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First
Name
Last Name
Street
Address
Michael Hepburn 645 NE 77th
Street
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10„. 2021
Agenda Item Public Comment
DI - Discussion Items
Dear City of Miami Commissioners, The current
projected Plan for a new affordable -housing
complex in place of the Allapattah Library Branch
which rents space from our city is absurd. There
should be no way that anyone of you consider
eliminating a vital library branch in exchange for
affordable housing. You -- our Commissioners
should only be considering options that include
developing affordable housing and a new library on
the site at the same time. A mixed -used
development would be a good idea with the library
being on site. The agreement has not been signed
yet with the developer and our City of Miami
Government has the leverage to negotiate the
demands for We The People and you should all do
so immediately. Also for full disclosure -- if the
final vote for this project takes place after
November 2nd. Hopefully, as the next City of Miami
Commissioner from District 5. I will vote against this
measure if it does not provide adequate affordable
housing units and also a library on site or a close by
vicinity. -Michael A. Hepburn Executive Director
Civic Activist I Silver Knight
Elianyer Navarro
1485 NW
51st St.
RE - Resolutions
Since coming to Allapattah from Dominican
Republic and living in the Allapattah community for
most of my life, i have to say that I hold a personal
connection to the library. Since the library was
close to my elementary school I used to go to, me
and my friend every wednesday walked from my
school to the library in order to have a space to
hang out. On those days we used the laptops the
library provided in order to do powerpoint
presentations that the school made us do at rare
times. Also, on other times, we used to have
conversations with the librarians. I can proudly say
that one of the contributions to my english
improving was these conversations that were
made. I was still in ESOL at the time, and aside from
9215 Submittal -Public Comments Submitted Online for the June 10, 2021 City
Commission Meeting
improving my way of speaking, these conversations
also improved my confidence with speaking English.
Throughout the years after from Middle to High
school I still use the library for meeting with friends
and thank it for being there every time I needed it
to be.
Michael Hepburn 645 NE 77th
Street
Theresa
Pinto
P.E.E.R.
Group, Inc.
1951 NW
7th Ave
Miami FL
33136
SR. 3 8727 Amend
Code - Chapter 10 -
Building Energy and
Water Consumption
Benchmarking
SR. 3 8727 Amend
Code - Chapter 10 -
Building Energy and
Water Consumption
Benchmarking
Dear City of Miami Commissioners, Can you please
strike the part in this ordinance that exempts
buildings where 25% or more of residents are low-
income from adhering to this process. We are
worried this exemption option would leave low-
income City of Miami residents with even higher
energy bills, and encourage slumlords to maintain
poor housing conditions. Respectfully, Michael
Hepburn Executive Director 1 Civic Activist 1 Silver
Knight
Miami City Commission Miami City Hall 3500 Pan
American Drive Miami, FL33133 JUNE 10, 2021
Submitted via: City of Miami online form RE:
Public Comment on Item SR2 Building Energy and
Water Consumption Benchmarking Ordinance 8727
Dear Miami City Commission: The People's
Economic and Environmental Resiliency Group
(P.E.E.R. Group) advocates for economic and
environmental sustainability in Miami through a
community-lawyering approach that shifts power
back to marginalized communities. Our vision of
justice recognizes the need for structural and
systemic change that empowers vulnerable
populations, provides equitable access to benefits,
and advances restorative protections from harm.
We thank you for your time in reading this
comment on Item SR2 today. We strongly support
the Building Energy and Water Consumption
Benchmarking Ordinance 8727. Buildings emit 52%
of greenhouse gas emissions, and large buildings
contribute a disproportionate percentage of
Miami's energy use. Transparent benchmarking is
necessary for concrete analysis in the face of a
warming planet, and combined with building
improvements based on the data, the ordinance is
a major first step towards grappling with climate
change as well as increasing overall green
infrastructure in the City of Miami in order to
achieve our collective vision of a more sustainable
Miami. The ordinance also promotes economic
benefits overall. Evidence shows that buildings
often cut energy use by 20 to 30 percent with
operational changes and a very short return on
investment. In the aggregate of buildings that
would be subject to the ordinance, this level of
energy savings equates to a vast economic benefit
and a big impact to our economy, environment,
and public health overall. It would also advance the
City's own Greenhouse Gas Emissions Plan. In 2020,
Miami joined a global network committed to
combating climate change while promoting the
economic and environmental sustainability of its
residents. Miami has committed to zero emissions
by 2050. Additionally, Miami is particularly
vulnerable to climate change, and sea level change
has implications for increasing gentrification in the
higher -elevated areas many low -wealth
communities call home. In the end, the impacts of
climate change are felt most deeply by Black and
brown communities, and other marginalized
communities within the City. Any steps toward
reducing emissions and mitigating climate change
will benefit all its residents, especially those most
impacted. However, we do not support the
exemption for buildings that have 25% or more
low-income residences. (Sec. 10-153.b.5.) Energy
efficiency is crucial to creating affordable housing,
as energy bills are a large part of monthly housing
costs. Low -wealth households have a higher energy
burden than high -wealth households due to
structural inequities that force them to pay more
for electricity per square foot and often in older
homes with energy -inefficient technology.
Additionally, lower -wealth families are more likely
to rent their homes, and this makes energy
efficiency codes even more critical; because renters
have no choice often in the overall efficiency of
their homes, codes must be put in place to protect
them. Although the exemption was created with
good intentions, it may burden low -wealth
households more than benefit them. The
exemption might indirectly encourage landlords to
maintain less efficient and poorer housing
conditions for residents. The exemption for
buildings with 25% or more dwelling units that
qualify as affordable housing will compound
economic hardship for low -wealth communities as
they will continue to pay more for energy costs
than those in a retrofitted building. Moreover,
evidence shows that, "Thoughtfully developed
energy efficiency codes paired with energy
efficiency retrofit programs can help preserve and
maintain affordable housing." Some states, finance
agencies, and localities offer programs to assist
low -wealth households and landlords in retrofitting
and improving energy efficiency. Other programs
include incentive and financing programs; energy -
efficiency advisement or testing to help building
owners plan for improvements; cash rebates for
qualified projects, low-cost financing options, or
private sector lending options; and working with
utility companies to implement "on -bill" tariff
programs. We would rather see an expansion of
these kinds of programs within the City of Miami
and remove the exemption for buildings with 25%
or more affordable housing units in the Building
Energy and Water Consumption Benchmarking
Ordinance 8727. Sincerely, Theresa Pinto, Esq.,
M.S. President
Rakabya Yahawadah
1628
Avenue E
BC. 9 8804
Commission on the
Status of Women and
Quality of Life
Committee
I am priest and officer of 5000 Rakabya of the
ISRAELITE SCHOOL OF UNIVERSAL PRACTICAL
KNOWLEDGE. under commanding General. I am
just one of many ambassadors of the ISUPK. Our
job is to fix what's broken which is our people, so
we take ex cons, ex murderers, ex strippers, ex
thieves, etc and turn them into dignified
outstanding people once again. With freedom of
religion and speech, with the same bible that is in
every courthouse in america, we go out on the
streets with that and teach this but we haven't
been out in the streets of Miami in over a year,
while out there we were not forcing anyone to
hear, nor are we blocking traffic, walkways, etc, we
are saying to stop murdering, stop the drugs, stops
abortions. The very same things which the city of
Miami is fighting with right now. but for some
reason the police always harass us and saying we
are causing problems just for speaking to the wind,
and wanting the people to stop doing the very
same things those police officers are locking them
up for. I have Tried countless times to speak to
police, a captain, etc but i see the life of the people
is not important to them. Now I said that to say
this. This pandemic has revealed alot of things and
and it has brought truth to impossibility. We all see
that there is a big problem with crime in Miami
especially with all of these mass shootings right?
Now like I told you we have not been out their in
over a year, yet somehow there is still a problem.
not only that, the problem has become a pandemic
at this very moment. So Now, we all really know
who is causing the problems now. Just like the
criminals has been the problem to police, the police
has been the problem to us. The ISUPK. Now you
might say they are doing their jobs and I
understand that. but their jobs are to lock up
criminals and our job is to fix the criminals. You
stop us from fixing the criminals then you get more
criminals right? And we all know that the backbone
of Miami is the tourism, because without that then
the businesses and restaurants go straight into the
ground. The city of Miami was loosing 3.5 million
dollars every week in 2020 do to the pandemic.
Now you might say most of the crime are from
tourist and you want them to go, but those very
same tourist that are commiting the crimes, are
bringing you business and keeping you afloat. Now
what can we do? What is part of the solution? How
about while we the ISUPK are out their turning
criminals into possible upstanding citizens, tell the
police to leave us alone and that will curve this
spike in crime. That way businesses will have less
worries on being robbed and possibly murdered
and it can also give cops a break from arresting and
possibly fatally killing someone. Sounds like a good
deal don't it? Why not? Because The fact that you
have to have these urban development, crime, and
equal opportunity meetings, shows that there is a
problem. I mean here we are in 2021 talking about
things that's been happening since the 1960s. You
mean to tell me that results has not been produced
since then? Matter of fact it has gotten worse. We
all know that if you have a task to complete on your
job and you do not complete it, you will get a
warning, then a write up, then strikes and if you
keep doing the same thing with no results them
guess what, you get fired. So What I'm saying is,
these meetings has been going on 50 plus years and
nothing has changed but the names on your seats
and the very definition of doing the same thing and
expecting a different result is insanity, and maybe,
just maybe you need to look to new people to do
this job and We the ISUPK are the people for this
job, that has been producing results since 1969
under commanding General Yahanna. All we are
asking for is for the police to leave us alone and let
us do our job. But harassing and threatening us
who are not criminals and are not committing
crimes, one would think that they are the criminals.
We are not asking for money, homes, gold,
reparations, nor begging for love, just for the police
to direct their duties to the real problems at hand
and leave us the ISRAELITE SCHOOL OF UNIVERSAL
PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE Alone and let us do our
job since no one else wants to do it. because if you
don't, then guess what, peace will be impossible in
the city of Miami, peace will be a myth in the city of
Miami, peace will be like the most necessary
commodity that will be needed but nowhere to be
found, in the city of miami, and we all know if crime
gets left unchecked, it multiplies like water on
grimlins. THE LORD says leave his prophets alone.
And now if the police is the administration of death
that is up to them to decide, but we, the ISUPK are
the administration of life and that is what we have
already decided, under commanding general
Yahanna. Now If I may commissioners, You all have
the power, if you all can address this and maybe if I
could get something from you all so that if this
happens again, then the matter can be rectified
swiftly without any problems. I would appreciated
it
Rakabya Yahawadah
1628
Avenue E
CA. 3 8960 Execute
Mutual Aid
Agreement - Law
Enforcement Services
I am priest and officer of 5000 Rakabya of the
ISRAELITE SCHOOL OF UNIVERSAL PRACTICAL
KNOWLEDGE. under commanding General. I am
just one of many ambassadors of the ISUPK. Our
job is to fix what's broken which is our people, so
we take ex cons, ex murderers, ex strippers, ex
thieves, etc and turn them into dignified
outstanding people once again. With freedom of
religion and speech, with the same bible that is in
every courthouse in america, we go out on the
streets with that and teach this but we haven't
been out in the streets of Miami in over a year,
while out there we were not forcing anyone to
hear, nor are we blocking traffic, walkways, etc, we
are saying to stop murdering, stop the drugs, stops
abortions. The very same things which the city of
Miami is fighting with right now. but for some
reason the police always harass us and saying we
are causing problems just for speaking to the wind,
and wanting the people to stop doing the very
same things those police officers are locking them
up for. I have Tried countless times to speak to
police, a captain, etc but i see the life of the people
is not important to them. Now I said that to say
this. This pandemic has revealed alot of things and
and it has brought truth to impossibility. We all see
that there is a big problem with crime in Miami
especially with all of these mass shootings right?
Now like I told you we have not been out their in
over a year, yet somehow there is still a problem.
not only that, the problem has become a pandemic
at this very moment. So Now, we all really know
who is causing the problems now. Just like the
criminals has been the problem to police, the police
has been the problem to us. The ISUPK. Now you
might say they are doing their jobs and I
understand that. but their jobs are to lock up
criminals and our job is to fix the criminals. You
stop us from fixing the criminals then you get more
criminals right? And we all know that the backbone
of Miami is the tourism, because without that then
the businesses and restaurants go straight into the
ground. The city of Miami was loosing 3.5 million
dollars every week in 2020 do to the pandemic.
Now you might say most of the crime are from
tourist and you want them to go, but those very
same tourist that are commiting the crimes, are
bringing you business and keeping you afloat. Now
what can we do? What is part of the solution? How
about while we the ISUPK are out their turning
criminals into possible upstanding citizens, tell the
police to leave us alone and that will curve this
spike in crime. That way businesses will have less
worries on being robbed and possibly murdered
and it can also give cops a break from arresting and
possibly fatally killing someone. Sounds like a good
deal don't it? Why not? Because The fact that you
have to have these urban development, crime, and
equal opportunity meetings, shows that there is a
problem. I mean here we are in 2021 talking about
things that's been happening since the 1960s. You
mean to tell me that results has not been produced
since then? Matter of fact it has gotten worse. We
all know that if you have a task to complete on your
job and you do not complete it, you will get a
warning, then a write up, then strikes and if you
keep doing the same thing with no results them
guess what, you get fired. So What I'm saying is,
these meetings has been going on 50 plus years and
nothing has changed but the names on your seats
and the very definition of doing the same thing and
expecting a different result is insanity, and maybe,
just maybe you need to look to new people to do
this job and We the ISUPK are the people for this
job, that has been producing results since 1969
under commanding General Yahanna. All we are
asking for is for the police to leave us alone and let
us do our job. But harassing and threatening us
who are not criminals and are not committing
crimes, one would think that they are the criminals.
We are not asking for money, homes, gold,
reparations, nor begging for love, just for the police
to direct their duties to the real problems at hand
and leave us the ISRAELITE SCHOOL OF UNIVERSAL
PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE Alone and let us do our
job since no one else wants to do it. because if you
don't, then guess what, peace will be impossible in
the city of Miami, peace will be a myth in the city of
Miami, peace will be like the most necessary
commodity that will be needed but nowhere to be
found, in the city of miami, and we all know if crime
gets left unchecked, it multiplies like water on
grimlins. THE LORD says leave his prophets alone.
And now if the police is the administration of death
that is up to them to decide, but we, the ISUPK are
the administration of life and that is what we have
already decided, under commanding general
Yahanna. Now If I may commissioners, You all have
the power, if you all can address this and maybe if I
could get something from you all so that if this
happens again, then the matter can be rectified
swiftly without any problems. I would appreciated
it
Rakabya Yahawadah
1628 BC. 5 8803 Civilian
Avenue E Investigative Panel
I am priest and officer of 5000 Rakabya of the
ISRAELITE SCHOOL OF UNIVERSAL PRACTICAL
KNOWLEDGE. under commanding General. I am
just one of many ambassadors of the ISUPK. Our
job is to fix what's broken which is our people, so
we take ex cons, ex murderers, ex strippers, ex
thieves, etc and turn them into dignified
outstanding people once again. With freedom of
religion and speech, with the same bible that is in
every courthouse in america, we go out on the
streets with that and teach this but we haven't
been out in the streets of Miami in over a year,
while out there we were not forcing anyone to
hear, nor are we blocking traffic, walkways, etc, we
are saying to stop murdering, stop the drugs, stops
abortions. The very same things which the city of
Miami is fighting with right now. but for some
reason the police always harass us and saying we
are causing problems just for speaking to the wind,
and wanting the people to stop doing the very
same things those police officers are locking them
up for. I have Tried countless times to speak to
police, a captain, etc but i see the life of the people
is not important to them. Now I said that to say
this. This pandemic has revealed alot of things and
and it has brought truth to impossibility. We all see
that there is a big problem with crime in Miami
especially with all of these mass shootings right?
Now like I told you we have not been out their in
over a year, yet somehow there is still a problem.
not only that, the problem has become a pandemic
at this very moment. So Now, we all really know
who is causing the problems now. Just like the
criminals has been the problem to police, the police
has been the problem to us. The ISUPK. Now you
might say they are doing their jobs and I
understand that. but their jobs are to lock up
criminals and our job is to fix the criminals. You
stop us from fixing the criminals then you get more
criminals right? And we all know that the backbone
of Miami is the tourism, because without that then
the businesses and restaurants go straight into the
ground. The city of Miami was loosing 3.5 million
dollars every week in 2020 do to the pandemic.
Now you might say most of the crime are from
tourist and you want them to go, but those very
same tourist that are commiting the crimes, are
bringing you business and keeping you afloat. Now
what can we do? What is part of the solution? How
about while we the ISUPK are out their turning
criminals into possible upstanding citizens, tell the
police to leave us alone and that will curve this
spike in crime. That way businesses will have less
worries on being robbed and possibly murdered
and it can also give cops a break from arresting and
possibly fatally killing someone. Sounds like a good
deal don't it? Why not? Because The fact that you
have to have these urban development, crime, and
equal opportunity meetings, shows that there is a
problem. I mean here we are in 2021 talking about
things that's been happening since the 1960s. You
mean to tell me that results has not been produced
since then? Matter of fact it has gotten worse. We
all know that if you have a task to complete on your
job and you do not complete it, you will get a
warning, then a write up, then strikes and if you
keep doing the same thing with no results them
guess what, you get fired. So What I'm saying is,
these meetings has been going on 50 plus years and
nothing has changed but the names on your seats
and the very definition of doing the same thing and
expecting a different result is insanity, and maybe,
just maybe you need to look to new people to do
this job and We the ISUPK are the people for this
job, that has been producing results since 1969
under commanding General Yahanna. All we are
asking for is for the police to leave us alone and let
us do our job. But harassing and threatening us
who are not criminals and are not committing
crimes, one would think that they are the criminals.
We are not asking for money, homes, gold,
reparations, nor begging for love, just for the police
to direct their duties to the real problems at hand
and leave us the ISRAELITE SCHOOL OF UNIVERSAL
PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE Alone and let us do our
job since no one else wants to do it. because if you
don't, then guess what, peace will be impossible in
the city of Miami, peace will be a myth in the city of
Miami, peace will be like the most necessary
commodity that will be needed but nowhere to be
found, in the city of miami, and we all know if crime
gets left unchecked, it multiplies like water on
grimlins. THE LORD says leave his prophets alone.
And now if the police is the administration of death
that is up to them to decide, but we, the ISUPK are
the administration of life and that is what we have
already decided, under commanding general
Yahanna. Now If I may commissioners, You all have
the power, if you all can address this and maybe if I
could get something from you all so that if this
happens again, then the matter can be rectified
swiftly without any problems. I would appreciated
it