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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOMNI CRA 2017-07-27 MinutesCity of Miami 3500 Pan American Dr Miami, FL 33133 www.miamigov.com Meeting Minutes Thursday, July 27, 2017 12:00 PM Commission Chambers 3500 Pan American Drive Miami, FL 33133 OMNI Community Redevelopment Agency Ken Russell, Chair Francis Suarez, Vice Chair Wifredo (Willy) Gort, Board Member, District 1 Frank Carollo, Board Member, District 3 Keon Hardemon, Board Member, District 5 ************************* OMNI and MIDTOWN CRA OFFICE ADDRESS: 1401 N. Miami Avenue, 2"d Floor, Miami 33136 Phone: (305) 679-6868 www.miamicra.com OMNI Community Redevelopment Agency Meeting Minutes July 27, 2017 CALL TO ORDER Present: Chair Hardemon, Vice Chair Russell, Commissioner Gort, Commissioner Carollo and Commissioner Suarez On the 27th day of July 2017, the Board of Commissioners of the OMNI Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Miami met in regular session at Miami City Hall located at 3500 Pan American Drive, Miami, Florida. The meeting was called to order by Chair Russell at 12:38 p.m., and was adjourned at 12:47p.m. ALSO PRESENT: Jason Walker, Executive Director, CRA Isiaa Jones, Chief Legal Officer, CRA Barnaby L. Min, Deputy General Counsel, CRA Todd B. Hannon, Clerk of the Board Note for the Record: Commissioner Hardemon entered the meeting at 12:39 p.m. and Commissioner Carollo entered the meeting at 12:39 p.m. Chair Russell: Calling the first -- this meeting of the Omni CRA, Community Redevelopment Agency. As soon as we have quorum, we will begin. City Commission's on break until 3 p.m. We're going to conduct a separate meeting now with regard to the Omni CRA. I'm your Chairman, Ken Russell. We are waiting for other board members. Todd B. Hannon (Clerk of the Board): Chair, we do have Commissioner Suarez here, so you do have quorum. Board Member Gort: He's here, yes. Chair Russell: Does that count? Board Member Gort: Yeah, he's here. Chair Russell: All right. Thank you. APPROVING THE MINUTES OF THE FOLLOWING MEETINGS: 1. OMNI COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY - REGULAR MEETING - MAY 25, 2017 12:00 PM MOTION TO: RESULT: MOVER: SECONDER: AYES: Approve APPROVED Francis Suarez, Vice Chair Frank Carollo, Board Member, District 3 Gort, Hardemon, Carollo, Suarez, Russell Todd B. Hannon (Clerk of the Board): Vice -- I mean, sorry. Chair, we do have the minutes. Board Member Hardemon: I'll move the minutes. Vice Chair Suarez: Move the minutes. OMNI Community Redevelopment Agency Page 2 Printed on 8/18/2017 OMNI Community Redevelopment Agency Meeting Minutes July 27, 2017 Board Member Carollo: Second. Chair Russell: It's been moved and seconded. All in favor, say "aye." The Board (Collectively): Aye. Chair Russell: Motion passes. Meeting adjourned. OMNI CRA RESOLUTIONS 1. OMNI CRA RESOLUTION 2688 A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE OMNI REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY ("CRA"), WITH ATTACHMENT(S), APPROVING AND ADOPTING THE CRA'S PROPOSED GENERAL OPERATING BUDGET AND TAX INCREMENT FUND BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR COMMENCING OCTOBER 1, 2017 AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2018; DIRECTING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO TRANSMIT A COPY OF EACH BUDGET TO THE CITY OF MIAMI AND MIAMI-DADE COUNTY. ENACTMENT NUMBER: CRA-R-17-0043 MOTION TO: Adopt RESULT: ADOPTED MOVER: Wifredo (Willy) Gort, Board Member, District 1 SECONDER: Francis Suarez, Vice Chair AYES: Gort, Hardemon, Suarez, Russell NAYS: Carollo Chair Russell: Item Number 1, Mr. Executive Director. Jason Walker (Executive Director, Omni Community Redevelopment Agency): Yes, sir. Item Number 1, a resolution of the Board of Commissioners of the Omni Redevelopment District Redevelopment Agency, with attachments, approving and adopting the CRA's proposed general operating budget and tax increment fund budget for the fiscal year commencing October 1, 2017 and ending September 30, 2018; directing the executive director to transmit a copy of each budget to the City of Miami and Miami -Dade County. Board Member Gort: Move it. Chair Russell: There's a motion on the floor -- Vice Chair Suarez: Second. Chair Russell: -- for Item Number 1 and a second. Discussion, please. Is there any comment from the public on Item Number 1 regarding the CRA budget? Hearing none, I'll close public comment. All in favor, say "aye." Vice Chair Suarez: Aye. Board Member Gort: Aye. OMNI Community Redevelopment Agency Page 3 Printed on 8/18/2017 OMNI Community Redevelopment Agency Meeting Minutes July 27, 2017 2. Board Member Carollo: No. Chair Russell: No. One "no" is noted. Motion passes. OMNI CRA RESOLUTION 2502 A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE OMNI REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY ("OMNI CRA"), WITH ATTACHMENTS, AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF A PAYMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF TWO MILLION DOLLARS ($2,000,000.00) CURRENTLY IN THE OMNI CRA RESERVE ACCOUNT, ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED AS EXHIBIT "A," TO THE CITY OF MIAMI TO BE ALLOCATED FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AT MUSEUM PARK; AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE ANY AND ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY TO EFFECTUATE THIS PAYMENT, IN A FORM ACCEPTABLE TO THE GENERAL COUNSEL. ENACTMENT NUMBER: CRA-R-17-0044 MOTION TO: Adopt RESULT: ADOPTED MOVER: Frank Carollo, Board Member, District 3 SECONDER: Wifredo (Willy) Gort, Board Member, District 1 AYES: Gort, Hardemon, Carollo, Suarez NAYS: Russell Chair Russell: Item Number 2. Vice Chair Suarez: Do we -- Jason Walker (Executive Director, Omni Community Redevelopment Agency): Item Number 2, Commissioners, is a holdover from the last meeting. A resolution of the Board of Commissioners of the Omni Redevelopment District Redevelopment Agency, with attachments, authorizing the issuance of payment, in the amount of $2 million, currently in the Omni CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) reserve account, attached and incorporated as Exhibit "A," to the City of Miami, to be allocated for capital improvements at Museum Park; authorizing executive director to negotiate and execute any and all documents necessary to effectuate this payment in a form acceptable to the general counsel. Chair Russell: Thank you, Mr. Executive Director. Is there a motion on this item? Board Member Carollo: Move it. Chair Russell: It's been moved -- Board Member Gort: Second. Chair Russell: -- and seconded. Open for discussion. Commissioner Carollo, I -- I've always told you that I believe in you very much as a strong representative of your constituents and a steward of Museum Park and all of Bayfront Park, and I understand where you're coming from. I know what you're trying to do, and I know you're trying to do the right thing. I know both of us believe that the right money should be reused for the right projects; and so, rather than using CRA funds for the further renovation of Museum Park, I would like to propose later on today during RE.3, the GOB (General Operating Bond) bond issue, that 1'll be bringing an OMNI Community Redevelopment Agency Page 4 Printed on 8/18/2017 OMNI Community Redevelopment Agency Meeting Minutes July 27, 2017 amendment to bring enough funds to bring Museum Park to a level that we think it should be. There's been many plans about this park. Those plans may not be exactly what the City today wants, because it was a long time ago, but there should be a comprehensive plan and there should be funding from the right source. I believe a GOB bond, meant for big capital projects that change the City, is the perfect source of funds to help put Museum Park where it should be as a central park for our City, and I would like to help you with that effort. That being said, I don't believe that CRA funds are the right funds to use, and I will not be voting for this item. And I will be looking later for our executive director to work on a resolution, putting a specific number on the item that we passed earlier; for him to negotiate to open the global agreement and de -obligate the CRA of these funds from the City. That's my position on it. I'd welcome comments. Board Member Carollo: I think I've stated my position, you know, often enough. I am not in opposition to receiving funds for Museum Park from other means. I don't know if the GOB bond, first of all, if it will pass today, or if it will pass the residents, because it's not just about one item. I can tell you, when I went through the GOB bond list, I was surprised that, once again, Museum Park was not mentioned. And, yes, we do have a holistic plan. It's called the Cooper Robertson. I have not altered from that plan. It calls from [sic] a playground. And I'll be honest with you, can you show me what type of playground it calls for, you know? So if you want to get into those level of details, I ask that everybody gets into those levels of details. But with that said, you know, I originally told you, "Listen, at least, let's get something started with these $2 million, and then we'll work on some other financial plan that will work." And like I said, I'm not in opposition to what you're saying. I just don't know if, today, that GOB bond will be the right mechanism. And I think we -- it definitely needs further discussion, and I think we can all come to some agreement, because I really do believe that you understand that we really need to make good on what was promised before, and at least do that holistic plan; maybe not to the level that it originally was, but we need to bring Museum Park to a level that it needs to be and what will make all of us extremely proud. Chair Russell: Thank you. Board Member Hardemon: Mr. Chairman, I have a question. Chair Russell: Yes. Board Member Hardemon: It's for the staff. This allocation -- is this allocation in accordance with the global agreements, or is this the transferring of the money, the $2 million, to the fund that the City of Miami is the holder of for improvements on the park? Mr. Walker: Yes, sir. Board Member Hardemon: Okay. So this is not something that is different from that $2 million allocation that is thought of in the global agreement? Board Member Carollo: No. It's actually a requirement. That's why there's a liability, because this is something that -- Board Member Hardemon: Right, but I'm just making sure that that is -- Board Member Carollo: Yes. Board Member Hardemon: -- what this is. OMNI Community Redevelopment Agency Page 5 Printed on 8/18/2017 OMNI Community Redevelopment Agency Meeting Minutes July 27, 2017 Board Member Carollo: Yes. Board Member Hardemon: Okay. Mr. Walker: Yes, sir. Board Member Hardemon: Okay. Thank you. Chair Russell: My hope is that we withdraw this item and defer it -- not withdraw -- that we defer this item so that if we are successful in the global agree -- in the general obligation bond today to pay for the repairs for Museum Park that the funds that I don't believe should be used for this will not be used for this; not to piecemeal it and do part now and part from there; and then if the general obligation, for whatever reason, fails, that we bring this back and very soon, right after break. And if we can come to a final outside plan on what these funds are, we'll wrap it up and we'll get it done. Board Member Carollo: I tried to schedule a meeting with you, a sunshine meeting with you. Apparently -- Chair Russell: I apologize. We've had a couple of sunshine meetings on the issue and a few CRA meetings, and now Commission meetings. It was just a little short notice this week, but I -- I'm happy to discuss that here, but I really think the General Obligation Bond is the correct fund for these type of capital project; I'll be making that amendment when the item comes up. For now, I'd ask that we defer this item until we see how that goes. But there is a motion on the floor and a second to pass it, so I'll leave for further discussion and then I'll open for public discussion, and we can either vote on that and move forward as you wish. Is there any further discussion from the dais on this item? Any comment from the public? Michael Caraballo: How you doing, Commissioner? My name is Michael Caraballo. I'm with an organization called "Talent4Change." And I've been, you know, kind of trying to tune into the discussion about the parks. One of the things we recognize is that, you know, the parks need more youth involvement. There's not enough youth going into our parks. And one of the things that we do is we come into these parks, and we bring in community programming to get the kids interacting inside these parks. One thing that we've done, we took a shipping container and we transformed it into a barbershop that we call the "Buzz Box," and we give the kids free haircuts out of this. It's a part of encouraging them to do better. We feel that if kids look better and feel better, it's much easier for them to do better. We've brought it into Overtown. We've brought it into Wynwood. And recently, we brought it into Range Park; actually, twice in a row at Range Park, two weekends in a row. And with Range Park, we noticed that the kids, you know, once the sun starts to go down, they're no longer in that park, because too many shootings around the community. We'd like to be able to bring the Buzz Box permanently into our community parks to bring kids more -- into the park more often, help them feel good about being in the park, but more importantly, we could also use the Buzz Box to raise funds to restore the parks, and kind of bring it in as a self-sustaining tool. So that's something that I'd like to propose for the park ideas. I definitely see the Buzz Box going into every park and being very beneficial to the kids and the communities around it. Chair Russell: Thank you very much. I know you're -- Mr. Caraballo: Thank you. Chair Russell: -- in contact with our executive director already. Thank you. OMNI Community Redevelopment Agency Page 6 Printed on 8/18/2017 OMNI Community Redevelopment Agency Meeting Minutes July 27, 2017 ADJOURNMENT Mr. Caraballo: Yes. Thank you. Chair Russell: There is a motion; there is a second on Item Number 2 with regard to the $2 million. All in favor; say "aye." Board Member Carollo: Aye. Chair Russell: All opposed? "Nay." Motion passes. The meeting adjourned at 12:47p.m. OMNI Community Redevelopment Agency Page 7 Printed on 8/18/2017