in Key City of Miami Page 8 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 Biscayne and I'm standing up here today because 1 want to put on record that I also support the Board of Trustees at the Historic Virginia Key Beach. I think it was beautifully stated just before me that Miami puts a lot of emphasis on new development and turnover instead of really putting, you know, and highlighting the culture of this city. And I think there's a lot of history and culture right in Virginia Key Beach that we can keep around and I really want to support that instead of any other people governing that. I also want to go on record saying that I vote no on moving the urban development boundary line and the proposed industrial complexes that are planned for development in the Everglades. I don't know if that's for this meeting or was already discussed earlier this morning, but I'll throw that in there as well. Thank you so much for your time. Chair King: Thank you. Good evening. Enid Pinkney: Good evening. Chair King: Good evening. Ms. Pinkney: To the mayor, who I don 't see, but I remember him as a little boy with his father, and all of the Commissioners and everybody here. My family has lived in Miami since 1910. I have seen much racial discrimination and prejudice here in Miami. 1 even saw a policeman slap my father for not taking his hat off. When my father asked him, "Where in the Constitution does it say it's unlawful to wear a hat?" I didn't give you my name, did 1? Chair King: Not yet. Ms. Pinkney: Oh, okay. I'll stop and give you my name. My name is Enid Curtis Pinkney, and I live at 4990 Northwest 31st Avenue, and I'm representing the Curtis Foundation. My father had to go to citizenship school and pass a test on the Constitution to become a citizen. He was from the Bahamas. The situation with Virginia Key Beach reminds me of when you had to be afraid of White people. You know, you thought if you didn't do what they said, you'd get in trouble. Prior to 1945, there was no place in Miami where a Black person could go to the beach. The wade - in at Haulover Beach, led by Judge Lawson E. Thomas, May Dell Braynon, Janesta (phonetic) Sweeting and others, led to Virginia Key Beach being designated as the colored beach. Only colored people were allowed there. Judge Thomas at Haulover Beach had money in his pocket to take the wade -in group out of jail, but they were not arrested. Then the beach was closed because of lack of money from the City of Miami. There was' not a cry for the beach to be open until we were told in 1999 that the City wanted to turn the beach into an eco-tourist camp, whatever that is. We also heard that developers wanted to build hotels on the beach. Some of us continue to believe that the developers are stimulating all of the problems we are experiencing now with Virginia Key Beach. Their desire to develop Overtown and make it a more attractive place without the homeless, and their desire to make money off the back of Black history for which they have no respect, you're -- and if you're following their lead, then we're definitely in trouble. Let us know what stand you are taking. Do you know the history of the beach? fled that developers are more important. Right now, you know, I'm hurt because I think that what you're doing is disrespecting Black history, and I feel that we are moving backwards. We are going in the wrong direction. And with the budget -- you know, I was on the Trust. I was on the committee before it became a trust. And when the general obligation bond money -- had money in there for a museum, there was, you know, people just finding ways not to get the money into use. And you know, Black people have a hard time getting things done in Miami. And ask me, I know. But I say to you, may God give you the wisdom to respect all of your constituents and to be fair and respect everybody. Thank you. City of Miami Page 9 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 Chair King: Thank you. Applause. Chair King: Good evening. Dorothy Jenkins -Fields: Good evening. I'm Dr. Dorothy Jenkins -Fields, 2000 Towerside Terrace. By profession, I am a public historian, certified archivist, and historic preservationist. By birth, I'm a native Miamian. My maternal grandparents emigrated from Harbour lsland, Bahamas to Key West before settling in Miami's then Colored Town, now Overtown, in 1903, just seven years after Flagler extended the railroad from Palm Beach to Miami. And we remain in Miami by choice. Virginia Key Beach is more than a landmark and a historic site. It represents the laborers, which the Black laborers who were Miami's primary workforce, succeeding generations, visitors, and tourists. Along with others, including Dr. Enid Pinkney, who just spoke, Gene and Wallis Tinnie, and Greg Bush, I was present at that meeting when the decision was made to create the Virginia Key Beach Trust. And since that time, I have observed the dedicated staff and volunteers as they made remarkable strides to uphold the mission, which is to preserve the park in a manner consistent with a vision for environmental health, historical importance, and the aspirations of the African American community. Commissioners, the time has come for each of you to stand for what is right and just. Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla, Commissioner Ken Russell, Commissioner Joe Carollo, Commissioner Manolo Reyes, Commissioner Christine King, I know you all. I know your work. 1 know that you are good people who believe in what is right, and I encourage you to support the Trust, the members of the Trust as it stands, and I encourage you to work with the budget and make it so that it can be used. Thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Good evening. Patrick Range: Good evening, Madam Chair, members of the Commission. My name is Patrick Range, IL I'm the current chairperson of the Virginia Key Beach Park Trust. I'd like to be able to say it's a pleasure to be here before you this evening, but I'm very nervous. For I stand on the shoulders of the two ladies who spoke before me, Dr. Enid Pinkney, Dr. Dorothy Jenkins -Fields, and I'm nervous because they had to come here to speak. See, they both have retired and left legacy to those who are coming behind. Clearly, not only do I stand on their shoulders, but I also stand on the shoulders of my late grandmother•, Athalie Range, who was the first Black female Commissioner to serve in the seat that you are sitting today. So, it is with great pride that I am before you this evening. And with that, I would hope that you would indulge me. I have asked a couple of persons to give me a few moments just to provide a proper presentation to you regarding our budget. I would ask for the members of our Trust who are present to stand, along with our executive director and Trust staff, and also our supporters that are in the audience. Thank you. You may be seated. Chair King: Mr. Range? Mr. Range: Yes. Chair King: Can you identify the persons that are going to give time so that you can speak longer? Mr. Range: Yes, ma'am, I would. Those persons who have been willing to give their time to me, if you would stand. Mr. Hannon: And Mr. Range, I'll just need their name. City of Miami Page 10 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 Mr. Range: Yes, 1 do have some of them here. I'll ask the others to come up. Dennis Phillips: Dennis Phillips. Mr. Hannon: One at a time. Your name? Mr. Range: While we're getting the -- while the Clerk is taking care of some housekeeping duties there, we do have a few documents that we'd like to distribute to you, if it's okay. And you will receive each a packet, which will attempt to address some of the concerns that we heard at the first budget hearing. Just a little bit of background on myself. 1, too, am a citizen of Miami for my entire life. I was born and raised here, lived and worked here. I am an attorney, a land use and environmental attorney, as well as a business owner here in the City of Miami. 1 do have a Master of Laws in real property development from the University of Miami. I have typically appeared before this Commission in the role as a land use attorney. Tonight, however, we do come on behalf of the Virginia Key Trust, and as you are receiving your items, we're going to talk through the timeline that you received. You each should have received a document., State of the Historic Virginia Key Beach Park Timeline. And I will try, to be very efficient in my presentation. I know that you have much more to discuss this evening. But we do want to, again, try to respond to some of the comments that we heard at the first budget hearing. This timeline gives you an overview of what we have been doing at Virginia Key Beach Park since the inception of the Trust. And so I'd certainly like you to peruse that, and you'll notice a couple of things that I'll point out. There was a master plan that was passed and adopted by the City in May of 2006, which covers the 82-acre site that is currently the historic Virginia Key Beach Park. Additionally, just prior to that in November of 2004, the Miami -Dade County voters approved general obligation bond dollars to build a museum dedicated to the immigrant experience on the Historic Virginia Key Beach Park. And one thing that was -- I'd like to point out for informational purposes, because I believe based upon some of the comments that I heard, there is a lot of misinformation out there about the Virginia Key Beach Park Trust. Our beach and our park are for all of the citizens of Miami. It has been -- I've heard it referred to as the Black beach. We disagree with that characterization. We were, in fact, the only site that Blacks could go to swim and recreate back in segregation days, there's no doubt of that. But the facts are that this park is used by all of your constituents, all of them. This 82-acre park, which is the largest park in the City of Miami proper, is used more -- by more citizens from -- that do not look like me than that do. And we're very proud of the fact that we have been able to raise the number of visitors that have come out to visit our park continuously. In fact, this year, we've had over 100,000 visitors to the park, the most that we've ever had. And they come from all of your districts. And they enjoy and they love our park because we keep it clean, we keep it safe, and we keep it open to all. And so we're very proud of all of that. And so we say to you that, again, this park is not the Blacks' park or the Black beach. Environmentalists, bikers, runners, families, students, all come out and enjoy the park. We have weddings. We have some of the most beautiful vistas in the entire city. So, we have photo shoots. We have video shoots. We have all of these things, all of these persons clamoring to come and enjoy the gem that you all have established at Virginia Key Beach. In fact, we have accomplished all aspects of the master plan that were passed back in 2006, except for the construction of the museum. And so that's what we'd like to focus on with you tonight regarding our budget. Our budget request this year is for a $600,000 ask. That is up from $300,000 that we received from the City last year and in the last several years. I'd like to call your attention to the sheet that says Trust revenue and expenditures. It looks like this. And I think this is very important for all of you to see. During the first budget hearing there were some questions about this Trust, this park being self-sufficient. I think this document helps to address some of those issues. If you do have this before you, you'll note the City contribution or the amount that the City has given to the Trust over the years, since its inception. I'd like City of Miami Page 11 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 to point out that you'll note between the years of 2009 and 2016, the Trust received zero dollars from the City of Miami. Again, I repeat, from the years 2009 to 2016, the City of Miami provided zero dollars contribution to the Virginia Key Beach Park Trust. that was a result of the real estate fallout that took place and the heavy hit that the City took financially. The City was not in position to fund the Trust during those years. Of course, we all were dealing with that real estate fallout at the time. And so we had to very quickly recalibrate and figure out how we would sustain ourselves coming from what was a 1.3 million contribution from the City in the year 2008-2009 to zero dollars. Someone mentioned us being resilient. If you look at our expenditures and revenues during those years, we had to manufacture the monies to operate this park. And guess what, we did that, we did that. And with your help, in the ensuing years, we were able to receive a contribution from the City. That began again in 2016 and '17, where we received a $150,000 contribution, which we put to good use to begin to ramp up our efforts again, to begin looking at the construction of our museum. And that's where we are today and the reason for our ask of the $600,000. The additional $300,000 that we're asking for from last year incorporates five positions, five personnel positions into our budget for this year. Four of those positions are park staff positions, folks devoted entirely to the operation and maintenance of the park itself, 82 acres. We unfortunately do not have any participation from the City Parks Department in terms of personnel at our park 82 acres, the largest park in the City of Miami. We have no employees nor financial contribution from the Parks Department, even though we are the largest park in the City of Miami. Nevertheless, and this has persisted since our inception, I don't know why, but we have managed to sustain ourselves through all of these years without being a part or receiving any contribution from the Parks Department. I want to speak for a moment to what was mentioned at the last budget hearing, unfortunately, and I will not speak to it at length because I've been advised that it is not ripe yet for discussion, but there was mention of an audit that had been performed by City auditors, internal auditors for the Trust. This audit, and I spoke with the auditors today, it's Thursday, I believe it was a brief meeting opportunity I had to ask a few questions of the auditors on yesterday. I was informed that I should not speak about this audit today because it has not been finalized and is not yet ripe for discussion. I do want to point out, however, that I agree with that, and as such I will not discuss the details of it, because we as a Trust have not yet had a chance to respond even to that audit because it has just been presented to us for response. And so we're in the process now of responding to that audit and the concerns that were listed therein. Once we have had an opportunity to respond to that audit, my understanding is that the auditors will then review that, make some changes to the draft that exists today, and a final audit will be produced. And so, again, I will not speak to the details of that audit because of the requests and so forth of the auditors. However, I feel it important that we speak to some of the allegations that were made in that audit because I take them rather personally. There were allegations of malfeasance, allegations that financially there may have been some impropriety that the Trust had been a part of And I have to say on the record that that is false. I have had a chance to review a draft of the audit. Nowhere did I find a mention of malfeasance, nowhere did I find a mention of financial impropriety. There were some findings, yes. And again, I won't go into them into detail, but I am available to each of you to discuss them at length when the time is appropriate and any other aspects of what we do and what we are at Virginia Key Beach. I am available to each of you. That I promise you. I will take whatever time from my schedule to accommodate your concerns. That's my job. And I take offense when people tell me that I'm not doing my job because, again, I stand on the shoulders of persons who have worked their entire life to see this happen. And I will not disappoint them. And so, again, I say, as it relates to the audit, the things that were alleged about us are false. I'd ask you to look into the audit more deeply yourself There are concerns there without question, but they are concerns that can be resolved and certainly not concerns that rise to the level of consideration of removal of this board. And so I'd ask you to consider very carefully our budget today. We have City of Miami Page 12 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 been working very hard to bring a resolution, bring an agenda item before you to help to move our museum process forward. Believe it or not, it has taken us over six months to get this agenda item before you. And 1 mention this because it's symptomatic of some of the issues that we have had over the years. There was a question raised at the last budget hearing about what we do at Virginia Key, and that's why I wanted to distribute the timeline to you. But we've also been lacking support, lacking support from this body to help us to move the museum forward. Again, just as an example, this agenda item has still not come before you, and we presented our request for this agenda item in February. And this is regarding a no -bid waiver to bring a consultant on board that has already worked with us to finalize our business plan, which will say how we intend to continue to sustain ourselves. And this is something that the County has asked us for in order to access the County GOB (General Obligation Bond) dollars that we desperately need for the construction of the museum. So, we are trying to do what we can to move this forward. We need your support. We can't do anything without you. And so you hold the cards. If you choose to replace us, I would hope it's with the goal of getting this museum built quicker. Quicker than we can do it. Because it is true, we've not been able to get it built yet. That's a fact. But it's because we need your help. And so, if I'm the obstacle in this, I would be happy to go over to the Clerk and submit my resignation this evening. Because this is not about me. This is not about me. Whatever I can do to help to see this museum built as the voters who approved the GOB dollars asked of you, if I can help to bring about the fruition of this master plan that was approved by the voters, your constituents, that's what I'm here to do. And so I pledge to you today that however you move this, I'm here for whatever help 1 can be, in whatever capacity that may come. But we need this museum built. This is our history. I don't know if you all know it, and 1 don't know how many of you all have been out to the park and I encourage you if you haven't been out to the park to please go. It's the most beautiful piece of dirt we have in this city. And your constituents enjoy it. Take a few minutes to go out and see how they enjoy it. See what it means to them. Because it means a lot. But it's in your hands now. We have some issues. We may have some things that need to get worked out. That's typical. That's almost with everything you deal with, I'm sure. And what I'm saying to you is I pledge to you today that we can work those things out. And we will work those things out, but only with your help, only with your support. And that's what I'm asking for this evening. Thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Applause. Chair King: Good evening. Gene Tinnie: Good evening. Good evening, Honorable Chair and Commissioners. My name is Gene Tinnie. I reside at 74 Northwest Slst Street in the Magic City of Miami. Can you hear me all right? These things aren't always at normal height, you know. There you go. There you go. Normal height. Okay, again, good evening to all of you. Interesting that some of us are meeting again after a couple decades. We -- then Mayor Carollo, we've never been shy about our appreciation of your approval of the action of the City Commission back in 2001 or at the end of 2000, under the leadership of the late Arthur E. Teele to create the Trust, which grew out of a broad community effort that began with a task force and then became an advisory board. I don't want to -- I think those who spoke before me spoke well. What 1 would like to do is to, sort of let me begin with a point of information, which is sort of a review of what the community vision has been and still is for the park. What is the purpose for which the Trust was created in the first place? You know, I preface this with, you know, there are the cynics among us that would remind us that, you know, you can't reason people out of positions they haven't reasoned themselves into and that, you know, there are situations where people say, well, my mind is make up, don't bother City of Miami Page 13 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 me with facts. But of course, we hope and pray that this is not a situation of that kind. I'll preface this also with just a reminder that what we're talking about here is citizen - owned property. This is a citizen -owned asset. This is -- Virginia Key Beach, Mr. Range mentioned, this is the largest park in the City of Miami, serves all districts, the only oceanfront park in the city, and it is, you know, the property of the citizens and we need to follow the public will. So, the vision for the park came about from a very public process in 2000, somehow appropriately on the Martin Luther King holiday weekend in January of that year, when we had a public charrette. And the charrette was basically a dialogue between community members offering their ideas, their thoughts. Some people came with hard line opinions and so forth. And there was a back and forth between those conversations and design professionals that cane up with this. Essentially, the task of the Trust was to restore Virginia Key Beach, which had been neglected for almost 20 years at the time, to its former splendor. Chair King: Mr. Tinnie? Mr. Tinnie: Yes. Chair King: Your time is up. Mr. Tinnie: I believe I have -- Chair King: Do you have anybody to give --? Mr. Tinnie: -- minutes that have been ceded to me. Chair King: Pardon? Mr. Tinnie: Don't I have minutes that were ceded to me? Mr. Hannon: We already had a number of speakers donate their time to Mr. Range. Mr. Tinnie: So, you're saying my time is up? Mr. Hannon: Yes, sir. Mr. Tinnie: It's a real irony to that, the fact that I have to be here at all and not where I could be is irony in itself. All right, well, with that, I will -- I'll conclude. And only others, I have to say, you know, people risked their lives in 1945 to establish this park. Mrs. Range gave the last years of her life to this. These allegations that we are some kind of interest group that the City is giving something to, as opposed to being taxpayers who are owners of this property, that we are somehow squandering taxpayers' funds irresponsibly, irresponsibly. We're engaged in malfeasance, padding the rolls with unnecessary workers. You think we have the right to betray the legacy, the Trust, that people like Mrs. Range, Mrs. Thomas, Dr. Pinkney, Dr. Fields put into this? Get real. Applause. George Simpson: My name is George Simpson. I'm at 3801 Thomas Avenue. Just to briefly go into a little bit of the personal history of Virginia Key Beach, I went to high school at Christopher Columbus. I was the first Black student there and the only Black student the four years I was there. And all of the kids, the weekends, they would go to all these beaches. They would go to Haulover, Matheson Hammocks. They would go to all of these beaches around Miami. There was only one beach I could go to, and that was Virginia Key Beach. It was a very nice beach. We had a few facilities there. But the fact of the matter is that those are the only experiences and memories I City of Miami Page 14 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 have of my childhood growing up in Miami. Now, of course, on Sundays and holidays, a lot of the Black people in Miami, they went to the beach. But we don't talk about sometimes on the Friday and Saturday nights that we had bands. 1 had a band that would play there. And I can assure you, and other people who are in my age group, there were White kids that came to those concerts we had on Virginia Beach on Friday nights and sometimes Saturday nights. And I know that because sometimes I would have to sneak out of the house to go myself. So, the point is that that beach, which now knows, we knew it was special. We knew that the surf was just the right height to (UNINTELLIGIBLE) without the sharks coming right in, as they did across the channel at Crandon Park. So, the fact of the matter is that that beach has a rich history, and everyone goes there. If you --1 had some people that came in town from Indianapolis about six weeks ago and the beach was full and there were only about 10 Black -- Chair King: Thank you. Mr. Simpson: -- people on the beach. And the beach was -- you couldn't even get a parking space. Chair King: Thank you. Mr. Simpson: So, the point is, the beach is for everybody and it should be supported and the board that is in place has built that beach with very little public support. Thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Good evening. Lamont Finch: Good evening. My name is Pastor Lamont Finch. I come to speak on behalf of Miami Powerhouse Church and Restorative Life Center. I want my project manager to go ahead and speak on our behalf. Zyan Auraham: Hello, everyone. Thank you for your time tonight. I just want to let you know that our church serves the Liberty City community and we bounce around to different places and we feed 450 people to 500 people a week. There's a food crisis. We do this out of our own contracts from our church and we do this without any funding whatsoever. We give $90, 000 worth of groceries to the community weekly. And we believe that we could do a much better job, we'd be able to serve a lot better if we could have a stationary building for a food bank that's much needed, and if we could get a refrigerated -- funding for a refrigerated truck. There is no other organization in our district that is doing what we're doing at the volume that we are doing it. And we've been doing it for 12 years and I think it's high time that we are recognized for our work in the community and funded. And that's all we have to say today. We hope that you will take that in consideration with your budget. Chair King: Thank you. Mr. Hannon: I'm sorry, Chair, if I can just have the speaker's name. Ms. Auraham: My name is Zyan Auraham. Thank you. Mr. Finch: Thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Good evening. Marvin Weeks: May I speak? Chair King: Good evening. City of Miami Page 15 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 Mr. Weeks: Okay, good. Good afternoon. Marvin Weeks. I reside at 40 --1'm sorry, 2136 Northwest 8th Avenue, Miami, Florida. I'm Marvin Weeks, the chairman of the City of Miami Arts and Entertainment Council. And I just wanted to speak on BH.12, our budget that we are hoping that you'll pass today. You know, our council, the Arts and Entertainment Council, is something that is the blood of Miami in the way that it connects all the districts, all of your districts. The arts and entertainment in our community is very important for the livelihood and the continuation, the connectivity of all our citizens to something that gives us life. And we're hoping that you will definitely support and move forth moving funds that we need to try, to connect our local residents. I came before you in -- early during the year and spoke about the needs that we need to move this board forward to connect. This is not our grandmother's arts council now. It's a new day in Miami, how the arts are connecting and being an economic engine in our community, and we need you to definitely consider in supporting us in greater efforts as we move forward in the future. And we are planning, through our plan that we have attached as our business plan as we move forward, make sure that we're going to try to bring all arts groups and entertainment to connect and be this city -- this beautiful fabric of culture that we have in our community. And it's very important that the citizens of this community begin to understand how we value each other, and arts and entertainment can do that. So, we definitely hope you will consider passing that and take a look as we move forward to connect Miami. Chair King: Thank you. Mr. Weeks: Thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Jacqui Colyer: Good evening. My name is Jacqui Colyer. I live in the City of Miami, 295 Northeast 82nd Street, probably the farthest north part of the City of Miami. Good evening, Commissioner King. And I came to talk about the idea of placing homeless, or having a homeless encampment at Virginia Beach and what we're doing -- what you're thinking about doing to that budget -- I mean, to that whole idea. Chair King: Ms. Colyer? Ms. Colyer.: Yes? Chair King: That issue is not on this agenda. This is about the budget. Ms. Colyer: But the budget is about changing everything -- Chair King: It's -- that issue -- no. Ms. Colyer: -- from what we wanted -- Chair King: No. Ms. Colyer: -- what was promised -- Chair King: That issue -- Ms. Colyer: -- about the park, right? City of Miami Page 16 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 Chair King: That issue for tiny hones on Virginia Key is not before this Commission in this budget hearing. If you would like to speak on Virginia Key Trust budget, you're welcome to do so, but this is not before us, the tiny homes issue. Ms. Colyer: Okay. I can still speak about the Virginia Key and its budget -- Chair King: I will (INAUDIBLE) -- Ms. Colyer: -- because as a young person, as a child, I can remember fighting for the Virginia Key Beach Trust or for Virginia Key Beach. As a 10-year-old, marching and walking to what was then called, Bay -- it was on the bay, it was -- the library was there, and my mom, my dad, and with a whole lot of people marched from -- from Greater Bethel to the bay. And it was all about getting that beach for Black people, but also for making sure that it was ensured to stay for this community and for the parts of it be established as historical. I mean, for us to think that there's anything else that we should do besides actually working toward a trust and establishing for the Virginia Key, I think that that's unacceptable, and I think that that's something that we all need to think about as a community. I mean, when we look at what developers have and what has been taken from our -- from us as a people, I think that the least we could look at and make sure that we continue to have is a historical site that speaks to the past of the struggle of African Americans in Miami -Dade County. Chair King: Thank you. Applause. Chair King: At this time, the public comment period is closed. BH - BUDGET HEARING BH.1 ORDINANCE 12394 Office of Management and Budget AN ORDINANCE OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION RELATED TO TAXING, DEFINING, AND DESIGNATING THE TERRITORIAL LIMITS FOR THE CITY OF MIAMI ("CITY"); LEVYING AN AD VALOREM TAX ON ALL REAL AND PERSONAL PROPERTY IN THE CITY AT A TOTAL FINAL RATE OF 7.8774 MILLS ON THE DOLLAR OF THE TAXABLE VALUE OF SUCH PROPERTY FOR THE PURPOSES OF FUNDING THE GENERAL OPERATING BUDGET AND PAYMENT OF DEBT SERVICE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2022 AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2023; CONTAINING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. ENACTMENT NUMBER: 14108 MOTION TO: Adopt RESULT: ADOPTED MOVER: Manolo Reyes, Commissioner SECONDER: Alex Diaz de la Portilla, Commissioner AYES: King, Carollo, Russell, Diaz de la Portilla, Reyes Chair King: At this time, we can take up BK 1. Commissioner Reyes: Move it. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I will move BH.1. I'm sorry, I'll second it. City of Miami Page 17 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 Chair King: All in favor? Vice Chair Carollo: I'm sorry. Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): Chair? Vice Chair Carollo: B -- which one? Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: BH.1. Chair King: BH.1. Vice Chair Carollo: BH.1, that's the -- Chair King: It's the City's millage. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: The millage. Vice Chair Carollo: For the millage? Chair King:: Yes. Mr. Hannon: BH.1 is an ordinance. Title needs to be read into the record. Chair King: Title needs to be read into the record. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Bye-bye, guys. Have a good night. Get some rest. Commissioner Reyes: Goodnight. Victoria Mendez (City Attorney): An ordinance of the Miami City Commission -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: And remember, I was the only one that gave you $150,000 today, so you know. It's true. The Ordinance was read by title into the public record by the City Attorney. Ms. Mendez.: And I believe this has to be a four -fifths? Mr. Hannon: Yes, ma'am. Chair King: All in favor? The Commission (Collectively): Aye. Chair King: Motion carries. Do you need to read BH.2? Mr. Hannon: Chair, and just so it's clear, Commissioner Reyes is on the dais and voted in favor, so it's unanimous, 5-0, for BH.1. Chair King: Yes. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: He's just sitting in the wrong chair, but that's okay. City of Miami Page 18 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 BH.2 RESOLUTION 12478 Office of Management and Budget A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH ATTACHMENT(S), ADOPTING A FINAL BUDGET AND MAKING APPROPRIATIONS RELATING TO OPERATIONAL AND BUDGETARY REQUIREMENTS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2022 AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2023; RATIFYING, APPROVING, AND CONFIRMING CERTAIN NECESSARY ACTIONS OF THE CITY MANAGER AND DESIGNATED CITY OFFICIALS IN ORDER TO UPDATE THE RELEVANT FINANCIAL CONTROLS, COMPLETED PROJECTS, PROJECT CLOSE-OUTS, ACCOUNTING ENTRIES, AND COMPUTER SYSTEMS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH AND FOR GRANTS AND OTHER FUNDING SOURCES IN PROGRESS AND FOR NECESSARY RELATED DOCUMENT NEGOTIATIONS AND EXECUTIONS; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-22-0371 MOTION TO: Adopt with Modification(s) RESULT: ADOPTED WITH MODIFICATION(S) MOVER: Alex Diaz de Ia Portilla, Commissioner SECONDER: Manolo Reyes, Commissioner AYES: King, Carollo, Russell, Diaz de Ia Portilla, Reyes Note for the Record: For additional minutes referencing Item Number BH.2, please see "Public Comments for allltein(s)." Chair King: BH.2 needs to be read into the record? Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I will move it. Commissioner Russell: So moved. Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): No, BH.2 is just a resolution. Chair King: It's just -- okay. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I move it. Commissioner Russell: Second. Victoria Mendez (City Attorney): Also a four -fifths. Chair King: All in favor? Commissioner Russell: I have an amendment. Larry Spring (Chief' Financial Officer): As amended. Marie Gouin (Director, Budget): As amended. Chair King: As amended. Commissioner Russell: I'm sorry, Madam Chair. Amendment. I have a discussion. Chair King: Pardon? City of Miami Page 19 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 Commissioner Russell: On BH.2. There's an error in the change memo. Chair King: Okay. Commissioner Russell: So, there's two things. One is an events change. There's $15,000 that is allocated to Blacktop. I'd like to see that moved to the Goombay Festival, so the Goombay Festival will now go up to 55,000. And the other amendment I would like to make is I would like to fund the additional two positions in the Resilience Department, which is 150,000, and that will keep that new department from being hamstrung. They're very clear about the administrative needs they have. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: No. Commissioner Russell: I brought this up on first reading. Vice Chair Carollo: Didn't you hear where? Commissioner Russell: If I could just finish, please. Vice Chair Carollo: Can I speak afterwards? Chair King: Yes, you may. Vice Chair Carollo: Thank you. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: And then I want to come after. Commissioner Russell: Between first and second, Parks and Recreation Department went up. Resilience and Public Works went up. Police went up. This was something I did bring up on first reading and I expected to see it in the change memo but it wasn't there. So, this is something I'd like to see us find the budget for. As it's a new department with a new CRO (Chief Resilience Officer), and the Chief Resilience Officer won 't be able to do their job well if they don 't have a good staff. It's their first season not under the umbrella of the Public Works Department with all of their logistics. So, I think it'll be a big help to them. It'll make a difference. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Okay, so I'm the maker of the motion and I do not accept the amendment. Vice Chair Carollo: Okay. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Unless somebody else wants to move it. Vice Chair Carollo: No, I will not. And if I could answer. Chair King: Please. Vice Chair Carollo: Here -- yeah. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I withdraw my motion because I'm not accepting that amendment. Vice Chair Carollo: The problem that I'm seeing we're having, and it's starting to really concern me, and maybe you didn't hear what Mr. Springs [sic] had to say, the last 300,000 came from reserves. Where do you think that amount is going to come City of Miami Page 20 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 from? Reserves. And anything other, reserves. And if the [expletive] hits the fan, where do you have to go to, reserves? Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: It's a free-for-all. Vice Chair Carollo: And we're not going to have enough for the City. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Right. Vice Chair Carollo: And this is a city that every year is facing real, real dangers. We're throwing the dice every year that a major hurricane ain't going to come over here, or even a minor one, and cost us tens of millions of dollars. Now, my concern is that, you know, we're becoming like Washington, D.C., throwing money all over the place, even spending fitture monies all over the place. And the bottom line is that Washington 's got a printing press, you know. The money might not be worth as much every time they spend the billions, but they got a printing press. We don 't have one. We don 't have a printing press. So, for those reasons, I cannot go on in spending and adding more monies to this budget that are coming from the reserves. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I told -- Madam Chair, I made the point to Mr. Spring. Mr. Spring, I made the point that you take $2 million, but I think you understood why 1 made that point. Mr. Spring: Yes, I did. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: And then Vicky jumped over there, our City Attorney, oh, you have to have reserves, you have to have -- of course, every budget has to have reserves. So, the point is that the more -- Commissioner Carollo is 100 percent correct. Every budget has to have a percentage of that budget in reserves to protect against an unexpected situation, right? A hurricane or something that we cannot handle. Commissioner Reyes knows that. He's an economist. He understands this, right? So, every time somebody wants something, a pet project, a turkey maybe, and says, hey, I want 150 here. I want 100 there. I want 300 here. Take it from reserves, take it from reserves, and then we deplete our budget, our reserves, and we have a problem. I don't think anybody agrees that a priority -- well, I don't know, maybe the Commission does agree, I don't know. I don't. This resiliency thing, because you bring 20 -- you bring 10 people here, which you brought them, right? Commissioner Russell: Not at all. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Yeah, you did. Commissioner Russell: I haven't spoken to a single one of them. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: And to come up here and talk about things that are not top priorities for our city -- by the way, we have like crime and homeless and affordable housing and things that are probably bigger than two employees for some department, some bureaucratic department. I think that's a waste of our money. And I think it's eating into our reserves. And we can'tfall into that pattern of eating into our reserves. Tell me, Mr. Spring, if I'm wrong in how reserves work in a budgetary process. How does that work? Mr. Spring: You've adequately described it. So, we do need to have reserves, and that reserve that I spoke about, that's an estimate that we make. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Do you think that reserve number is a little bit low for our city right now? City of Miami Page 21 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 Mr. Spring: Well -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Based on your experience and as our CFO (Chief Financial Officer)? Because I think it's low. Mr. Spring: I need to be very careful about that response, first of all. We have -- if we go by our CAFR (Comprehensive Annual Financial Report) from last year -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Right. Mr. Spring: -- we met our financial integrity principles. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Yes. Mr. Spring: As we're projecting for next year, we've -- we have provided for conservative estimates to maintain that level of reserve and continue to add to it. So, obviously, you posed two ranges, a couple hundred thousand versus two million. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Sure. Mr. Spring: I would be comfortable changing the estimate for a couple hundred thousand. I would not be comfortable changing that estimate for two million. So, I know that 's not a direct answer, but that kind of -- vice Chair Carollo: Larry. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: So, the couple hundred thousand -- Mr. Spring: -- gives you a sense of -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: -- we already did. We did 300,000. Mr. Spring: Which we already did. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: We already did. We did more than a couple. We did three hundred. That's one -- Mr. Spring: Well, we -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: -- a hundred thousand more than a couple. Mr. Spring: Well, if you look at the change memo, there were other changes. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Additional, so how much have we done, right? Mr. Spring: Yes. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Right? And then now it's another hundred and Mr. Spring: Right. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: So, how much have we done? That's an easy answer, right? You know that number. Mr. Spring: It was -- City of Miami Page 22 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: How much have we done? How much have we dipped into our reserves? Between one thing or the other? Mr. Spring: One point -- we had an additional reserve there. It was 1.9 million that we 've -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: So, we -- Mr. Spring: -- reallocated -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: -- so we -- Mr. Spring: -- thus far. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: -- that we pulled $1.9 million out of our reserves. Mr. Spring: Between the original budget proposal and where we are today. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Right, I thought it was like 1.1, but I'm shocked that it's 1.9. Commissioner Russell: Yeah. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: So, we keep on digging -- Vice Chair Carollo: I think it's more like 2.1 -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I thought it was one point -- Vice Chair Carollo: -- 72 or 7.4, or something like that. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I had it at 1.1, but I didn't know. Vice Chair Carollo: You want to -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Apparently, everybody's eating into it. Mr. Spring: You'll have it on your -- Chair King: You -- so -- Mr. Spring: You have it on your (INAUDIBLE). Commissioner Reyes: Madam Chair. Chair King: We were -- Vice Chair Carollo: Hold on, I was next. Excuse me. Commissioner Reyes: Oh, yeah, okay, okay. Vice Chair Carollo: I was next in line. Thank you. Commissioner Reyes: You're welcome. Chair King: Go right ahead, Vice Chair. City of Miami Page 23 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 Vice Chair Carollo: Thank you, Madam Chair. Larry, bottom line is that the reserves that we are left with for this next fiscal year is less than 1 percent of our budget. What I'm talking about, the reserves you're taking from next fiscal year's amount, not what we have aggregated. Mr. Spring: Oh, yes, yes, you 're correct. Yes, yes, yes. Vice Chair Carollo: Yeah, so -- Mr. Spring: Because we have a billion -dollar budget, yes, yeah. Vice Chair Carollo: We're -- yeah, well, we're not quite a billion -- Mr. Spring: Right. Vice Chair Carollo: -- for the general fund. Mr. Spring: Right. Vice Chair Carollo: Close but not -- Mr. Spring: Close, right. Vice Chair Carollo: -- quite a billion. Mr. Spring: But yes, you're right. Vice Chair Carollo: So, that 8.5 million that we're left with in reserves -- Mr. Spring: Right. Vice Chair Carollo: -- approximately, that's less than 1 percent, well less than 1 percent of the budget for next fiscal year. So, think about that. How many of you would feel good if all that you're putting in savings, into your savings account next year is going to be less than one percent of what you're making? I'll leave it at that. Commissioner Reyes: Okay. Madam Chair, let may I ask -- Chair King: Commissioner. Commissioner Reyes: -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla, and agree with you and with all those changes. How about if we, the budget that we approved, you see, and include only an additional $15, 000 for the blacktop and $40, 000 for Goombay. That's it, and the rest, forget about it. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Yes, sir. Commissioner Russell: So, it's reducing the blacktop and adding it to Goombay. Commissioner Reyes: That's right. Okay. Commissioner Russell: Yeah. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: So, I will do the motion with that, but not the 154, is it? City of Miami Page 24 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 Commissioner Reyes: That's right. Commissioner Russell: 150. Madam Chair, if I could just respond, though, because -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Well, I'm making a motion. Commissioner Russell: Yeah. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Let me make it. Vice Chair Carollo: Are you going to (UNINTELLIGIBLE) --? Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I'm making a motion. Chair King: Wait, hold on. Let him -- Commissioner Reyes: And I will second it. Chair King: -- let him -- okay, let him respond. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Okay, but I'm making the motion. Chair King: Wait, but you got to -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Somebody has to second. Chair King: Don't we have to do away -- but don't we have to do away with the motion that's already here? Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: No, I already withdrew the motion. Chair King: You withdrew the motion? Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I'm making a new motion. Chair King: A new motion? Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Right, which takes into account the two things that Commissioner Russell requested -- Chair King: Okay. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: -- that Commissioner Reyes has seconded that motion, and now we have the motion on the table and now we discuss it. Chair King: Okay, Commissioner Russell. Commissioner Russell: Thank you. I just would like to say that the activists who came to speak about resilience, I haven't spoken with, phoned, emailed, or texted with a single one of them. This is their organic initiative to plan our city for the future. And it's not a District 2 thing, it's not a Ken thing, it's not a red or a blue thing. It's part of Miami's future, and I think it's worthy for all of us to invest in. And so I do hope when we get to the raid year, because as they get their feet and they get their operational budget together, if they need it, they will go to the Manager and if they -- and I hope we look at it differently as we get to the mid year but thank you. Chair King: Thank you. City of Miami Page 25 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Can we move it now? 1 think we're good to go. Commissioner Reyes: That's right. Chair King: Commissioner. Vice Chair Carollo: Hold on, I've just got one more question. Chair King: My Vice Chair -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I think we're good to go. Chair King: Vice Chair would like to speak. Vice Chair Carollo: But -- Commissioner Reyes: We're just moving -- moving 15 to -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: It's 8 o 'clock Commissioner. Vice Chair Carollo: Explain -- explain to me -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: You want to mess with him? You want to mess with what we have done? Vice Chair Carollo: Explain to me so that I don't have to be thinking about it for the next couple of weeks until we meet. Commissioner Reyes: Yeah. Vice Chair Carollo: You still haven 't moved out of the house you sold 16 months ago. Chair King: Commissioner. Commissioner Russell: Have you moved back into your old one? Vice Chair Carollo: No, I have not. Commissioner Russell: So, I haven't moved either. Vice Chair Carollo: Yeah, yeah, but do you know how much rent you're finally paying? Because last time you told me, you didn't know if it was 3,500 or 4,500. Commissioner Russell: I was very clear. Chair King: Call the question. Call the question. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I'm thinking of re -- Commissioner Russell: It's exactly none of your business. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: -- I'm thinking of reappointing him so, you know, don't ruin his chances. He has to have a residence. Vice Chair Carollo: This is why I'm trying to establish where he really lives. City of Miami Page 26 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I would move to reappoint him. Chair King: We're punch-drunk. Vice Chair Carollo: I want to make sure he didn't go out of district. Chair King: We are now punch-drunk because it's 8 o'clock and we're delirious now. Vice Chair Carollo: Yeah. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Yes, ma'am. Yes, yes. Chair King: So, all in favor? The Commission (Collectively): Ave. Chair King: Motion carries. Mr. Hannon: As amended. Chair King: As amended. Commissioner Reyes: As amended. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: As amended. Now, we're in BH.3, I think? Is that it? Chair King: There is no BH.3, we're all done. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Oh, we're done. We're good to go? Chair King: The meeting is now adjourned. Commissioner Russell: We have a budget. Congratulations. Congratulations, Administration. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Good job, Madam Chair. BH.3 DISCUSSION ITEM 12480 Office of Management and Budget A DISCUSSION FOR THE PURPOSE OF ALLOWING DISCUSSION AND PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE FINAL FY 2022-23 MILLAGE RATE, FINAL BUDGET, AND ALL OTHER BUDGET ITEMS ON THE AGENDA. RESULT: DISCUSSED Chair King: At this time, we will hear from the Budget Director. Marie Gouin (Director, Management and Budget): Good evening, Madam Chair, Commissioners. Today is a very brief presentation just to make sure that the millage and the total budget is read into the record. We'll start with the millage and property taxes. If you look at, in comparison to this fiscal year and the upcoming fiscal year that we're going into -- our fiscal year starts in October and it ends in September. So, October 1st, 2022 will be our fiscal year for fiscal year 22-23. The millage .fbr the current year that we're in is 7.9900 mills. The general operating is 7.6665, debt 0.3235, which makes the total 7.99. Fiscal year 22-23, total proposed millage rate, City of Miami Page 27 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 BH.4 12457 Downtown Development Authority 7.8774, which is the general operating millage is being reduced by 0.1126, which makes it 7.5539, and the general obligation debt is 0.3235. If you have a house that -- for this fiscal year that was average homestead of $275,381, you would have paid 22 - - $2,200. For the upcoming fiscal year, it will be 2,169; $500,000 home, current year, $3,995; upcoming fiscal year, $3,939. In a million dollar home, 7,990; in the upcoming fiscal year, it would be $7,877. Operating millage and rollback. The operating millage, as I stated before, is 7.5539 mills. The rollback rate is 6.8725 mills. The operating millage of 7.5539 is 9.91 percent higher than the state -defined rollback rate of 6.8725 mills. If you want to know -- wondering what a rollback rate is, the rollback rate is the millage rate which will provide the same property tax revenues as you are, as we are collecting in this fiscal year with some allowances, like new constructions, additions to structures, deletions, and property added due to geographic boundary changes. The property taxes that the City receives: in every dollar that you pay in taxes, 37 cents goes to the City of Miami. Out of the 37 cents, 35 cents goes to our op -- from the operating millage, and 2 cents go from the debt millage. And the rest goes from Miami -Dade Public School, 34 cents, Miami -Dade County, 24 cents, and other authorities, 5 cents. We do two budgets every year. For the upcoming fiscal year, for 22-23, the proposed millage, the tentative millage, is one million -- 1, 001, 512, 019. And then the proposed capital budget is $981.5 million, with 48.3 million of new appropriated. The Office of Management of Budget put four documents out on an annual basis, the Budget In Brief the Operating Budget, the Revenue Manual, which will be updated soon into the website, and also the Capital Budget. If you need to know where they are, www.miamigov.com/budget. Thank you. Do you have any questions? Also, the presentation was left for the Commission and the dais -- on the dais, and there's a change memo that was emailed today, and it was also left on the dais for the Commissioners. Chair King: Thank you. DISCUSSION ITEM A DISCUSSION OF THE FINAL MILLAGE RATE AND FINAL BUDGET FOR THE MIAMI DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. RESULT: DISCUSSED Chair King: At this time, we will hear from the executive director of the DDA (Downtown Development Authority). Good evening. Christina Crespi: Good evening. Good evening, Commissioners. My name is Christina Crespi, and I'm the executive director of the Miami Downtown Development Authority. We provided our proposed budget book at the last budget hearing, but I have to read this into the record. The Downtown Development Authority of the City of Miami proposed millage is 0.4681 mills, which is the same as the current rate and the rollback rate is 0.4246 mills, which represents a 10.24 percent increase in the budget. We're going to be submitting the affidavit that was put into the newspaper in the public record. Thank you. Chair King: Thank you. City of Miami Page 28 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 BH.5 12458 Downtown Development Authority RESOLUTION A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH ATTACHMENT(S), BY A FOUR -FIFTHS (4/5THS) AFFIRMATIVE VOTE, ADOPTING AN ADDITIONAL FINAL MILLAGE RATE FOR AD VALOREM TAXATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 200.065, FLORIDA STATUTES; DEFINING AND DESIGNATING THE TERRITORIAL LIMITS OF THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT ("DISTRICT") OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA ("CITY"); LEVYING AN ADDITIONAL AD VALOREM TAX ON ALL REAL AND PERSONAL PROPERTY IN THE DISTRICT AT THE RATE OF 0.4681 MILLS ON THE DOLLAR OF TAXABLE VALUE OF SUCH PROPERTY IN SAID DISTRICT FOR THE PURPOSE OF FINANCING THE OPERATION OF THE MIAMI DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2022, AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2023; PROVIDING THAT SAID FINAL MILLAGE SHALL BE IN ADDITION TO THE MILLAGE ADOPTED BY THE CITY COMMISSION PURSUANT TO ARTICLE VII, SECTION 9 OF THE FLORIDA CONSTITUTION AND SECTION 166.211, FLORIDA STATUTES, AS WELL AS ANY SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS IMPOSED BY THE SAME; PROVIDING THAT THIS RESOLUTION SHALL NOT BE DEEMED AS REPEALING OR AMENDING ANY OTHER RESOLUTION OR ANY 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. ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-22-0372 MOTION TO: Adopt RESULT: ADOPTED MOVER: Alex Diaz de Ia Portilla, Commissioner SECONDER: Manolo Reyes, Commissioner AYES: King, Carollo, Russell, Diaz de Ia Portilla, Reyes Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Madam Chairwoman? Chair King: Yes. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I'd like to move BH.1. Chair King: No, we have to -- we have to move BH5 now. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Okay. I -- Chair King: Do I have a motion? Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I would like to move BH.5. I'll move it. Chair King: Second? Commissioner Russell: Second. Chair King: All in favor? The Commission (Collectively): Aye. City of Miami Page 29 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 BH.6 12459 Downtown Development Authority Chair King: Motion carries unanimously. RESOLUTION A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH ATTACHMENT(S), APPROVING AND ADOPTING THE FINAL ANNUAL BUDGET OF THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA ("MIAMI DDA"), ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED IN COMPOSITE EXHIBIT "A", IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF $18,725,000.00, AND MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FROM THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT AD VALOREM TAX LEVY AND OTHER MISCELLANEOUS INCOME FOR THE MIAMI DDA FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2022, AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2023; AUTHORIZING THE MIAMI DDA TO MAKE TRANSFERS BETWEEN ACCOUNTS FOR NECESSARY AND PROPER PURPOSES; AUTHORIZING THE MIAMI DDA TO INVITE AND ADVERTISE REQUIRED BIDS; PROVIDING THAT THIS RESOLUTION BE DEEMED SUPPLEMENTAL AND IN ADDITION TO THE RESOLUTION MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2022, AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2023, FOR THE OPERATIONS OF THE CITY OF MIAMI. ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-22-0373 MOTION TO: Adopt RESULT: ADOPTED MOVER: Alex Diaz de Ia Portilla, Commissioner SECONDER: Manolo Reyes, Commissioner AYES: King, Carollo, Russell, Diaz de Ia Portilla, Reyes BH.7 RESOLUTION 12466 Virginia Key Beach Park Trust A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH ATTACHMENT(S), APPROVING AND ADOPTING THE ANNUAL BUDGET OF THE VIRGINIA KEY BEACH PARK TRUST ("TRUST"), ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED AS EXHIBIT "A," IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,630,000.00 TO PROVIDE FOR THE MANAGEMENT, OPERATION, AND MAINTENANCE OF THE TRUST, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR COMMENCING OCTOBER 1, 2022, AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2023. ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-22-0374 MOTION TO: Adopt RESULT: ADOPTED MOVER: Ken Russell, Commissioner SECONDER: Manolo Reyes, Commissioner AYES: King, Russell, Reyes NAYS: Carollo, Diaz de la Portilla Note for the Record: For additional minutes referencing Item Number BH.7, please see "Public Comments for all Item(s)." Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I'd like to move BH.1. Chair King: No, we got to do -- City of Miami Page 30 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Not yet? Chair King: -- we have -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: You have your own order there? Okay, you -- Chair King: We have to do it in this particular order. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Okay. Chair King: We need -- I need a motion to move BH. 6. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I will move BH6. Commissioner Russell: Second. Commissioner Reyes: I'll second it. Chair King: All in favor? The Commission (Collectively): Aye. Chair King: Motion carries. [Later...] Chair King: We need to take up BH.7 now before we can take up BH.1 and BH.2. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: BH.7. So, there's an increase in the budget that they had discussed? Is that correct? Chair King: That is correct. Commissioner Reyes: Yes. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: And there was talk about funding for a museum and there's an additional $300,000? Sir, how much of that $300,000 is going to build that museum? Patrick Range: Madam Chair, Commissioners, again, Patrick Range, Chair of the Virginia Key Beach Park Trust. This $300,000 -- and I started today, I realized I didn't finish when I was up here -- represents five additional positions of personnel for the park this corning year. Four of them are for park positions. Again, we 've seen an increase in visitors, tremendously so over the last couple of years. And again, we don't have any park staff. We did have, I believe, one park person from the City of Miami who was assisting us with park maintenance, and that person has been moved to the North Pointe location, I understand. And so we currently have no City help as far as park rangers or park attendants. So, )(bur of these positions are for park attendant type positions. One is for an educational position, which will support the museum. And that's important because the educational position, our hope -- and there was a mention at the last budget hearing about students, particularly inner-city students, corning to the park. Our whole intention is to create a curriculum, particularly once the museum gets built, that we would be able to approach Miami - Dade County Public Schools and ask for funding to provide this curriculum, because, again, we have a.fantastic historical gem as well as an environmental gem. And so our plan is to have this educational person come in, develop this curriculum so that it City of Miami Page 31 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 can be presented to the Miami -Dade County Public School Board for consideration for funding to have students come out to our park on a regular basis with busing and so forth. So, it would be a revenue generating source for us -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: So -- Mr. Range: -- to have that curriculum. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: So, for clarification, not a dime of the $300,000 is going to build a historical Black museum, is that correct? Mr. Range: That is correct because we have received the County GOB (General Obligation Bond) to the tune of $15 million. All of that money has to be used for the construction of the museum. So those dollars are not able to be shared. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Correct. But that's Miami -Dade County. Mr. Range: Correct. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I'm talking about the City of Miami. Mr. Range: Correct. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: What you're asking us -- what you're requesting today, not one dime is going to build a museum. Is that correct? Mr. Range: Not directly. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: It's to hire people, correct? Mr. Range: That is correct because -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Okay. Mr. Range: -- we are ramping up -- hoping to ramp up for the construction of the museum -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Okay. Mr. Range: -- which again, we need your support. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I just wanted to clarify that point and make sure that I was correct. Mr. Range: Yes, and just for further clarification, Commissioner, if you don't approve our budget, you know, again, as you've seen in the documents presented before you, we have been able to survive. You know, and if we have to do that, we will survive. But again, our intentions are to -- and I did hear some of the concerns regarding personnel and some of the, you know, payroll amounts that we have. And those are things that we, you know, are looking at and will look to pare back. But the fact is that as you prepare for such a museum to come, you have to provide the amenities that will go with it. And so, again, our hope is to have a full curriculum, school curriculum, where we would be able to have perhaps more than one grade come out and have these students be able to experience the park. But we 've got to ramp up to that. You don't just drop a building. City of Miami Page 32 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Correct, but you're sort of putting the cart before the horse. You have a museum, yet you have -- how many employees do you have now? Mr. Range: We do have -- I have that information. We have a total of -- because I did hear your comments about the personnel as well. So, we have a total of 15 existing staff persons, and we have 3 consultants. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: And you want to add 5, so that's 23. Mr. Range: No, that's not exact -- that's not entirely correct, no. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Okay, what is that? What's correct? Mr. Range: Is that correct? Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: 18 and 5 is 23. Mr. Range: Including this? (COMMENTS MADE OFF THE RECORD) Mr. Range: Okay. (COMMENTS MADE OFF THE RECORD) Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: 23, with 3 consultants and 20 employees. Mr. Range: Yes. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: And no museum. Mr. Range: Yes. Now again -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Okay. Mr. Range: -- more than half of these employees are park personnel. Again, remember, we have an 82-acre park, and so we have to have proper personnel, you know, to man that park and to help it be maintained. Again, this serves all of your constituents. We want it to be clean and safe -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: And one more question. Mr. Range: -- for the families that come. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: What would be the total salaries for all those 23 employees, all said and done? What would be the total salaries for those employees? Mr. Range: For our park employees, it'd be -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: The total for the 23 including -- Mr. Range: Okay, let me add that up. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: -- the 3 consultants. City of Miami Page 33 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 Mr. Range: It's a total of $345, 000 for our park staff and $514, 000 for our executive staff. So it's looking at a total of roughly -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: 900. Mr. Range: That's 859, $859,000. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: For employees? Mr. Range: Yes. And so again, we've heard your comments, reference to the payroll. We will look at ways to pare that back. As I looked at it in particular myself I did feel that, you know, it was a bit high. However, again, it's been with the ideas of these things that we presented before you that we don't have assistance from the City in terms of park staff Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: What's your total budget? Mr. Range: Our total budget, 1.63. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: So, it's 1.63 total budget and $859,000, half, goes to salaries. And you find that to be the norm in your experiences? Mr. Range: That, again, has not been our norm. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: The norm in general. Do you find that to be the way organizations operate? A 1.63 budget with 859,000 in salaries for employees? Mr. Range: Agreed. That is not the norm. I would agree with you there. Again, it is with the idea of a ramp up towards the advent of this museum, also a consideration that we are seeing more visitors than we have ever seen before at the park, and again, with the understanding that we now have no personnel from the City assisting with maintenance of our park so that is entirely on us. And so, we do have persons that -- you know, we do have some of our positions where people do more than one job. They serve in more than one role. And so, you know, I'd be happy to go through these things with you all, Commissioners. I know this is a concern and I understand that. And as I said, you know, we are willing to look at it and to pare back where, you know, where it needs to be pared back. And so, we're willing to hear those things from you. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: But do you understand why it's a concern? Mr. Range: I do. I do, absolutely. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Okay. Mr. Range: But I just want you to understand too that -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Are we being unreasonable --? Mr. Range: -- what our goals are. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Are we being unreasonable in being concerned about this, in your opinion? Mr. Range: All I would say is that, you know, if you decide to pare it back, I would simply ask for the support of each of you to help us to get to where we're trying to go. City of Miami Page 34 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Isn't it better --? Mr. Range: That's what we've been missing out of this whole thing. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Isn't it better to just get the money you have now and have that conversation and come back maybe later on and ask for additional dollars instead of trying to ask for an increase when something that you know, being an intelligent -- obviously, a very articulate, very intelligent man, you know -- Mr. Range: Sure. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: -- that 859 in salaries and 1.63 in a budget is excessive in salaries. And it's just common sense. You don 't need to be an accountant. You don't need to be, you know, looking at your average numbers to really know what's going on here. So, it may not be a bad thing. It may be nothing improper at the end of the day, but you understand our concern, right? You understand as guardians of the public dollars, of our public dollars, that we have a concern, at least I do. I don 't know about the other commissioners, but I do. Mr. Range: Well, be sure that -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: So I'm concerned. So, for you to come to ask for an increase when this concern exists is a little bit brazen, 1 think, right? Mr. Range: Well, 1 would say -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Why not take a step back and say, hey, let's look at it. Let's respond to the audit that's in a draft phase right now and come back and let's have the conversation and fair is fair. But it's a little bit bold and brazen, I think, to come up here and applaud and make these speeches and then have such a large ratio of your total budget be salaries. And I think that, as the guardians of the public trust, that concerns me. Mr. Range: Sure, sure. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: That's all. Mr. Range: I think there are resolutions to that, Commissioner, and I would love the opportunity to talk with each of you. As I stated during my presentation, one thing that I think would alleviate half of our payroll would be if we have support from the Parks Department as the largest city -- as the largest park in the City of Miami. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: That's fair. Mr. Range: You have a parks budget. And so, again, 100 percent, I hear you. I'm willing -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: That's a fair conversation. What's not fair is for you to ask us for more dollars. Mr. Range: Fair. And it's not fair for -- Chair King: If I may. Mr. Range: It's not lair to have been accused of financial impropriety. Chair King: If I may, if I may. City of Miami Page 35 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: That's different. Chair King: For my colleagues, if I may, I am in complete support of the budget request for this entity. We made some moves last Commission meeting. I was appointed as chair. It's coming back for second reading. I've had several conversations with Mr. Range. Together, I believe we have a path forward. I would like to say that it is a shame, a shame on the City of Miami and Miami -Dade County as a whole that we do not have a museum that 's representative of our African culture. Commissioner Reyes: It is. Chair King: I just visited San Francisco where there is a museum on almost every corner downtown. I have made a commitment to Mr. Range that we will work together. It is not the fault of this organization that they have not been able to move their agenda. Mr. Range has already admitted that there are some changes that should be made and will be made and I believe my colleagues entrusted me as chair of this organization to move the agenda forward. We cannot hinder them. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Madam Chairwoman, Madam Chairwoman. Chair King: Listen, let me finish. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I will grant $300,000 to build, in capital expenses, to build a museum right now. Chair King: The -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: The same amount of money -- Chair King: The 300 -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: -- to build a museum -- Chair King: Let me finish. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: -- but not in salaries. Chair King: Let me finish. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Sorry. Chair King: The $300, 000 is support. It takes staff to move the agenda. It takes people to get the business plan together, to get architects, to get someone to move this stuff through the City of Miami, through Miami -Dade County. We've heard time and time again how we can't even get a permit for someone to fix their roof in the City of Miami much less something as monumental -- Applause. Chair King: -- and significant as a historic museum. What I'm asking is for your indulgence in giving me, together with you, an opportunity to assist them in moving this agenda because I want to see a museum that is representative of our culture in the City of Miami, who by the way was built on the backs of Black people. We should have something that our people can come to and everybody visit. Applause. City of Miami Page 36 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 Chair King: I understand that there is work to be done. Mr. Range has said to this body that we will take a look at the staff and the salaries. Today, 1 included in a resolution to allow the Virginia Key Trust to have signs when it's appropriate that was included with the resolution that gave it to Maurice Ferre Park and Bayfront Park. We are already working together to realize the goal of this organization. I cannot, as a Black woman, not assist in seeing that Commissioner Range 's mission, legacy is moved forward. So, I am asking -- I am asking for you to support this budget. Commissioner Russell. Commissioner Russell: Thank you, Madam Chair. The Beach Park Trust resides in the district I serve, so I've worked with them pretty closely over the last seven years, and we've tried to find pieces of budget to help here and there, including the Parks Department. 1 believe the first was under Kevin Kerwin, when we were able to find a couple of Parks staff to help at the time, and they needed it. The thing with the capital budget, with regard to the museum, it's held hostage by the County, and my understanding is chicken or egg, they're not going to release it until they see a robust operating budget of about a half a million dollars a year. And then those millions will come flowing from the County. So, it's up to us to help ensure that. So, I'd be happy to move BH.7, including an amendment far the additional amount requested. Vice Chair Carollo: Can 1 speak? Thank you. Chair King: Mr. Vice Chair. Vice Chair Carollo: Thank you. Thank you, Chair. Based on the information that I have received, you had or have 17 employees in the Trust. In addition to that, three independent contractors. So -- Mr. Range: Fifteen. Vice Chair Carollo: Excuse me? Mr. Range: Fifteen plus three -- Vice Chair Carollo: Well -- Mr. Range: -- independent contractors. Vice Chair Carollo: -- what I was given by the Auditor General, based on checks that were written, that there were 17 employees -- Mr. Range: Yes. Vice Chair Carollo: -- and 3 independent contractors. In addition, you had, that was never approved ever by the Commission, throughout the years, two Park employees that, depending on what their salaries and benefits were, could amount to another $100, 000 per year. So, in essence, based on the information, there were 22. Now, you have 82 acres there. And Patrick, I'm extremely familiar with that park, because before I came back to this Commission, I spent a lot of time there. We're in agreement that it's a beautiful park. All Miamians should go there, should be able to enjoy it. And in fact, every time I went there, I did see Miamians from all walks of life, all races, nationalities. It's a beautiful gem. The -- I've also, unfortunately, since I've been back in the Commission and haven't had the time that I had before, the times that I've been there, I've seen it deteriorate from the years of what I've seen. But it's important for me to bring in the amount of employees, and particularly, some of the salaries that I've seen, beginning with the executive director. Now, you have City of Miami Page 37 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 approximately 80 acres there, give or take a couple. I'm going to tell you, in another park trust, where we have approximately, 60 acres, the Bayfront Park Trust, in between Bayfront Park and Ferre Park, that I think we're in agreement that those are the most used parks in the City of Miami. On top of that, there's all kinds of facilities that have to be kept up there, et cetera, et cetera. We have 11 people, 5 maintenance, 5 full-time, 1 part-time, so 10 and a half that we have. If we can handle, enough handle, both of these parks, the central parks of Miami with these amount of people, and we've been able to acquire people for the salaries that we're paying that are way below what you 're paying to some of your top people, et cetera, I can't see why you need 20 plus people and you need a budget such as this. 1 mean, I am embarrassed to tell our staff there that you shouldn't have twice the amount of people that you have here to do the job, and that you're going to be making 40, $50,000 less a year to handle a heck of a lot more and more responsibility and more work, where I have an executive director that sometimes doesn't leave the place until 8, 8:30, and then he's back on weekends, many a nights that he's been there until after midnight, and tell him, listen, you've got to do with this kind of salary. So, this is what I'm basing my opinion on. At the same time, I will say this to you. The time to get into everything else sent here, the stuff that you brought up, we have to wait until the auditor general finishes that report. Then we get into that, when we both can speak, and we have a final report. Budgets are made where you could have budget amendments throughout a year. Usually, most cities, not necessarily, have one budget amendment throughout the year, but you could have more than one. It 's, you know, nothing that's written in stone that says one. There is no way -- and I have supported the Chairwoman in everything she has asked for since she's been here, but in this one, I'm sorry, I can't be in this one because I feel that same responsibility that you feel that you have, I feel it too. Because as Mr. Tinnie brought up here, when 1 was mayor -- and you might remember that even though you're a lot younger than I, so you 're a much younger man -- I, with Commissioner Teele, were the guys that championed this and made it happen at the end. I still remember going to the beach there with your grandmother that day. And you know, Teele was behind us. It was a little cold for him. God bless him. But we all wanted this. We all wanted this. But we all have a responsibility to do it right. Now, I commit to you, to the Chairwoman, to everybody, that 1 will help to try to find all kinds of new ways of bringing dollars to the Trust because it needs to be self-sc fficient. And that's the part that bothers me. You have a gem there that so much more could be done with it. You got 20 people and 2 that were being given as a freebie, 22, and -- but no one can come up with ways of bringing and generating a new revenue. In fact, when revenue was coming, there were huge amounts, as I understand, that were being paid to independent contractors to bring that in. We don't have that in Bayfront Park. We don't have that in Maurice Ferre Park. It shouldn't be that way when staff are brought in, in that fashion. But I need to get in there, and that's why I'm going to name myself as my board member so that I'm not throwing the responsibility on anybody. I want to get in there myself. It 's my brother who's the CPA (Certified Public Accountant), but even though he might get ticked off when he hears this, I'm pretty good at the numbers. And Reyes will probably go and tell him. But I want this to succeed. This is not just for Black Miamians, but it's for all Miamians', like you said. And I thank you for having said that. So, I want it to succeed. I believe that I could come with a lot of ideas to make it succeed. The choo-choo train that you have there, I'd love that. It's -- you know, we don't have anything like that in South Florida. Not enough kids know about it. The carousel, do you still have it stored there or? -- Mr. Range: Still there, it's not currently operational. Vice Chair Carollo: Well, but it could be fixed. (COMMENTS MADE OFF THE RECORD) City of Miami Page 38 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 Mr. Range: Okay, I'm sorry. It is operational. Vice Chair Carollo: 1t is? Well -- Mr. Range: It was down for a while, but it is operational. Vice Chair Carollo: That's an antique carousel -- Mr. Range: Yes. Vice Chair Carollo: -- one of the most beautiful carousels that we have anywhere, and it's covered from the elements. It's wonderful. So, you've got two elements right now that could attract people. You just need to bring the third that will then have mothers, fathers, bringing in their kids because they could spend the whole day there. And that hasn 't happened. And I never understood why. I'm going to tell you this, the wheel over at Bayside, before I came back to the Commission, I was the consultant that an out-of-town company hired to find where to go. I tried like heck to convince them to bring the carousel to Virginia Key without speaking to anybody, because I didn 't know what they wanted. And to bring a heck of a lot more rides and other stuff to combine it with the train, the other carousel, you know, they were looking for something that already had the crowds there that they didn 't have to bring them in. Mr. Range: Sure. Vice Chair Carollo: Because there was the one deal they had, just the carousel that they wanted to do. So, I'm giving you a lead there in one of the things that we could do. I know people in different parts of the country that we could go to for this. There's so much there that could be done. It's a beautiful place. And so I -- as much of a concern as I have of what I've seen from the auditor general, I will be willing to go with the same amount of funding you had before, 300. But Patrick, at this point, I cannot go with six. And I will say this, I will go with the 300 also, making it clear, not just in this park trust, but in any park trust, that if they cannot be weaned out of City monies within the next three years, that then the City -- you said Parks Department? Well, if you want help from the Parks Department in addition, then the Parks Department should run it. And just have the board for different things, but then the City is in charge of everything where no monies is given. Now, one other thing that you said -- and I know how you feel about it, the museum there, and I know how important it is for you. But you know, you've heard so many people come here and talk about climate change, climate change, climate change. We're right on the beach here, it's low. The one thing that I will commit to you -- and maybe we could have a general referendum in Liberty City and in Overtown, or you know, any other adjoining areas that we see fit -- on what does the Black community, the African American community of Miami prefer? African American museum in the mainland, maybe by the Lyric Theater, another part of Liberty City, Overtown, or a full-blown museum in Virginia Key. Because what the Chairwoman said, she's right. We don 't have an African American museum here, and we should have it. But at the same time, we want to make sure that the dollars that we spend -- because it'll be one-time monies. You're not going to be able to get monies for a second museum. Certainly, you know, maybe a small annex, but not a large one. They have to be spent in a place that you're going to have it for a long time. And that you could also bring the maximum amount of people to see it that will generate the funding so that you don 't have a second problem that the gap is going to be very big on the maintenance of it, in the upkeep of it, in the personnel that you need to run it. Because museums are different than the parks. And I won't get into it, but I think we all know that. They, you know, really don't generate the funding that a park can. Mr. Range: If I could just -- City of Miami Page 39 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 Chair King: Commissioner Reyes -- I'rn sorry. Commissioner Reyes. Commissioner Reyes: Yes, I've been listening to all of this. And when I met with members of the Trust, I asked about the $300,000. I was told that those funds were to replace six workers that they were provided by the Parks Department -- correct me if I am wrong -- and they were not provided anymore. Mr. Range: That's not entirely correct, Commissioner. I'm sorry, I don't know who shared that information with you. Commissioner Reyes: Well, they told me that. Mr. Range: It wasn't me. Okay, so the 300,000 -- additional 300,000 represents five positions. Commissioner Reyes: Five positions that were covered before -- Mr. Range: Yes. Commissioner Reyes: -- from -- with the -- from Parks, and you don't have that expense. Mr. Range: Well, as Commissioner Carollo alluded, we did at one point have two Parks personnel that were assisting at the park. Commissioner Reyes: Okay. Mr. Range: No question about that. That's been a little while now, but we did at one point have two Parks personnel for a period of time, yes. Commissioner Reyes: Okay, okay. I -- what I'm trying to get at is that you are asking for additional $300,000, and you claim that you need those additional positions. And sincerely, I'm going to tell you, I don 't know if you do or you don't, because I haven't gotten into your operation and made an analysis, you see, of how you operate. I'm not an expert at parks. I never ran a park. I'm an economist, so we have to go and learn the operation and then make my decision from there. I am willing to follow Commissioner King's lead. And I will repeat what she said. We voted her as the chair. We placed our trust in her. And that's why I nominated her for being the chair of this trust. But I want -- I have the same concerns about dollars, that they are misspent, you see, or they're wasted. I do have -- and if there is a person that has been always asking for efficiency within our government, it is me; the City Manager can tell you. And I want to ask Ms. King what is the full amount, the full budget, it is granted, I want your commitment that you will go in, make the full analysis with people that are experts, take a Parks Department personnel, and analyze this operation the way it is, including in that analysis what should be done to bring more people, as Commissioner Carollo said, and bring some more funds, and how can we increase the revenue into that park that maybe by doing that -- and as Commissioner Russell previously stated and I have heard it before, we can show the financial stability that the County is requiring to let those funds go. And therefore, and are we committed to that, ma'am? Chair King: Yes, absolutely. Commissioner Reyes: And then, having heard that, I will second Mr. Russell 's motion. Chair King: All in favor? City of Miami Page 40 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: No, no. Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): Chair? Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: No. Vice Chair Carollo: No. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: No, hold on a second, Madam Chairwoman. I have a few comments. Chair King: Okay, more? More? Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Absolutely, ma'am. Chair King: You said a lot. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: It's important. It's important to put some things on the record. Chair King: Okay. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Because this is something that we're all going to be board members of this -- Chair King: Yes. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: -- and we're putting your trust -- Chair King: Yes. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: -- our trust in you. Chair King: Yes. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: But we're also going to be overseers of what's happening here. Chair King.: Yes. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Okay. So, to get the real numbers correct, $859,000 more or less in salaries. It's really out of a $1, 330, 000 budget because we're not including the $300,000 you want to add to it now. So, that's about 64 percent of your budget right now is in salaries, 64 percent. Okay, you're going to ask for 300,000 more. Let me tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to vote against this. Chair King: Okay. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: But hold on. I'm going to commit from my office budget $150,000 to build the African American Museum in capital expenses to actually build it, not to pay 23 people, but to build it. So, from my office budget -- this is not in my district. Normally, our office budgets go to things that occur in our respective districts, but I will commit -- and I put nay money where my mouth is -- $150,000 from my office budget, which is a big amount from -- we don't have that much in our office budget -- to build the museum. But I can never commit until I get a grasp and an idea of what's happening here. Again, not because -- it's not only you, City of Miami Page 41 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 you're the chairwoman, but we're board members and we're overseers of the City's dollars. Until 1 see something that makes economic sense to me -- and you're an economist, Commissioner Reyes, you know. Commissioner Reyes: Yes, yeah. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: -- something that makes economic sense, and there 's no economic sense. I'm not an economist, where 64 percent of the budget goes to salaries, and you have 23 people. And I can go into the Omni CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency), you can go into the Downtown Development Authority, you can go into where you were the Omni CRA and Downtown Development Authority, Commissioner Carollo went to the Bayfront. That kind of overhead in an organization is absurd and unjustifiable, so to vote for it will be a malfeasance on my part. So, I'm going to vote against it. It's going to pass -- Commissioner Reyes: Okay. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: -- but I'm going to vote against it. But I'm going to give you 150kfbr the museum in capital. And if everybody here does the same thing, 5 times 150, well, that's almost a million bucks. Commissioner Reyes: Yes, it is. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Okay? So, everybody here, including you, Commissioner King, Chairwoman, you can put 150k of your dollars into the building of the actual museum. We can all do it, right? Because we're all committed to doing that. So, there's no misunderstanding, it's not misconstrued by anyone, I want to build -- like Commissioner Carollo does -- the African American Museum, but I do not want to pay salaries. Commissioner Reyes: Okay. Vice Chair Carollo: Can I --? Commissioner Reyes: Madan Chair, Madam Chair, you know that, yes, I am an economist, and I can tell you that sometimes we -- the percentage of salaries is a function of the position and the cost. The City of Miami has over 50 percent, close to 80 percent is salaries. But what I want, what I want that commitment from you is that we're going to analyze the positions and what are they doing. And we are going to streamline that budget and anything that is below -- I mean, I know that if we (UNINTELLIGIBLE) -- if we analyze it the way it should be analyzed, and that there is going to be the requirement -- personnel requirement is going to be less than what they have, and therefore, the amount of salaries required, that's going to be substantially less. And that difference, that difference will be taken from that budget and placed in capital for the development of the -- Vice Chair Carollo: Chair -- Commissioner Reyes: -- of the -- Vice Chair Carollo: I -- Chair King: Hold on. But let me -- Commissioner Reyes: -- of the museum. City of Miami Page 42 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 Chair King: Let me recognize -- let me first say that that is our -- it is our intent to analyze the staff -- Commissioner Reyes: That's right. Chair King: -- and its budget, myself and Mr. Range, and I welcome any of you to be there because we want to be transparent. There is nothing about this Trust that does not want to be transparent. We will analyze the current staff and the budget, and we will make the hard decisions. Because I didn't say it. Mr. Range said that perhaps we can do better with staff and salaries. We will work together to do that. What I don't want to do is hinder them. If there is a savings, a cost, a cutting, that will be reflected. But 1 don't want to tie their hands because none of us have gotten into the trenches with them and understand what's happening. 1 too believe that they are heavy staffed. But there are other -- there are other opportunities, such as the outdoor center, that is now looking for an operator that will require staff,' which is why I am in support of the budget for the $600,000. Not for the budget to go where -- for what's happening now and it's going to continue to be like that. We're going to make changes. We are going to make real changes, and we are going to move forward to realize the vision of the Trust. Commissioner Reyes: Call the question. Chair King: And 1 am, again, asking for your support. I understand -- Commissioner Reyes: Call the question. Chair King: -- that I don 't have Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla or my Vice Chair, who, as he has stated, always supports me, and will work with me. So, at this point, I'd like to call the question. Vice Chair Carollo: Yeah, but -- Chair King: All in favor? Commissioner Reyes: Aye. Vice Chair Carollo: I can't because this is one that, before we vote on this, we need to know where is the money coming from. As far as what I have been told, all of our monies have been assigned. I need the Budget Director up here, Mr. Manager, so I could find out, first of all, where's the original 300,000 going to come from? Because I thought we had given an extra 300,000 to the Liberty City group that I made the motion for. But the additional 300, that certainly would not be in the budget. So, where would this money be coming from? Marie Gouin (Director, Office of Management and Budget).: Staff have looked at -- Commissioner Reyes: That's a good question. Ms. Gouin: -- their reserve for uncollectibles for revenues. That's where that money would come from. Vice Chair Carollo: Uncollectibles from where? Ms. Gouin: From revenues. From revenues. What we do is we usually do a calculation of what we think we 're not going to be able to get. What it does is it backs out -- it reduces the revenues that we received. So, when we looked at it, we did an analysis. We think we'll be okay by taking the $300, 000 from there. City of Miami Page 43 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 Commissioner Reyes: Okay. Ms. Gouin: Not think. We will be okay -- Vice Chair Carollo: Yeah, but what -- Ms. Gouin: -- by taking the $300,000 based on looking at what our revenues are doing. Vice Chair Carollo: Yeah, but okay, you're still not -- Ms. Gouin: Okay. Vice Chair Carollo: -- being clear. Ms. Gouin: It's a reserve for uncollectible. Vice Chair Carollo: Reserves uncollectible yearly or back or forward? Ms. Gouin: Forward for next year. Vice Chair Carollo: Okay, what is the amount that you are estimating that is -- Ms. Gouin: We're estimating -- Vice Chair Carollo: -- will be uncollectible? Ms. Gouin: -- it's about eight. Vice Chair Carollo: That would be uncollectible. Ms. Gouin: It's about eight-- it's over eight million. Vice Chair Carollo: And out of that, that 's the uncollectible. Ms. Gouin: Yes, out of that, we would reduce that amount by 300, 000. Vice Chair Carollo: And so, how do you know that it's exactly 300,000? How do you know that it's not going to be 100,000 or it's going to be 500,000? Ms. Gouin: When we looked at it, we analyzed it -- and I don't know exactly what we think the difference was going to be. I don't know the exact amount, but I had staff look at it, and then we believe that -- Vice Chair Carollo: Well -- Ms. Gouin: -- we will be okay with the 300, 000. Vice Chair Carollo: -- then now I've got a problem with you that's not -- Ms. Gouin: Okay. Vice Chair Carollo: -- their business. Ms. Gouin: Okay. City of Miami Page 44 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 Vice Chair Carollo: And my problem is, like the guy that we had before here, Chris, whatever his name was, that every time we would ask for a number, he'd stick his hand in his pocket and come up, you know, with a number. And this is what you 're doing right now. After I was told this is the budget, this is what we could do, this is it, now I'm finding out we got another 300,000. Well, how much is it that we really do have left? Larry Spring: Through the Chair, Larry Spring, Chief Financial Officer. Commissioner -- Vice Chair Carollo, so in the budget that we put together every year, we do certain estimates for revenue reserve. Commissioner Reyes: Revenues. Mr. Spring: In the current budget, there is a budget for -- a budget reserve, it's a reserve, which is an estimate -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Eight million. Mr. Spring: -- of 8,848,000 that's in the line item budget that you were provided. What we 're -- Vice Chair Carollo: Yeah, but -- Mr. Spring: - what we're saying -- and this happens sometimes -- what we're saying is, f it is the Commission's will to provide this additional appropriation, we will modify this estimate down by the $300,000 and continue to monitor it into the new year. Vice Chair Carollo: Yeah, but Larry -- Mr. Spring: So, this is not -- Vice Chair Carollo: -- Larry, what you're telling me -- Mr. Spring: -- us -- Vice Chair Carollo: Larry, what you're telling nie now -- Mr. Spring: This is not us -- Vice Chair Carollo: -- is way different than what she said. Mr. Spring: I understand. Vice Chair Carollo: She talked about uncollectible. Mr. Spring: I -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: That's different. Mr. Spring: That's why I clarified the explanation. Commissioner Reyes: Larry, if I may add. And so maybe -- I'm a teacher, and maybe I can make it a little clearer. When you make the estimates of revenues -- Mr. Spring: Right. City of Miami Page 45 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 Commissioner Reyes: -- estimates of revenues are based on our taxes that you're going to collect. Mr. Spring: And other collections. Commissioner Reyes: There is always -- there is always -- in that estimate, it's not always the same. Mr. Spring: Correct. Commissioner Reyes: I mean, it's not the -- what you're supposed to collect once you multiply and make all the -- let's say that you are, according to the formula, it will be $100 million. You are not going to collect, I mean, $100 million, and you make an estimate, and say, based on past experience, we won 't collect -- Mr. Spring: approximately X Commissioner Reyes: -- a hundred. We might collect about 90 million. Mr. Spring: Correct. Commissioner Reyes: And instead, when you are preparing the budget, you don't prepare the budget based on revenues from 100 million. You base it based on 90 million, and you have -- because you are given -- that portion, you are taking it off of the overall revenues. If you collect it later on -- Mr. Spring: It'll be there. Commissioner Reyes: -- then that will be additional funds. Vice Chair Carollo: The -- Commissioner Reyes: But you won't overbudget -- Mr. Spring: So -- Commissioner Reyes: -- including the money. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I have a question. Vice Chair Carollo: Well, he -- Mr. Spring: If I -- Vice Chair Carollo: -- jumped in. We didn't finish. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: So, hypothetically -- Chair King: Hold on, hold on. One at a time. Vice Chair Carollo: I wasn't even finished. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: A question. Chair King: Vice Chair. City of Miami Page 46 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 Vice Chair Carollo: Larry, the bottom line is and you clarified where it's corning from, so 1 thank you for that. Mr. Spring: Yes, .sir. Vice Chair Carollo: It's coming in from the reserves. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Of course. Mr. Spring: In essence, yes. Vice Chair Carollo: What we estimate -- what we estimate will be our reserves in this budget. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Correct. Mr. Spring: Correct. Vice Chair Carollo: So, we're taking it from the reserves. Mr. Spring: Correct. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Correct. Vice Chair Carollo: Okay. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: So, my question is this: If you have 8.3, you said, I'm sorry, 8 -- Mr. Spring: It's 8 million -- the number is 8, 848, 000. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: 8,848,000? Mr. Spring: Yeah. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: 300,000, 8,548,000. Mr. Spring: Yeah. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: So, you have $8.5 million. So, hypothetically, in a perfect world, you could pull 2 million from that and build a museum, right? Mr. Spring: Well -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Right? Mr. Spring: I would not hypothetically recommend that. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: No, no, no, no, no. If you have 8 million -- 8.5 million in reserves, you could. Commissioner Reyes: They don't have -- that is not in reserve. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: You could -- we can make a public policy decision Mr. Spring: I -- City of Miami Page 47 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: -- to spend $2 million and build a museum, right? Mr. Spring: I prefer -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: So the people here understand, so the people here understand, so there's no demagoguery going on here that we're not supporting this or supporting that, the truth is the truth. You have enough reserves in our City budget right now to build that museum, correct, with the County's help, if you use some of the reserves, even though we have to protect some of the reserves? I understand we have to have reserves in the City budget. Mr. Spring: Yes. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I understand that we have to have reserves in a city budget. Mr. Spring: We have -- exactly. Victoria Mendez (City Attorney): Thank you. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I understand all that. I've done budgets before. It 's not my first rodeo. But I understand all that. Commissioner Reyes: It is not a reserve. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Okay, so the point -- Arthur Noriega (City Manager): It's -- can --? Commissioner Reyes: It is not a -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: The point is that $300,000 here for salaries, and oh, he's going to -- they're going to vote against it, who's going to vote for it, everybody here wants to build a museum. There's not a single commissioner here that doesn't want to build an African American museum. Unidentified Speaker: Correct. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: What we're arguing against is 23 employees and a bloated bureaucracy. That's what we're arguing against and no one can support that. No one in good conscience can support a bloated bureaucracy. Yes, you 're going to fix it. Yes, we're going to help you fix it. Yes, we trust you, but why give them more money until we fix it? Why pour good money after bad if we know it's too much money being spent on salaries? Chair King: Because -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: That's not justifiable. Chair King: That's a rhetorical question? Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I've always -- Chair King: Is it a rhetorical question, or do you want me to answer it? Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I -- no, it's not a question to you, it's a point. City of Miami Page 48 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 Chair King: A rhetorical question. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I have supported you, Madam Chairwoman -- Chair King: Yes, you have. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: -- from the beginning. When you were running for office -- Chair King: You have. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: --1 was supporting you, remember? Chair King: Absolutely. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Okay, and you're my friend on top of that. Chair King: Always. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: And -- but -- Chair King: However -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: However, no buts. Chair King: However -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: You cannot -- I cannot justifiably support -- Chair King: I understand your position. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: -- giving additional dollars -- Chair King: I understand -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: -- to a bloated bureaucracy. Chair King: -- your position. I understand your position -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Good. I just want to reiterate it. Chair King: -- as well as we accept that. Mr. Range? Mr. Range: I just wanted to say, you know, it appears from the posture of the Commission this evening, you know, that you all will be in charge of this money that you're approving tonight. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: That's correct too. Mr. Range: Based upon what you're saying. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: That's a good point. Mr. Range: So, as the Chair was saying, why hamstring yourself? If you don't use it, you don't use it, right? City of Miami Page 49 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Right. Mr. Range: The other thing -- and 1 just want to get some clarity from Commissioner Carollo -- you know, if it's the will of this body to, in fact, wean the Trust off of any City contribution, you know, that's very possible. That is very possible, as you saw in the documents. Vice Chair Carollo: This is my opinion -- Mr. Range: Okay -- Vice Chair Carollo: -- Patrick. Mr. Range: -- fair. Vice Chair Carollo: But as one person here -- Mr. Range: Fair. Vice Chair Carollo: -- that I believe not just this Trust, but if we have any other park trusts that are not self-sufficient, three years, they've got to be weaned out. If they can't be weaned out, then the City should run it. And to create a board for anything else, but the City should run it all. Mr. Range: To that point, you know, I have no issue -- you mentioned earlier, you know -- Parks running the park. Vice Chair Carollo: Yeah. Mr. Range: That makes sense to me -- Vice Chair Carollo: Well -- Mr. Range: -- number one. Vice Chair Carollo: -- Patrick, Patrick, in all sincerity, you have 82 acres, about 80 acres, but a lot of it is beach, others is different ways. You have mangroves in some areas that you don't really have to mess with. They were planted years ago. They're big. I can 't see -- Mr. Range: Still planting. Vice Chair Carollo: -- I can't see all the little fishies corning in from the ocean now like I used to, nor the iguanas, and you had a lot there. But bottom line is, I got some 60 acres of the most used parkland in Miami with all kinds of structures. And I got 11 employees. 10 full-time, 1 part-time. You're looking at, you know, 22 there, now you want to bring it up to, I don't know, 23, whatever. I mean, it just doesn't add up. And then the salaries, when I compare them, don't add up either. This is why I cannot vote for this. Mr. Range: Yes. Vice Chair Carollo: And frankly, this is something we should have looked at right now, what are salaries and so on, and what do people do. You know, an assistant to an assistant to an assistant. I don't know what's there. So, that's the kind of stuff that you do in budgets. And maybe, you know, we need to look maybe a little bit more like the County does things in the fixture, that we have committees and so on, so we could City of Miami Page 50 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 save time and then bring things back here. But I will tell you, when 1 was city manager in Doral, the first budget that was approved just before 1 became manager, I looked at that budget, 1 couldn't believe it, and 1 did an amended budget. And I took out like 42 percent, something like that, that we brought back into the general And. The budget was so bloated at the time. And this is what I'm seeing here, that there are monies that are being used, that are being paid, some that you don 't even know how much you're paying, if you paid the right amount or not to this independent contractor's consultants, that it can't go on that way and you don't need. I guarantee you that with half the people that you have there now and lesser salaries, you could do one heck of a job there. But, you know, 1 don 't know what's going on there because I'm not day to day. And you're not paid to be there day to day either. You know, you're giving up your time, you know -- and we thank you for that -- to be part of a board, but you know, you can't be there holding someone's hand the whole day. So, until I get there, I'm not going to be able to go into more because, frankly, I got to, just like every one of us here, has a tremendous amount of responsibilities. You do too, in your personal life. Mr. Range: Absolutely. Vice Chair Carollo: Yeah, I know. So, I can 't go along with this for the reasons that I stated. At least we've shown where the additional 300 is going to come from. It's going to come from monies that are being put aside that are going to be looked at as reserved into the future. So, we're cutting the reserves down. And you know, at least we 've established where it's coming from. But you know, I'm going to go in there, and you might agree with some of the things that I'm going to point out, you might not agree with others. But I'm going there with one mission, to make that -- Commissioner Reyes: As efficient. Vice Chair Carollo: -- as efficient and as successful as we can. I want the inner-city kids being able to come there, spend days there, having a good time there, and finding out about African American history and Miami history as a whole. And there's no reason for that place not to be self-sufficient. And that's what's got me, you know, so ticked off. I mean, you've got a gem there, 20 plus people. That should've been self- sufficient long ago. Mr. Range: Well, we were and we can be. And two things to your point. Vice Chair Carollo: Yeah. Mr. Range: I'd like to recommend that, you know, there's already a bit of a -- I'll call it a task force in place with City stafffrom -- Commissioner Reyes: Yes, Parks? Mr. Range: -- not CIP (Capital Improvements Program), whatever it's called now. They meet the last Thursday of every month with our City Attorney to follow progress of the park, particularly as it relates to the museum items. I'd like for you all also to be a part of that. I'm willing to be a part of that -- Commissioner Reyes: We will, we will be. Mr. Range: -- if you'd like for me to, because, you know, it appears again that you all will take over the board -- Commissioner Reyes: Yes, we will. City of Miami Page 51 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 Mr. Range: -- which perhaps you all are better situated to do this than we are. Vice Chair Carollo: Yeah. Commissioner Reyes: We will. Mr. Range: And I have no issue with that. Commissioner Reyes: Okay. Vice Chair Carollo: Yeah, Patrick, three of the things that you need to make any place successful, one is where it's located at and how you get there. Where you're located it, it's, bar none, one of the best sites in Miami. Mr. Range: Absolutely. Vice Chair Carollo: Getting there through transportation might not be an A, but it's certainly not a D. Because just when you go on the causeway, you get into 95 and beyond real easy. But then security, that's a super secure place and a very easy place to secure. Parking. In Miami, if you don't have parking, your debt is the business. You have all that parking there already set up. You could have big events there. You've got plenty of parking. And then if you need an overflow, you've got the area that's closer to the tiny homes. And by the way, that needs to be promoted more for people to go there and enjoy those and to have more built out there and more playgrounds in that area there. Mr. Range: Yes, yes. So, I'd like for you all to consider the task force. The second thing is, to your point about the -- this is self -- the park being self-sustaining, okay. We were at the time that the City was giving us no money. We were self-sustaining. We had to be. We had no choice. So, we're not far from that, and we know what that is. So, that can be done, and maybe it will be you all that do that. One thing to consider -- Commissioner Reyes: That's what we're looking forward, that's what we're looking forward. Mr. Range: Yes. The last thing -- Commissioner Reyes: Okay. Mr. Range: -- to consider, which we have already kind of created a bit of a pathway for, we just hadn't unleashed it yet because we've not had a chance to speak with you all. One opportunity that we have is to become a part of the National Park Service. We have that opportunity. I've been exploring that with some other folks. And we have that opportunity. So, if it's really a situation where the City is not in a position or does not want to contribute dollars towards this, there's an opportunity for this to be preserved and still be a gem of the City of Miami. And that's very doable right now. So, I just offer those things to say that we think along the lines that you do. We may not be as experienced and able to do the things that you are suggesting, but we have ideas. We have ways that we can make this work. Commissioner Reyes: Okay. Mr. Range: And I'm willing to be a part, however you all (INAUDIBLE). Vice Chair Carollo: That one -- City of Miami Page 52 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 Commissioner Reyes: Okay. Vice Chair Carollo: -- is one that 1 wouldn't be in agreement with because they'll take it out of our hands. Mr. Range: An idea. Vice Chair Carollo: And at the end, you're not going to like it either. Commissioner Reyes: That is what we want to do. Mr. Range: I know it'll be here, though. Chair King: Commissioner Reyes -- Mr. Range: I know it'll be here. Chair King: -- Commissioner Russell would like to say something. Commissioner Russell: Thank you. I -- just very brief Chair King: Just very briefly. Commissioner Russell: 1 misspoke on my motion. The additional $300,000 is not an amendment. It's already baked into the -- Chair King: Yes. Commissioner Russell: -- the item itself, so it's not an amendment of $300,000. It's just simply -- Chair King: Right. It's just -- Commissioner Reyes: That's right. Commissioner Russell: -- acceptance of the H-7 as is. Chair King: As is. Commissioner Reyes: As is. And I want to clarify for the record, it is not a million dollars. It's not a reserve. It won't be a reserve until we collect part of it, okay. Vice Chair Carollo: It's a reserve in the books, any way you look at it. Chair King: Okay. Commissioner Russell: It's a cushion that's going to get a little deflated. Commissioner Reyes: It is a projection. Chair King: Call the question. All in favor? The Commission (Collectively): Aye. Chair King: Motion carries. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: No. City of Miami Page 53 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 BH.8 12401 Little Haiti Revitalization Trust Mr. Range: Thank you all very much -- Chair King: Thank you. Mr. Hannon: The motion passes -- Mr. Range: -- Commissioners. We need your support. Mr. Hannon: -- 3-2 -- Chair King: 3-2. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Yes. Mr. Hannon: -- with Commissioner Carollo and Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla voting no. Understood. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Correct. Chair King: Voting no. RESOLUTION A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH ATTACHMENT(S), APPROVING AND ADOPTING THE ANNUAL BUDGET OF THE LITTLE HAITI REVITALIZATION TRUST ("TRUST"), ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED AS EXHIBIT "A," IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF $6,299,000.00 FOR THE FISCAL YEAR COMMENCING OCTOBER 1, 2022, AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2023; FURTHER APPROVING AND ADOPTING THE TRUST'S ANNUAL MASTER PLAN, ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED AS EXHIBIT "B." ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-22-0375 MOTION TO: Adopt RESULT: ADOPTED MOVER: Alex Diaz de Ia Portilla, Commissioner SECONDER: Manolo Reyes, Commissioner AYES: King, Carollo, Russell, Diaz de Ia Portilla, Reyes Chair King: Now we can move BH.7 through 12. Do I have a motion? Commissioner Reyes: Motion. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: No, I want to pull BH.7. Chair King: Okay. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I will move BH.8 through 12. Commissioner Reyes: Second. Chair King: All in favor? The Commission (Collectively): Aye. City of Miami Page 54 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 BH.9 12461 Midtown Community Redevelopment Agency BH.10 12469 OMNI Community Redevelopment Agency Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): And Chair, just for the record, BH.10, as amended. Chair King: Yes. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: As amended. Commissioner Reyes: Yes. Chair King: BH.10 as amended. RESOLUTION A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH ATTACHMENT(S), ACCEPTING AND APPROVING THE ANNUAL BUDGET OF THE MIDTOWN COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY ("MIDTOWN CRA"), ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED AS EXHIBIT "A," IN THE AMOUNT OF $27,915,017.00, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR COMMENCING OCTOBER 1, 2022, AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2023. ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-22-0376 MOTION TO: RESULT: MOVER: SECONDER: AYES: Adopt ADOPTED Alex Diaz de Ia Portilla, Commissioner Manolo Reyes, Commissioner King, Carollo, Russell, Diaz de Ia Portilla, Reyes Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item Number BH.9, please see Item Number BH.8. RESOLUTION A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH ATTACHMENT(S), ACCEPTING AND APPROVING THE ANNUAL GENERAL OPERATING AND TAX INCREMENT FUND BUDGET OF THE OMNI REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY ("OMNI CRA"), ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED AS EXHIBIT "A," IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF $80,460,567.00 FOR THE FISCAL YEAR COMMENCING OCTOBER 1, 2022, AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2023. ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-22-0377 MOTION TO: RESULT: MOVER: SECONDER: AYES: Adopt with Modification(s) ADOPTED WITH MODIFICATION(S) Alex Diaz de Ia Portilla, Commissioner Manolo Reyes, Commissioner King, Carollo, Russell, Diaz de la Portilla, Reyes Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item Number BH.10, please see Item Number BH.8. City of Miami Page 55 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes September 22, 2022 BH.11 RESOLUTION 12456 Southeast Overtown/Park West CRA A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH ATTACHMENT(S), ACCEPTING AND APPROVING THE 2023 ANNUAL BUDGET OF THE SOUTHEAST OVERTOWN/PARK WEST COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY ("SEOPW CRA"), ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED AS EXHIBIT "A", IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF $92,443,744 FOR THE FISCAL YEAR COMMENCING OCTOBER 1, 2022, AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2023. ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-22-0378 MOTION TO: Adopt RESULT: ADOPTED MOVER: Alex Diaz de Ia Portilla, Commissioner SECONDER: Manolo Reyes, Commissioner AYES: King, Carollo, Russell, Diaz de Ia Portilla, Reyes Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item Number BH.11, please see Item Number BH.8. BH.12 RESOLUTION 12561 Department of Human Services ADJOURNMENT A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH ATTACHMENT(S), APPROVING AND ADOPTING THE ANNUAL BUDGET OF THE CITY OF MIAMI ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT COUNCIL ("MAEC"), ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED AS EXHIBIT "A," IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF $38,391.37 FOR THE FISCAL YEAR COMMENCING OCTOBER 1, 2022, AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2023; FURTHER APPROVING AND ADOPTING THE MAEC'S ANNUAL MASTER PLAN, ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED AS EXHIBIT "B." ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-22-0379 MOTION TO: Adopt RESULT: ADOPTED MOVER: Alex Diaz de Ia Portilla, Commissioner SECONDER: Manolo Reyes, Commissioner AYES: King, Carollo, Russell, Diaz de la Portilla, Reyes Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item Number BH.12, please see "Public Comments for all Item(s)" and Item Number BH.8. END OF SECOND BUDGET HEARING The meeting adjourned at 8:05 p.m. City of Miami Page 56 Printed on 07/02/2024