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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC 2021-10-28 MinutesCity of Miami City Hall 3500 Pan American Drive Miami, FL 33133 www.miamigov.com 00* * INCORPRRATEO 1808 /\ Its 4.7 Meeting Minutes Thursday, October 28, 2021 9:00 AM City Commission Meeting City Hall City Commission Francis X. Suarez, Mayor Ken Russell, Vice Chair, District Two Alex Diaz de la Portilla, Commissioner, District One Joe Carollo, Commissioner, District Three Manolo Reyes, Commissioner, District Four Jeffrey Watson, Commissioner, District Five Arthur Noriega, V, City Manager Victoria Mendez, City Attorney Todd B. Hannon, City Clerk City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 9:00 AM INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Present: Vice Chair Russell, Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla, Commissioner Carollo, Commissioner Reyes and Commissioner Watson On the 28th day of October 2021, 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 Vice Chair Russell at 9:14 a.m., recessed at 12:01 p.m., reconvened at 12:23 p.m., recessed at 1:22 p.m., reconvened at 4:13 p.m., and adjourned at 6:47p.m. Note for the Record: Commissioner Reyes entered the Commission chambers at 9:17 a.m., Commissioner Carollo entered the Commission chambers at 9:33 a.m., Commissioner Watson entered the Commission chambers at 9:42 a.m., and Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla entered the Commission chambers at 12:40 p.m. ALSO PRESENT: Arthur Noriega, V, City Manager Victoria Mendez, City Attorney Todd B. Hannon, City Clerk Vice Chair Russell: Everyone, please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer by Commissioner Reyes. Pledge of Allegiance delivered. Commissioner Reyes: Please bow your heads. Invocation delivered. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. City of Miami Page 1 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 PART A - NON -PLANNING AND ZONING ITEM(S) PR - PRESENTATIONS AND PROCLAMATIONS PR.1 10903 PROTOCOL ITEM Honoree Presenter Protocol Item Breast Cancer Awareness Mayor Suarez and Commissioners Recognition Latino Art Beat Mayor Suarez and Commissioners Certificate of Merit Don Rossi of Latino Art Beat Mayor Suarez and Commissioners Certificate of Merit Hindu Heritage Month Mayor Suarez and Commissioners Proclamation Wayne Tillman Mayor Suarez and Commissioners Certificate of Merit Nzeribe "Zerry" Ihekwaba Mayor Suarez and Commissioners Certificate of Merit RESULT: PRESENTED 1) Mayor Suarez and Commissioners recognized the month of October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The City of Miami Police and Fire Departments teamed up with Artist Romero Britto and Metro Wraps for the design of vehicle wraps to show support to breast cancer patients and let them know that the City of Miami Police and Fire Departments support them as their first responders. The City of Miami Fire Truck is dedicated to a long time City of Miami Fire Department employee,, Ms. Kristin Jordahl, who passed away from breast cancer. Elected Officials paused in their deliberations to proclaim the month of October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month in the City of Miami. 2) Mayor Suarez and Commissioners presented Certificates of Appreciation to the winners of the 2021 Miami Latino Art Beat Competition. Elected Officials paid tribute to the Artists' extraordinary artistic talents and eminent contributions to the elevation of creative expression in South Florida and paused in their official deliberations in order to honor the students participation in this challenging undertaking that celebrates youth and art. City of Miami Page 2 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 3) Mayor Suarez and Commissioners presented a Certificate of Merit to Mr. Don Rossi for his continued support in the education of the arts in the City of Miami. Mr. Rossi has directed the Latino Art Program for 24 years; awarding scholarships to art students. Elected Officials paused in their deliberations to commend him for his assistance with the Latino Art Beat Awards and for helping students excel with their art studies. 4) Mayor Suarez and Commissioners presented a Proclamation in honor of Hindu Heritage Month. Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world, having an estimated 1.3 billion devotees. This year, 2021 marks the 120 years of when Hinduism was introduced to the United States. The Hindu traditions provide invaluable solutions to life's problems and serve as inspiration and reflection to individuals who look to the teaching of Hinduism for guidance. Elected Officials paused in their deliberations to pay tribute and thereby proclaim the month of October as Hindu Heritage Month in the City of Miami. 5) Mayor Suarez and Commissioners presented a Certificate of Merit to City of Miami Police Department Sergeant -at -Arms Wayne Tillman who has served in the City of Miami for many years. Tillman, a US Air Force Veteran, also held various positions within the City of Miami. Elected Officials paused in their deliberations to pay tribute and thank Sergeant -at -Arms Tillman for his years of service, protection and dedication to the City of Miami Residents and Elected Officials. Furthermore, Commissioners wished him good luck for his retirement. 6) Mayor Suarez and Commissioners presented a Certificate of Merit to Deputy City Manager, Mr. Nzeribe "Zerry"Ihekwaba, for receiving the Engineer of the Year Award in recognition of being an exemplary professional civil engineer. Elected Officials paused in their deliberations to pay tribute to Mr. Ihekwaba for his dedication and service to the City of Miami. Vice Chair Russell: We'll now have presentations and proclamations, starting with the City of Miami Fire Department. Presentations made. Vice Chair Russell: Alright, as soon as we have a quorum, we will take up the order of the day. [Later... (COMMENTS MADE OFF RECORD) Vice Chair Russell: It's -- we're going to (COMMENTS MADE OFF RECORD) Vice Chair Russell: -- of course, we have one last proclamation, certificate of merit from Commissioner Reyes. Here's your microphone. Presentations made. City of Miami Page 3 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 ORDER OF THE DAY Vice Chair Russell: Good morning, everybody. How is everybody doing? (COMMENTS MADE OFF RECORD) Vice Chair Russell: Good. It's a (UNINTELLIGIBLE) day here in the City of Miami. We're ready to get some good work done. Welcome to the October 28th, 2021, meeting of the City of Miami City Commission in these historic chambers. Procedures for the public comment will be explained by the City Attorney shortly. Procedures for the swearing in of parties for the Planning and Zoning and/or quasi-judicial items will be explained by the City Clerk. The members of the City Commission appearing for this meeting are Alex Diaz de la Portilla, Joe Carollo, Manolo Reyes, Jeffrey Watson, and me, Ken Russell, the Vice Chair. Also appearing are City Manager Art Noriega, City Attorney Victoria Mendez, and City Clerk Todd Hannon. Mr. City Attorney, would you please state the procedures to be followed during this meeting? Barnaby Min (Deputy City Attorney): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 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 the related City 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 Clerk's Office or online at 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. A copy of the City Code section is available at the City Clerk's Office or online at municode.com. 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 to the requested action pursuant to Section 2-8 of the City Code. Any documents offered to the City Commissioners that have not been provided seven days before the meeting as part of the agenda materials will be entered into the record at the City Commission's discretion. If any Commissioner thinks that the documents supplied to the City Commission fewer than seven days before merit a continuance, the item may be continued by the City Commission. Pursuant to Sections 2-330 and (g) of the City Code, the agenda material for each item in the agenda is available during business hours at the City Clerk's Office and online 24 hours a day atMiamiGov.com. Any person may be heard by the City Commission through the Chair for not more than two minutes on any propositions before the City Commission unless modified by the Chair. Public comment will begin when the Chairman opens the public comment period and will be closed by the Chairperson. Members of the public wishing to address the body may do so by submitting written comments through the online comment form. Please visit MiamiGov.com for detailed instructions on how to provide public comment using the online public comment form. The comments submitted through the comment form have been and will be distributed to the elected officials and the City's Administration throughout the day so that the elected officials can consider the comments prior to taking any action. Additionally, the online comment form will remain open during the meeting to accept coninients and distribute to the elected official up until the time the Chairperson closes the public comment period. Public comment may also be provided live at City Hall at 3500 Pan American Drive, Miami, Florida, subject to any and all City rules as they may be amended. If the propositions are being continued or rescheduled, the opportunity to be heard may be at such a later date before the City Commission takes action on such a proposition. When addressing the City Commission, the member of the public must first state his or her name, his or her address, and what item will be spoken about. Any person with a disability requiring assistance, auxiliary aids, and services to the meeting may not the City Clerk. The City has provided different public comment methods to indicate, City of Miami Page 4 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 among other things, the public's support, opposition, or neutrality on the items and topics to be discussed at today's City Commission meeting pursuant to Section 286.014(4)(c) of Florida Statutes. The public has been given the opportunity to provide public comment during the meeting and within reasonable proximity and time before the meeting. Please note, the Commission has generally been briefed by City staff and the City Attorney on items on the agenda today. Anyone wishing to appeal any decision made by the City Commission for any matter considered at this meeting may need a verbatim record of the item. A video of this meeting may be requested at the Office of Communications or viewed online atMiamiCov.com. Planning and Zoning items shall proceed according to section 7.1.4 of the Miami 21 Code as temporarily modified pursuant to Emergency Ordinance numbers 13903 and 13914. Pursuant to Emergency Ordinance numbers 13903 and 13914, parties for any Planning and Zoning items including any applicant, appellant, appellee, City staff, and any person recognized by the decision -making body as a qualified intervener, as well as the applicants, representatives, and any experts testifying on behalf of the applicant, appellant or appellee may be either physically present in City Hall to be sworn in by oath or affirmation by the City Clerk, or may appear virtually and make arrangements to be sworn in by oath or affirmation in person at their location by an individual qualified to perform such duty. Pursuant to Emergency Ordinance Number 13903, members of the General Public who are not parties to an action pending before the City Commission are not required to be sworn in by oath or affirmation. The members of the City Commission shall disclose any ex parte communications to remove the presumption of prejudice pursuant to Section 286.015 Florida Statutes and Section 7.1.5 of the Miami 21 Code. Staff will briefly present each item to be heard. For applications requiring the City Commission approval, the applicant will present its application request to the City Commission. If the applicant agrees to the staffs recommendation, the City Commission may proceed to its deliberation decision. The applicant may also waive the right to an evidentiary hearing on the record. The order of presentation shall be as set forth in Miami 21 and in the City Code, providing the appellant shall present first. For appeals, the appellant will present its appeal to the City Commission, followed by the appellee. Staff will be allowed to make any recommendation they may have. Please silence all cell phones and other noise -making devices. This meeting may be viewed live on Miami TV at MiamiGov.com/TV, the City's Facebookpage, the City's Twitter page, the City's YouTube channel, and Comcast Channel 77. The broadcast will have closed captioning. Thankyou, Mr. Chairman. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. Good morning, Mr. Clerk. Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): Thank you, Chair. The procedures for individuals who will be providing testimony and be sworn in for Planning and Zoning items and any quasi-judicial items on today's City Commission agenda will be as follows. The members of the City staff or any other individuals required to be sworn in who are currently present at City Hall will be sworn in by me, the City Clerk, immediately after I finish explaining these procedures. Those individuals who are appearing remotely may be sworn in now or at any time prior to the individual providing testimony for Planning and Zoning items and/or quasi-judicial items. Pursuant to Emergency Ordinance Number 13903, those individuals who are appearing remotely may be sworn in at their location by an individual qualified to administer the oath. After you are sworn in, please be sure to complete, sign, and notarize the affidavit provided to you by the City Attorney's Office. Each individual who will provide testimony must be sworn in and execute an affidavit. Please email a scanned version of the signed affidavit to the City Clerk at thannon@miamigov.com prior to providing testimony on the Planning and Zoning item and/or quasi-judicial item. The affidavit shall be included in the record for the relevant item for which you will be providing testimony. Commissioners, are you comfortable with the notice provisions setforth in these uniform rules and procedures we have established for this meeting? City of Miami Page 5 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Vice Chair Russell: Yes. Mr. Hannon: Chair, may I administer the oath? Vice Chair Russell: Yes, please. Mr. Hannon: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. If you'll be speaking on any of today's Planning and Zoning items, that's PZ.1 and PZ.2, the Planning and Zoning items, may 1 please have you stand and raise your right hand? The City Clerk administered the oath required under City Code Section 62-1 to those persons giving testimony on zoning items. Mr. Hannon: Thank you, Chair. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. [Later...] Vice Chair Russell: Good morning, Mr. Manager. Arthur Noriega (City Manager): Good morning, Mr. Vice Chair. Vice Chair Russell: Are there any items that the Administration would like to see deferred, continued or withdrawn? Mr. Noriega: There are. So, good morning, Mr. Vice Chair, Madam -- Mr. City Attorney, Mr. City Clerk. This time the Administration would like to defer and or withdraw the following items. RE.5 to be deferred to the November 18th meeting; SR.1 to be deferred to the November 18th meeting; DI.1 has been a request to defer the item. We just distributed the report and the recommendations from the Miami 21 Task Force. So, in order to better allow for the Commission to absorb and actually process the information, there's also a request to workshop it as well. So, we're requesting a deferral with no time certain. At this point, it's an indefinite deferral, so that we can allow for the scheduling of some workshopping and some formal presentations and then we'll bring it back as a discussion item in the future. Vice Chair Russell: Commissioner Watson, you're recognized. Commissioner Watson: Yes, please. Sorry, Mr. Chair, I thought it was only accepting the report and not just -- we were just accepting the report in order then to move it to that process. Mr. Noriega: Agreed, but since the report wasn't really distributed until a few days ago, the request is just to allow for the opportunity for the report to be read through and then we can properly workshop it later. It's, you know -- it's -- there's a lot of logic and common sense to that, so, you know, we certainly would have no issue with that. Vice Chair Russell: Any other items, Mr. Manager? Mr. Noriega: The last item is PZ.1, which is to -- the request is for it to be deferred to the November 18th meeting. Vice Chair Russell: Mr. Clerk, could you repeat those. for the Commission, please? City of Miami Page 6 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): Yes, to defer to November 18th, RE.5; to defer to November 18th, SR.1; to indefinitely defer DLL and to defer to November 18, PZ.1. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. Are there any items that the Commission would like to see withdrawn, deferred or continued? Commissioner Carollo: Mr. Manager, did the Administration defer PZ.1? Vice Chair Russell: Yes. Commissioner Carollo: Okay. Vice Chair Russell: Are there any items that the Commission would like to add as pocket items for this agenda? Commissioner Reyes: May I ask, because I was distracted. Vice Chair Russell: Your microphone, please. Commissioner Reyes: Could you repeat the items that have been deferred? Vice Chair Russell: Mr. Manager? Mr. Noriega: RE.5 to be deferred to the November 18th meeting. Commissioner Reyes: Okay. Mr. Noriega: SR.1 to be deferred to the November 18th meeting. Commissioner Reyes: Okay. Mr. Noriega: DI1 to be indefinitely deferred. Commissioner Reyes: Okay. Mr. Noriega: And PZ.1 -- Commissioner Reyes: Okay. Mr. Noriega: -- to be deferred to the November 18th meeting. Commissioner Reyes: I thought that was missing something. Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: Commissioner Watson, you have a pocket item? Commissioner Watson: Yeah, I have actually a pocket item on -- I thought it was here. Pocket Item 1, Sawyer's Walk. I need to read it? And also, Mr. Chair, I want to get the board two additional pocket items. One is a directive. I don't have it, but one is a directive as it relates to inspections on properties that people are living in that are moldy and the like. And so, I know that we've dealt with the issue of recertification and what happened to Champlain, but there's also some abysmal living conditions that people are living in, and I want to try, to find out, at least have the Manager come back with Mr. Marrero something that allows us to deal with it in a way that helps Mks who are living in pretty bad conditions. Vice Chair Russell: Mr. Manager, are you clear on the directive? City of Miami Page 7 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Mr. Noriega: Yeah, no, I'm clear on it, but you're going to bring it up as a pocket item? Commissioner Watson: Yes. Mr. Noriega: Okay. Commissioner Watson: Yes. Vice Chair Russell: So we'll call that -- so PL 1 was with regard to Sawyer's Walk. Mr. Clerk, you have it for the record, the item? This is authorizing, directing the Manager to approve and execute joinders as mortgagee pursuant to that certain Miami Forever Bond mortgage and security agreement for Sawyer's Walk by Block 55 Residential, LP, related to Miami -Dade County Affordable Housing Covenant. So that's PL 1, we'll call Sawver's Walk Commissioner Watson: And then -- Vice Chair Russell: PI.2 is the directive -- Commissioner Watson: Directive -- Vice Chair Russell: -- on, is it substandard -- Commissioner Watson: Yes. Yes. Vice Chair Russell: -- or minimum housing standards? Commissioner Watson: Yes, yes. And then of course, last but not least, Mr. Chair, an offer of -- I don't even know what to call it, an offer of solution, if you will, regarding the issue of our homeless issue as opposed to homelessness, but homeless issue as we go forward in our discussions. Vice Chair Russell: So, it'll be P13, will be a discussion item or a directive? Commissioner Watson: It will be a pocket item, directive maybe. Vice Chair Russell: With a potential action? Commissioner Watson: Yes. Vice Chair Russell: Okay. So, discussion on homeless. We have two items on this agenda also relating to homeless. Are there any other pocket items that any commissioners would like to add? Commissioner Reyes: Sir, I want to ask for -- Vice Chair Russell: Absolutely. Can we do it right after the order of the day? We'll set the agenda and then we can -- Commissioner Reyes: Okay. Vice Chair Russell: -- because you want to stand up and take a picture and everything, right? Commissioner Reyes: Yeah. City of Miami Page 8 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Vice Chair Russell: Yeah, so with your indulgence, as soon as you order of the day is done. We're almost done. Commissioner Reyes: Okay. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you very much. I do. If there are no other, I've got one pocket item from District 2. This is a resolution of the City Commission authorizing and directing the City Attorney to take all actions regarding the repeated discharge of silt plumes into the Miami River and Biscayne Bay, resulting from the Florida Department of Transportation's roadway construction projects throughout the City of Miami. And further urging Miami -Dade County Department of Environmental Resource Management, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, to take any and all action to ensure full compliance with the Clean Water Act. We'll call that PL4. Urging enforcement of the Clean Water Act and authorizing our City Attorney to take action. All right, if there are no other continuances, deferrals, withdrawals, or pocket items, I'll lookfor a motion on the order of the day, please. Commissioner Carollo: Move. Vice Chair Russell: Moved by Commissioner Carollo. Commissioner Watson: Second. Vice Chair Russell: Seconded by Commissioner Watson. Is there any further discussion? All in favor say, "aye." The Commission (Collectively): Aye. Vice Chair Russell: Any opposed? Motion passes. We have an agenda. Thank you very much. PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR ALL ITEM(S) 11015 DISCUSSION ITEM Office of the City PUBLIC COMMENTS SUBMITTED ONLINE BY MEMBERS OF THE Clerk PUBLIC FOR THE OCTOBER 28, 2021 CITY COMMISSION MEETING. RESULT: PRESENTED Vice Chair Russell: And now we will move to public comment. We've already sworn in. Is there anyone here for Planning and Zoning items who has not been sworn in yet? The one remaining PZ (Planning and Zoning) Item. Is there anyone here to speak that who needs to be sworn in? All right, we've taken care of that, Mr. Clerk. So, if you'd like to speak on any of today's items, including the pocket items just mentioned, the Planning and Zoning Item remaining, and the morning's agenda, please come to both of these lecterns up here. Everyone will get tvvo minutes to speak. I'd like to be very clear, we have two items on the homeless issue. One, we opened public comment -- oh I apologize, Commissioner, I apologize. [Later...] City of Miami Page 9 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Vice Chair Russell: All right, for public comment, I'd just like to set some rules for the road to keep decorum in City Hall and keep everything very, very civil. Everyone will have two minutes to speak on any item on our agenda. Please note that we already opened public comment for SR.2 at the previous meeting. So, if you spoke on SR.2 at the last meeting, you will not he speaking today on SR.2. We do have now three homeless related items, PI.2 from Commissioner Watson, as well as RE.4 and SR.2 from Commissioner Carollo. And of course, you are welcome to speak on these. Two minutes. When you hear a beep, that means there's 30 seconds left. That's your signal to please wrap it up. When you hear the final long tone, that is the end of the two minutes, and we need to move on to the next person. I appreciate you all corning. I appreciate your advocacy, but I also appreciate you speaking through the Chair and not directly at any commissioner or other person in the audience. There will be no name calling, there will be no derogatory language. We're going to keep things very civil with decorum. This is an open forum where it is your opportunity to petition us as your government. The commissioners have their ability to bring ordinances and we are here to listen to you. But we are going to keep things very civil. So, thank you very much. I will open -- Commissioner Carollo: Chairman. Vice Chair Russell: Yes, Commissioner. Commissioner Carollo: Chairman, ifI may ask, we used to -- Vice Chair Russell: A little closer to the mic, please. Commissioner Carollo: We used to request of anyone that wanted to address this body, besides identifying themselves, obviously, if they would give us an address to know if their City of Miami resident -- Vice Chair Russell: They can't hear you, Commissioner. Commissioner Carollo: Let me try to get these mics closer. Let me try to start again. We used to have the -- as part of our procedures, besides individuals who wanted to address the Commission, identifying themselves as to who they are. They would give us an address also so that we can tell who are the City of Miami residents. I would request that we could put lightly a request of individuals if they could let us know their address so we could see how many are City of Miami residents, how many are not. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you, Commissioner. Good morning. Pedro Martinez: Good morning, Commissioner. May I speak on SR.2? Vice Chair Russell: Did you speak last meeting at SR.2? Mr. Martinez: I did. Vice Chair Russell: Then you may not. That was the opportunity, but you can speak on any other item on the agenda. Mr. Martinez: Thank you so much. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. Good morning. Abegail Ape: Hi, good morning. My name is Abegail Ape. I'm a resident of District 2. City of Miami Page 10 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): Chair, I'm sorry, I just cannot hear. Vice Chair Russell: The microphones are bent. If you could straighten them and bring them a little closer to your mouth, we'll be able to hear you a little better. Thank you. Ms. Ape: There we go. Hi, my name is Abby Ape. I'm a resident of District 2. I live at 244 Biscayne Boulevard in Downtown Miami. I want to thank you for adding noise to the Commission agenda as a point of discussion, which is DL2. Establishments have continually broken the Code. Some establishments like Riverside have continued to get violations after violations, but then there is no follow-up or aftermath to it, right? Like what's next after these violations? So, 1 think that our City Code most definitely needs to add some teeth to the noise ordinance. 1 think that it's possible to live amicably with establishments like Riverside. They do it on Miami Beach, right? You have booming restaurants next to residential facilities, and they somehow have managed to work and live amicably. I think that that's possible for Brickell and Downtown as well. And so, we ask for your help, commissioners. Please help the residents of District 2. Thank you. Commissioner Carollo: Thank you. Abegail, before you leave, could you pass by my office and leave your contact information? Ms. Ape: Yes, absolutely. Commissioner Carollo: Because in the future, once we have openings for Code Enforcement or Nuisance Abatement Boards, et cetera -- Ms. Ape: Yes. Commissioner Carollo: -- you're the kind of person that we would like to consider. Ms. Ape: Thank you. I'm in communication with Will. He's been very helpful. Commissioner Carollo: Thank you very much. Ms. Ape: Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your advocacy. One note, as you finish public speaking, please exit the building as we -- if you can't find a seat, because we're at full capacity, but there are people outside who'd like to come in to speak and they can't come in until current speakers are out. So, once you finish speaking, either find a seat or you can go in the back of City Hall and vote, because we have early voting available right now. Good morning. You're welcome. Derrick Holmes: Hey, good morning, Commissioners. My name is Derrick Holmes. I'm speaking on behalf of Transit Alliance Miami. I wanted to speak against FR.1 and in support of the scooter program. You know, we've made this point before, but the program has been a huge success. We have people using these things all day, every day. It has created millions of dollars of revenue for the City. It's created hundreds of jobs, and it really represents the future of'mobility. Yes, challenges have arise [sic] when we're talking about the scooter program, and I would like to point out that the bulk of these issues are not necessarily about micro -mobility themselves, but really it's about the fact that we have, what, pedestrians, cyclists, e-bikes, scooters, skateboarders, everyone is sharing this tiny little sliver of space in the sidewalks. They're fighting over it. And the reason why people are fighting over this tiny sliver of space is because that's the only space where people. feel safe. If you are not in a car, that is the only space you have to travel where you, feel safe doing so. So, when we're thinking about the program, how we can make it better, how we can improve upon City of Miami Page 11 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 micro -mobility in Miami, we should really be thinking about how we can provide the proper infrastructure to support micro -mobility, to support the future mobility in the City of Miami. What that would look like is providing more dedicated safe spaces for people to be able to use these things to get around. And that's going to look like, you know, widened sidewalks, protected lanes. It's going to look like docking stations where people can secure and charge these devices. And, you know, even outside the rental program, people are buying their own e-bikes, their own e-scooters. So, providing the proper infrastructure so that people can use these devices is the direction we should be going in. And I think we should be shifting the conversation toward how we do that instead of pointing fingers and trying to completely destroy the program. It's a pilot. The purpose of it was to experiment and learn from it and figure out how we can make it better. And I would love to see this Commission move the conversation toward that, how we make it better, how we provide the proper infrastructure to support micro -mobility in the City of Miami. Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Commissioner Carollo: Can I -- Vice Chair Russell: Perfectly timed, one -- two minutes. Commissioner Carollo: Before you go, where do you go to school out here? Mr. Holmes: I don't go to school here. Commissioner Carollo: You don't? Where did you go to school before? Mr. Holmes: I went to school at Robert Morgan Educational Center. Commissioner Carollo: Where's that at? Mr. Holmes: That's' down south in Miami -Dade Commission District 9, near West Perrine. Commissioner Carollo: Well, they've done an excellent job with you. You express yourself very, very good. Applause. Mr. Holmes: Thank you very much. Commissioner Carollo: That's all that I wanted to say. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. Please hold your applause though. We -- we appreciate your enthusiasm but we don't want boos either and so keep it inside. Ana Sofia Perez: Good morning. My name is Ana Sofia Perez. I'm a resident of City of Miami, District 3, and I'm here as a member of the Public Land for Public Good Coalition to speak about PH.5. Our coalition is made up of 30 grassroots organizations. We've developed a list of principles for developing public land to ensure it's done equitably and sustainably. I'm here to talk about the importance of the community engagement process. We are not interested in derailing projects. We've said that before. What we do want is a public land conveyance protocol -- or public land conveyance protocols that are efficient, transparent, and where the community is involved. from inception to completion. Should this development move forward, we ask that it incorporate a community engagement strategy and input from the community in the final design. There remain future contracts where public land will be subject to City of Miami Page 12 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 deployment. This means that we need a transparent policy in place that articulates the rules of early stage community engagement as well as goals for the use of city -owned land. We would like to see a policy that incorporates community engagement by trusted partners to ensure that a project benefits -- a project benefits multiple stakeholders, from residents to workers to small business owners. Many of you have already shown support for this initiative, and we urge you to adopt legislation that establishes community -centered protocols for public land conveyance that could become a guide for the Allapattah land and for public land conveyance across the county. Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Good morning. Justin Coffie: Good morning. My name is Justin Coffie. Thank you all for your time. 1 wanted to acknowledge Commissioner Watson's making space for a jitrther discussion of how we can deal with homelessness in the area. I think it's very commendable, and I don't have much to say because I come here as an advocate and I want to actually amplify the voices of homeless people. So, if any have that experience, please feel free to just speak on your experience so that people can better understand what is at stake when safe spaces are erased. So, I'm addressing Item SR.2, which is the ban on encampments on public property. Earlier, a speaker had mentioned the importance of safe spaces, and I can only imagine what would happen once our safe spaces are eradicated for all people. 1 also have to say -- I have to mention it, that 1 did hear about a proposal of the so-called Adopt -a -Homeless Initiative, and I would like my own proposal to adopt compassion, adopt empathy, adopt understanding, because these are human beings, and you are elected officials to represent them. And that is all I have to say. Thank you for your time. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Good morning, next comment, please. Commissioner Carollo: Can I say something before you go? Mr. Coffie.: Absolutely. Commissioner Carollo: First of all, I want to thank you for expressing yourself very professionally, whether we agree or disagree, you've been very professional and thus commendable. Which district in the city, do you live in? Mr. Coffie: I'm living, I'll give you my address, it's 1551 Southwest 104th Passage. Commissioner Carollo: 104? Mr. Code: Yes, 104. Commissioner Carollo: 104 Avenue? Mr. Coffie: Passage. 104th Passage. Commissioner Carollo: Okay, that's outside of the City of Miami, but you have a right to still come here. Thank you, sir. Mr. Coffie: Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: Good morning. Nicole Schmidt: Good morning. My name is Nicole Schmidt, and Tut a social work student intern at the Downtown Miami Main Library. 1 -- the address is 101 West City of Miami Page 13 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Flagler Street. Fin here to oppose SR.2 and to humbly, offer more humane and economically, sensible alternatives. My fellow interns and I have the privilege of working with homeless people who all demonstrate utmost resilience and resourcefulness. We meet patrons wherever they're at in their journeys, as many lack adequate support systems. Many of our patrons have the genuine desire to better themselves but barriers persist in securing stable housing. While shelters provide crucial services, they are not a panacea to fixing the issue of homelessness. A fragmented homeless assistance and housing system, unlivable wages, lack of affordable high -quality health care, and untreated mental illness are just some factors that exasperate the challenges of homelessness. Even something as simple as not being able to afford the fee to obtain a photo ID (identification), Social Security card, or birth certificate can prevent a person from applying for benefits, jobs, or access to safe shelter and housing. To compound this to this fact is that even people who are deemed deserving of help cannot access shelter due to an incredibly high demand. Cvcling people through the criminal justice and hospital systems puts a much greater strain on the economy than providing long-term housing solutions. It costs nearly $2,000 a night to keep someone in a hospital bed compared to about $10,000 a year to provide wraparound services in a permanent supportive housing environment. SR.2 benefits nobody involved, from the homeless people themselves to the law enforcement officers put in the position to cause harm to these civilians just trying to survive. Invest resources in long-term housing and consider creating a specialized task fbrce for homeless people who cannot access shelters. Miami stands with our homeless neighbors. Thank you for your time and consideration. Vice Chair Russell: Thanks for your comment. Good morning. Silvia Perez: Good morning. My name is Silvia Perez, resident of the Brickell Key, District 2. I'm here to talk and support RE.4 on adopt a homeless program and SR.2 on prohibition of encampments. Thank you very much, Commissioner Carollo. As a resident of the Brickell Key, there's no homeless, but I'm here because I care about the community, I care about the city, and I care about homeless people. Everyone deserves a clean bed and a hot meal. The safe spaces that other speakers have spoken about should be the shelters that we finance with our taxpayers' money, which should be made clean and safe. We all want a clean and safe city, and I want to commend you for taking care and listening to all residents, for taking action to show that you don't want Miami to become San Francisco or L.A. (Los Angeles), thank you very much. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comment. Good morning, sir. Julian Romero: Good morning. My name is Julian Romero, and I'm a resident of District 2. I'm here to speak on D12. Basically, there's establishments such as Riverside Miami, and others that have a semi free pass to be a nuisance to our community by being allowed to play loud music until 2:00 a.m. every, weekend with nothing more than a $500 citation from City Code. There needs to be more severe consequences when the establishments such as Riverside Miami continually violate City Code as well as the terms written in their temporary use permits other than just receiving a citation, citation, citation, citation. That's all I have. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comment. Commissioner Carollo: Can I ask you something? Mr. Romero: Yes. City of Miami Page 14 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Commissioner Carollo: For how long, approximately, has this loud music at nights has been going on in this particular establishment or establishments (UNINTELLIGIBLE)? Mr. Romero: This started -- sorry, this started in March of 2020 and the only silver lining of the Coronavirus pandemic was the fact that we actually had some peace and quiet. Commissioner Carollo: Well, let me tell you why I feel so strongly in support of what you and many residents across the City of Miami, and all districts, have been coming to this Commission on. The noise that some of these places, basically, they're bars, or they are restaurants that are masquerading as restaurants, but they're really bars. Mr. Romero: Correct. Commissioner Carollo: (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Mr. Romero: Or nightclubs. Commissioner Carollo: Yeah, and to give you an example of why I have brought different ordinance before us, and I'm fighting so strong for our residents in this, over in my district, when I first got elected. I had a place that, you know, they're very wise in PR (public relations) and spend their money well in PR. And they were closed down, not because anybody up here, certainly not me, or the City, or persecuting a poor businessman, but because in the back, where they were making the bulk of their money, for six years, six years, they did not have any permits to sell alcohol. They had a big bar back there, and they'd lie, committed perjury, to the State of Florida in their application and lied to the City. They didn't have any warrants, meaning they had no permits to serve any food, and they had no permits to have music, certainly nowhere near until 3:00 in the morning. And this went on for approximately six years until the City took action. You had a manager and administration that were honest and put a stop to it. And I'm not even going to the other areas where they built hundreds of thousands of dollars, including a second story with a hidden elevator, with no permits, no fire sprinklers, and I could go on and on. And my God, the front of the place, the back, inside, the roof everything was changed, and not a single Code Enforcement inspector, Building inspector, ever saw anything. But I'm the guy that is accused of persecuting a poor businessman. This is not the only establishment that these same characters pulled that in. And this has been going on with different people, different players, across our districts, and it's got to stop because we cannot allow our city to be run by the alcohol industry and those that make a bundle of money, and a lot of cash money at that, in ways that are disturbing the quality of life of you, in District 2, of the people in District 1, in District 3, District 4, and District 5. So even though you're not part of my district, and I'm very respectful of commissioners in other districts, you can all feel free to call my office when you find situations like this, because we're creating all kinds of new ways of combating this, because what you all are asking for, what you're saying is correct. It's been a joke how we've been enforcing this. The fines are a joke. These people make thousands, tens of thousands of dollars a night, and even if they ever get hit with a $500 fine, that's a joke, that's like paying a tip to them, part of doing business. And then the games begin, or at least they used to real big, in how they would come to Code Enforcement, and who was managing how that would go. So, you all have very, very valid complaints and I think that the more that residents like you come before this body and express them, the quicker that this city is going to have to take real action. Mr. Collie: Thank you, Commissioner. City of Miami Page 15 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Vice Chair Russell: We'll continue the discussion when D1.2 conies up. Thank you very much. Good morning. Desiree Lasrado: Hi, my name is Desiree Lasrado. I'm here in support of RE.4, SR.2. Thank you, Commissioner Carollo. District 2 is the stepchild of South Florida, and I wonder who the Commissioner is. I'm not going to take names because we cannot direct any personal stuff to any of the commissioners. Commissioner Carollo: Please do not. Ms. Lasrado: But Pm here out offrustration not only about the homelessness, about the scooter problems, about the loud music, the filth, the crime, where, by the way police crime statistics never match a resident statistic in Bayfront Park because we are told that we need to call the police when the event is happening. Let me tell you, 1 live in 1 Miami, one of the worst places to live, because we suffer everything right there on the riverwalk. Nobody cares about loud music, about we are being attacked every day by the homeless people. Mind you, when I address it, it's not everybody who's homeless is a criminal. But unfortunately, we are suffering there. I've come here for the first time. I've sent out in four years directing it to you. Mr. Ken Russell. At least a thousand emails, one thousand emails. Never saw you -- ghosted, you ghosted District 2. Only when the scooters were there, knocking down pedestrians, nay niece was hurt. This is all personal to me. And mind you, whoevers in this room who want to support the homeless, put yourself in our shoes and it's not only about the homeless, don't misunderstand what Pin saying, I have sympathy 1 come from a country called India, most poverty-stricken third -world country in the world. We feed our homeless. We love our homeless, but they need a safe shelter to be in -- Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. Ms. Lasrado: -- as well as they need to be taken off the streets because the aggravation and all of this makes them also crazy. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Ms. Lasrado: Thank you so much. Vice Chair Russell: Morning. Leticia Alvarez: Hi, good morning. My name is Leticia Alvarez. I'm a resident in District 2. I live at 31 Southeast 5th Street and my neighbor who was here at this same lectern, spoke about a business called Riverside Miami, but it's a problem all over the district. But they're right next door at 25 Southeast 5th Street. My apartment looks directly over it. And they have a temporary use permit. They're not allowed to play loud music. That's just part of the permit. But apart from that, there is, you know, there are rules on the books in the City of Miami that says after 11: 00 p.m. you're not allowed to play super loud music that I can hear in my condo, you know, behind hurricane proof glass with a TV on, you know. So, it's -- it's a problem and, you know, I basically am here to speak about that. You know, other people have been here talking about the same issues. So, I really, really hope that something can be done about it because it really does affect our quality of life. And, you know, it's -- it's really difficult. I mean, there have been times -- you know, I have a job. I took time off from work to come here. You know, on a Thursday night, 1:00 a.m. You know, it's difficult. So that's why, you know, I made the sacrifice to come here and just talk about that issue so that you're aware of it and that you can kind of help us in our area because it's an issue. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. City of Miami Page 16 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Commissioner Reyes: Mr. Chair. Vice Chair Russell: Commissioner Reyes, you're recognized. Commissioner Reyes: Yes, and I agree with you, something's got to be done. And I am going to request that when our discussion item comes up, that we stress and also find a way that we enforce the rules that are on the books that I think that is one of the biggest problem that we have, because even I don't have so many bars like that in my district, but I have a lot of residents of -- are also -- also homes that have been rented, and there are parties that go into the wee hours of the night, going -- bypassing the regulations that at a certain time, at 11 o'clock, you have to shut the music down, or at 12 o'clock at night. And enforcement is a great problem, and you hit it right on the nail, man, right on the head. Ms. Alvarez: Yeah. Commissioner Reyes: You hit the nail right on the head. And that is the biggest problem that we have, enforcement. Commissioner Carollo: The lack of enforcement. Commissioner Reyes: The lack of enforcement. Ms. Alvarez: They exist. Commissioner Reyes: The rules are in the book. Why they are not being enforced, that's the biggest question and the biggest problem that we have. And we've got to address that. Ms. Alvarez: Thank you. Commissioner Reyes: Thank you for bringing that up. Ms. Alvarez: Thank you very much. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you, Commissioner. Thank you for your comments. Good morning. Matt Marr: Greetings, Commissioners. My name is Matt Marr, and I'm an associate professor in FIU's (Florida International University's) Green School of International and Public Affairs. Thank you for the opportunity to share my insights. I've conducted Commissioner Carollo: Professor, I'm sorry. Mr. Marr: Sure. Commissioner Carollo: International and Public Affairs, is that the International Relations Department now? Mr. Marr: International Relations Department is in the school, as well as a few other departments. Commissioner Carollo: One of my bachelor's degrees from FIU is in international relations, so -- City of Miami Page 17 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Mr. Marr: Excellent. Commissioner Carollo: --1'm one of your graduates. Mr. Marr: Paws up. Thank you for the opportunity to share my insights. I've done research and applied work on homelessness for nearly 30 years. I recently published a peer review article on how people get out of homelessness in Miami and three other global cities. The recipe is simple. It's housing and financial subsidies and income subsidies and connections to social service organizations, family, and friends. Also, this recipe helped people achieve feelings of security about their lives and their Attire. In contrast, criminalization, like in the proposed motion, threatened this sense of security. There's a massive interdisciplinary research literature that shows the effectiveness of permanent supportive housing using a Housing First approach. In Miami, this approach has worked. People stay in housing. Their health, income, and social networks improve. If this approach is used at scale, it reduces street homelessness and saves on costly public services. Over the past decade, FIU students and I have conducted over 100 life history interviews with unhoused and formerly unhoused people here in Miami. The most common neighborhoods they grew up in were Overtown, Liberty City, Allapattah, Brownsville, Carol City, Opa-Locka, West Grove, and South Miami. Houselessness is a homegrown problem resulting from systemic racial inequality and a lack of affordable housing. Please believe the science, vote no on SR.2, and support a large-scale permanent supportive housing program. Now is the time with COVID relief and other funds. It's the only sensible way forward for all Miamians, unhoused and housed. Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Commissioner Carollo: Professor, you told us where you work at, but what district in the City ofMiami do you live in? Mr. Marr: I do live in South Miami, butt do conduct research in the City ofMiami. Commissioner Carollo: Oh okay, so it's not in the City of Miami. Mr. Marr: And FIU is Miami's public university. Commissioner Carollo: Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Commissioner Carollo: But you don't live in the City of Miami. I just wanted to get that on the record. Thank you, sir. Vice Chair Russell: Good morning. Julie Dick: Good morning, my name is Julie Dick. I'm here on behalf of Dade Heritage Trust, whose membership includes thousands of residents from throughout the City of Miami and all of your districts. Pin here to speak today on DI.1, which was deferred indefinitely. I understand the deferral, and I believe that report came out with fairly short time to review it. I am concerned that it is deferred indefinitely and not for a date set in the future. The City of Miami has invested quite a bit of resources and gotten some very important feedback over the years in terms of resilience, in terms of improving the quality of life for residents and mobility, and our land use, as well as how to address issues like flooding and temperature management and just protect the public health and quality of life, and make it a great place to live for everyone who lives here and visits. Without incorporating this best knowledge and all these strategies and plans into the land development code and the Code in terms of City of Miami Page 18 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 how the city is operating, how developments take place, what happens and does not happen in buildings, then it really is minimal in terms of the effect that all this work can have. It's critical that the city moves forward with updating its Code and we really hope that through that process, you're able to understand and value a lot of the green infrastructure, including -- we have so many beautiful heritage trees or what we hope can be a heritage tree designation for it for the city in the future that really define the character of the community, but also provide tremendous value in terms of filtration and shading that are critical for our quality of life. There's a lot that can be done in terms of incorporating these types of elements into the land development code that we think can benefit the city financially and also just really help to implement the strategies and plans that the city has already invested in to make the city more livable for everyone. So hopefully we'll be talking about this item soon in the near future and 1 urge you to get it on the agenda soon. Vice Chair Russell: Yes. Thank you for your comments. Commissioner Reyes: Mr. Chair, Mr. Chair. Vice Chair Russell: Yes, Commissioner, you 're recognized. Commissioner Reyes: I spoke a little, I mean at the beginning of it, when I first got here, she was in my office, and 1 do understand your support of having more trees in our city and every one of us is a supporter. I did inform her that the City of Miami, we have a very robust tree planning program. And every time that any -- that any of the streets, and that's a policy, it is redone, they incorporate trees into the public works that we're doing. And 1 believe -- as I told you, I'm a country boy, 1 know what the importance of trees and how trees work. So, you will have an opportunity when we discuss this item, just to express your concerns. But I just wanted to inform that we are not sitting down and not planting trees. We are planting plenty of trees in our -- in our city and in most of the districts. In my district, I mean, we have been very, very aggressive in tree planting. So, thank you for your collaboration -- I mean your support on it and for your input. Ms. Dick: Thank you. Thank you very much. I appreciate that and I -- and I -- and I do commend the city on the work they've done. I think there is some definite room for improvement, and we look forward to working with you on it. Commissioner Reyes: Oh yes, that's right. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. Ms. Dick: Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: Thanks for your comments and just for the public's information the word indefinite deferral is a bit of a misnomer. It can come back at any time, at any meeting, with proper notice. If no action is taken it definitely comes back within six months, but indefinite deferral gives us the flexibility to bring it back earlier. It doesn't mean it's just never coming back. So, at the latest six months, but could come earlier. That's indefinite deferral. Good morning. Stanley Young: Good morning, Commissioner. My name is Chaplain Stanley Young. I'm a chaplain, minister, and evangelist and a champion for the homeless. Miami - Dade has a very bad homeless problem and someone really needs to get out of the office and get on the streets to find out. Let me give you quickly my testimony. When I moved to Miami -Dade County, I was homeless. I lived in my car. I lived outside of pools of hotels, and I was harassed by police officers telling me to leave a certain area. That shouldn't be happening in Miami -Dade County. Someone really needs to City of Miami Page 19 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 come up with a comprehensive plan for us to get in out on the street and to find out why people are homeless. People are homeless for a reason. 1 heard that Miami - Davis [sic] thinking and considering consider homelessness as something illegal. That is ridiculous. Homelessness is a -- no one select to be homeless. They are homeless because they have fell through the cracks of your system, that we need to do something to assist the homeless. I started a homeless ministry. It's called Freedom Prison and Jail Ministry that helps people who are incarcerated in jails and prisons. I have done that type of work for over 25 years, and I enjoy -- I enjoy walking the streets, talking to the homeless, trying to encourage them to be a part of our great society. Help me help the homeless. That's what 1 came to ask you to do, to help me to help the homeless and to assist them in to getting out of the situation that they're in. 1 am praying for the homeless. I am assisting the homeless. I'm praying for each and every one of you, Council Member, to have the right mind and the right heart to actually to do something about homelessness in your community. One organization that helped me -- Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments, sir. Thank you. Commissioner Carollo: Chair, if I may ask you, what district do you live in in the City? Mr. Young: 1 do work in the Wynwood and Overtown District. Commissioner Carollo: No, no, Pm not asking where you work, I'm asking -- Mr. Young: Okay, I live at 99th Street, Miami. Commissioner Carollo: 99th Street? Mr. Young: Yes. Commissioner Carollo: That's not the City of Miami. Mr. Young: I know it's not the City of Miami, but I work -- Commissioner Carollo: Just want to put it on the record. Mr. Young: -- I work in Miami. Commissioner Carollo: I understand, sir. Mr. Young: All right, thank you, sir. Commissioner Carollo: One last question. Mr. Young: Uh-huh. Commissioner Carollo: You asked for help. How much is the budget that you presently have, in other words -- Mr. Young: Okay. Commissioner Carollo: -- how much money do you take in in your last fiscal year for your organization? City of Miami Page 20 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Mr. Young: My last fiscal year, of course we went through CO VID, but I'm looking to establish a homeless shelter in the City of Miami, real soon. My budget for next year will be $5 million -- Commissioner Carollo: $5 million. Mr. Young: $5 million, to establish and train chaplains, people who have a heart and a passion for homeless people. I don't want people who come into work to get a salary, okay? In not working to get a salary. I've been doing this work without a salary for years, sir, and I love what I do for the Lord. So, that's -- that's my budget Jronext year. By the end of this year, I'm looking to feed some people and clothe some people. Commissioner Carollo: God bless you, sir, but one thing I do want to clarifY that 1 don't know where you're getting this information from. Nobody here is presenting any resolution, any ordinance to criminalize people who are just being homeless. On the contrary. Mr. Young: Thank you, sir. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you fbr your comments. Good morning. Commissioner Reyes: Mr. Chair. Vice Chair Russell: Commissioner Reyes, you're recognized. Commissioner Reyes: I'm glad that you made that -- that you clarified that because I will never, never vote in favor of criminalizing homeless or unemployed people or anything like that, you see, but that is not the intent, from what I've gathered, of this Commission. This Commission doesn't want to criminalize anybody. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. Luis Garcia: Good morning. My name is Luis Garcia and I live in District 2. And I'm here to share my thoughts about the Discussion Item 2. Riverside has a tent called Main Lounge and they have outside speakers and -- not the restaurants, that I have -- I want to leave that clear. And the bass noise and the loud music every Thursday to Sunday until the venue closed. We experienced that issue. This consistent behavior is heavily impacting my family, our jobs, and the lack of sleep also is affecting our quality of life, peace, and health, as well as our property investments. Tenants have left their apartments in the second or third month of living there, and many sales have dropped because of this issue. Looking for co -existence and believing in the initial Riverside Project proposed to the community, the residents have explored different angles to fix this issue in a friendly manner. Here I have some documents that I would like to share with you. Between them, we have two surveys that we shared with the Riverside owner and management, showing how Riverside noise pollution was affecting the community. The documents show that back in February 2021, that around 120 responders have a big problem with this situation. Riverside representatives say that they will improve the issue. And then in May 20, 21st, there was another document survey in the building showing that nothing had changed. So, I'm asking just to have an opportunity to improve the Code Enforcement and add more tips to it. So, if may, I would like to share these documents with you to show you how we are finding our coexistence between us. Can I? Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. And again, once you're. finished speaking, please leave the building so more people can come in. I understand that we do have people outside waiting to speak as well. Good morning. City of Miami Page 21 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Gabriela Cordell: Good morning. Good morning. Good morning, Commissioners. Thank you for your time. My name is Gaby Cordell, I am with the Choose Love Foundation and Miracle Messages. I am here with Patricia Jackson, and I am going to read a statement from her. My name is Patricia Jackson, and I am deaf. I am also the cofounder of Homeless Lives Matter Miami -Dade. I have been homeless not only in the City of Miami, but have seen and lived the so-called humane treatment of this city by having my personal property taken and destroyed by the City and the police, threatened by harm or arrest. I'm here on behalf of those hundred who cannot hear and who have also been harmed or brutalized by the city ordinances and the police. I stand by my husband's words. We are living the Les Miserables Syndrome. I, too, am ready to fight these ordinances and allowances of corrupt and brutal tactics by the city and the police are unconstitutional and unjust. While being homeless, 1 have witnessed the inhumane beating of another homeless person by the police who was also deaf. If the time to make a change in a significant matter, now is that time. I have seen encampments destroyed as well as my own, and being told that if did not vacate, I was to be arrested. I have even had rnv wallet taken and three of my SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) checks, which at the time provided my cell phone, feminine hygiene products, food, and the ability to wash my clothes. The worst of this is that my hearing aids and my medicine was taken. The police refused to train officers in American Sign Language to the point that any person who is deaf or hard of hearing can enter into a charge of not obeying a lawful order or disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. This is a clear violation of our First Amendment rights. We are afraid. In closing, 1 say this, will lose my dignity? Will someone care? Will wake up tomorrow from this nightmare? Thank you for your time. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Good morning. Yanelis Valdes: Hi, my name is Yanelis Valdes, and I'm a City of Miami resident in District 2 and I'm here to express opposition to agenda item SR.2 and RE.4. We should be doing all we can to help our neighbors and community members experiencing one of the biggest hardships of their lives. You mentioned that the intent is not to criminalize homelessness or houselessness, but by making encampments illegal and defining what they are so broadly makes it harder for people to have some stability or sense of ownership over what they're experiencing. And it indeed does criminalize people. We should instead be thinking about how to get them into permanent housing. I work with Engage Miami, and this summer, we distributed care packages to folks experiencing houselessness. We took time to speak with them and give them a space to share their hopes and their struggles. What came up time and time again is inaccess [sic] to medical care and the overwhelming need for medication, especially for chronic conditions like diabetes. The need for mental health resources, the barriers in getting financial assistance. This is what we should be focusing all of our efforts on, not making it further difficult and unsafe, for people to live in our community. We should not be criminalizing people and ignoring the systemic reasons we have such a large housing crisis and houseless population because of. I urge you to please vote no on this inhumane ordinance and instead think of a plan to support folks experiencing homelessness and develop permanent housing. I also oppose RE.4 and believe it is removing the responsibility from you all as lawmakers to really address the issue. We need a task force and a comprehensive plan to bring forth solutions to get people into housing, not into jails. Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Good morning. Janie Jackson: Good morning, everyone. Thank you for your time. My name is Janie Jackson. I'm from the beautiful Liberty City. I'm with the Miami's Workers Center. And we are here today to represent the houseless. It's one thing for y'all to run them away, but when y'all start running us, who pay taxes, away from feeding them, giving City of Miami Page 22 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 them clothes, giving them hygiene, and giving them the PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) that they need to survive due to CO VID, you guys are threatening us as well. And putting those people in jail is not a solution, it's a big problem, because they put them in jail. It's supposed to be a rehabilitated center, hut it's not. They're being beat up in that place. They are being disrespected. They're not getting their medication. Just because they got some numbers behind their name, they're being called inmates and not humans. Well, all you guys that are sitting up on this panel, no disrespect to any person, but remember, we live in a world and it's round and that what goes around comes around and it could be any of you guys, family, loved one, or children, in the place where our loved one and the rest of the houseless is at. And we that's sitting in the audience as spectators, we two or three checks away from being houseless. What are you guys going to do about it? Are you going to help the organization build housing for these people so they can get the correct mental -- the mental status that they need to move on with life and become productive citizens? I'm a product of houseless people. I've been thrown in jail. I have been told I'll never amount to anything. But guess what? Because of God sits so high and looks so low, all that is a lie. And a lot of those people are good peoples. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Ms. Jackson: You're welcome. Vice Chair Russell: Good morning. Camilo Mejia: Good morning, Commissioners. My name is Camilo Mejia. I'm the networks director at Catalyst Miami. We're at 3000 Biscayne Boulevard. I also live here, Coconut Grove, 3 -- 3482 Frow Avenue. Commissioner Russell, you're my commissioner. I'm here to speak against SR.2. You already have heard a lot of arguments against it, butt just want to point out that anything that criminalizes a person for refusing to go to a shelter is criminalizing, because all you have to do is just take a drive around downtown, outside of the shelters, and you'll see that there's a lot ofpeople sleeping on the sidewalks. That also doesn't take into account why a person is living there. It's not by choice, but because they face a number of issues that cannot be resolved simply by putting a roof over someone's head or taking, you know, a person into someone's home. You have to address the social issues that led to the person getting to where they are. And, you know, homelessness is part of a bigger problem that we have here, a systemic problem that places profit over human needs. And so, if we address the issue of homelessness through the criminalizing lens, you're not going to not only address the issue itself but you're also not taking into account that in the city and the county that we live, we have tens of thousands ofpeople who are one misfortune away from becoming homeless. And so, if you don't address this, you know, more broadly, and you bring people who are impacted by the issue to the table to address access to economic development, access to education, access to health care, and all these other things, then you may end up with a nice policy that is going to be completely fruitless. So please do not criminalize, do not pass any ordinances that criminalize homeless people, people and give yourselves enough time to bring people who are directly impacted by the issue and those who work with those people so that we can all be part of a solution. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Mr. Mejia: Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: And just a reminder for anyone who's just arriving, public comment. for SR.2 was taken up two weeks ago and if you spoke at that meeting on SR.2, you're not to speak again on that item. You're welcome to speak on RE.4 and City of Miami Page 23 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 P1.3, which are also homeless related, but the Clerk has all the sign up sheets from before so I ask you not to repeat yourself from two iveeks ago. Thank you. Emelie Jimenez: Good eve -- good morning, Commissioners. My name is Emelie Jimenez and I'm in opposition of Ordinance SR.2. I'm currently a senior at Florida International University studying political science. I'm here to give you guys some facts. So, there are roughly over 4,000 unsheltered and sheltered people residing in Miami -Dade. That is not including people that are couch surfing. During my time working with the chronically homeless, through my organization called the BC Community Project, 1've heard many stories that 1've resonated with. Many were residing on the streets because they could not afford their medical bills. They were victims of physical abuse. They lost their jobs through COVID, could not afford rent or were kicked out of their homes. None of the reasons that 1've listed for being homeless should justify anybody to be incarcerated. In fact, that should be a reason for assistance. For every dollar in countywide property taxes paid, 13 cents funds public health systems, 3 cents goes towards parks, and 2 cents goes towards social services. If you add all that up, that's still less than 22 cents of every property tax dollar that pays for the county's $384 million per year towards jail systems. The money can go towards creating safe spaces that can be used for transitional housing, while dedicated Housing First organizations work towards finding permanent solutions. As a Florida International University student, and founder of BC Community Project, 1 know that there is a willingness of the community and of students that are able and willing to volunteer their time to provide medical resources, food assistance, and assistance in creating safe spaces out of the willingness of their hearts. You today have the power to vote no on this ordinance and use those funds to create solutions with the help of the community members like myself, and capable students with viable ideas that could be implemented. I would very much appreciate speaking with you on building a better Miami, one that does not criminalize being poor, but rather one that offers solutions and resources to pull yourself up instead of digging a bigger hole. Please vote no on SR.2. Thank you so much for your time. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Good morning. Lisa Celestin: Good morning. My name is Fania (phonetic) Celestine. I am the director of development at Buddy System MIA. I'm here to disagree with SR.2, anti - camping ordinance that would criminalize homeless community members. In my work as a community organizer, I've worked with many Miamians experiencing homelessness, including Tomas. We met Tomas at a food distribution in 2020. He was living on the streets for three months because he lost his job due to COVID and couldn't keep up with his bills. This individual was 67 years old and only spoke Spanish. He had no family here in Miami. He didn't understand the system well enough to advocate for himself. And he had several medical problems and insurmountable health care debts. Two days later, we were able to find Tomas a shelter through this organization called Hermanos de la Calle. Almost a year later, Tomas is back on his feet, with a shelter above him and a community behind him. The answer is funding with more organizations that support houseless communities like Hermanos de la Calle, affordable housing initiatives, Sober Center, mental health programs, debt relief programs, and food insecurity initiatives in our community. Thank you so much for your time and have such a beautiful day. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you, you too. Good morning. Maryam Hossein: Good morning. My name is Maryam Hossein. I'm a business strategist and I've taken time off of work today to speak on behalf of DL2, a discussion surrounding the establishments, including Riverside, on Southeast 5th Street in Brickell. I have been a resident of Brickell on the River North Tower, the City of Miami Page 24 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 tower directly next to the establishment at question for the past eight years. This is my community. I have experienced development, construction, and noise as Brickell evolved into what it is today. In fact, my apartment faces the river, and for the majority of the past two years, I have spent nearly every day and night in this apartment due to the pandemic. My concern regarding this matter is not that it has received greater attention than the constant unregulated noise interrupting everything I do at any hour of day going up and down Miami River from meetings to sleep. It's the amount of attention that has been placed on reporting noise violations at this establishment that make up a small minority of our days without a clear explanation of a result of these reports and pass a solution. Now 1 understand that the peace and quiet of our residents is an absolute right and priority, but my concern is the cost at which this resolution will take place. The employees of this establishment and our residents deserve an amicable resolution of an establishment that preserves and contributes to the diverse makeup of Brickell, community and landscape. A lack of clear resolution, path to enforcement, and solution of a noise complaint today is a predecessor of the potential of another years -long private development at the cost of residents who have been left in the dark. Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Good morning. Paul Lacroix: Good morning. My name is Paul Lacroix. I'm the general manager of said venue that some of the residents here have spoke of.1 want to start off by saying we appreciate all the issues that they brought forth. We appreciate you, Commissioners, who take this very seriously. I want to start off by saying we, for the most part, have done everything to ensure that there is actual communication. We're going forth with shutting down all of the bass. We shut down all the bass. We had one guest say that at Thursday at 1:00 a.m. they hear music. We shut down at 11 o'clock on Thursdays. On Sundays we have a permit 'til 12..00, midnight. We shut down at 10: 00 just to avoid the late complaints. I myself have walked countless times with Code, with Police, just to show all the different things we're doing so that there are no issues. We want to work together. We do not want this issue to be in front of you guys. We do not want Code and the police to constantly come due to complaints. We want to work together. The problem we're having is there might be a couple of individuals who are doing everything in their power to shut us down, but understand this, there are over 120 employees that will not have jobs based on this, and when I say I'm responsible for that, I do everything in my power to make sure that they will keep their jobs, so I bring the sound down. We shut down all bass, so there is no vibration that these residents should feel. We do not hire DJs (disc jockeys). Most, if you know Miami, most venues hire big time DJs. We don't do that just to avoid any sound complaints. We're doing everything in our power to make sure my staff has their jobs. And we will continue to do that if you give us that opportunity. I have a letter here from one of the residents as well that I just want to read a small little bit that they wrote. This unfortunately is the case between the Condo Association and our neighbor, Riverside, Miami. Instead of trying to work together and resolve their differences, our association decided to go to war and manipulate our residents into calling in noise complaints so that Riverside could get shut down. Unfortunately, now this will start a course of events much worse than any of the noise that we regularly hear from them. We hear worse from boats -- Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. Mr. Lacroix: -- cars, slingshots, aerial, neighbors, construction, metro movers, emergency vehicles, and jets and the MIA (Miami International Airport) constantly over us. So Riverside, now we have to deal with two large towers being built instead of just dealing with Riverside -- Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. City of Miami Page 25 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Mr. Lacroix: -- and having a communication where we can work together. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. Time's up. Thank you for your comments. Emmet: Good morning. Vice Chair Russell: You don't need to give your last name or address as a minor. You're very welcome to speak here, but first name is sufficient. Danielle Rivera: First name and then go to your phone. Emmet: Okay. Hi. Vice Chair Russell: Whenever you're ready, it's fine. Take your time. Emmett: Hi, my name is Emmett. We shouldn't be in jail just for being homeless. Here's why. They're our neighbors, always, and I repeat, always help out your neighbors. Vice Chair Russell: She's going to help you with the microphone, just a little bit so we can hear you. Can you --I'm so sorry, can you -- Emmett: The jails are already overcrowded, and we don't want any more ways to put people in them. If you can arrest them, you can give them a home. Spending money on a bed is spending money on a -- get a bed. Commissioners, as long as Miami exists, there won't be a single homeless person that is in jail. What are we, Arkansas? Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. Thank you for coming. Thank you for speaking. I'll suspend the no clapping rule for a minor that takes time out of their day to make public comment and address us. Applause. Vice Chair Russell: Thanks for coming. Did you want to add? Ms. Rivera: Yes. Do I have two minutes or is it part of his? Vice Chair Russell: Yes, you have a full two minutes. Ms. Rivera: Good afternoon, Commissioners. My name is Danielle Rivera. I live at 2300 Southwest 3rd Avenue, Miami, Florida, 33129. Fin here to speak against the camping ordinance. Simply put, ever since I moved to the City of Miami, I have been on the verge of homelessness myself. Me, my son, and my husband, who has to work two jobs to still pay 70 percent of our income for an apartment. When we first moved here, there was a slumlord with horrible, unsafe conditions. My City Commissioner never bothered to call me back. It took over a month working with the Code Department just to get hot water. It was consistent, and he filed an eviction, retaliatory. He called DCF (Department of Children and Families) to put me in a nursing home, not just for the child. Every resident in the building was elderly or disabled and it was subsidized. There was no help. I was on my own. And ifI made a mistake, we would have been on the street. IfI did not have my educational background, we would have been screwed. And City of Miami didn't care. Commissioner Higgins did. Channel 10 did. Nobody here cared. If we were on the street, you would arrest us instead of helping us. You had the chance and you continuously have ignored me since I moved to the city. You want to arrest me if I City of Miami Page 26 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 make a mistake, but you guys constantly make mistakes and then ignore us. Vote no if you have a heart, if not, we know you're all worthless. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Good morning. Melissa Compere: Good morning. My name is Melissa Compere. I would like to speak on DI.2. I am a master's student at Florida International University. I am an honor student and I graduate in December. I work as a behavior therapist with autistic children and I'm currently an unpaid intern and I volunteer in this community. My only day off is Sunday and I usually spend that day doing homework assignments. I work at Riverside Miami, and it generates the bulk of nay income. That job keeps me afloat, excuse me, it keeps me in school. I am the child of Cuban and Haitian immigrants who cannot afford to put me through school, so 1 work hard to do it myself: Unfortunately, due to noise complaints we are at risk of being shut down. We accommodate the residents of the neighboring buildings. The music is played only on the indoor part of the business. We are open four days a week. We close at 10:00 p.m. on Sundays and 11:00 p.m. on Thursdays. So, I'm not sure why someone mentioned that they hear music at 1:00 a.m. We stay open until 2:00 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and there are places in Miami that stay open until 4:00 and 5: 00 in the morning, or 24 hours. I want you to multiply my story by 120. That is the number of employees whose lives will be turned upside down if we are shut down. Not to mention the number of small business owners who do business there. I implore you to help us to come to an amicable solution where we do not have to lose our jobs. It breaks my heart for me to hear you side with the residents without having heard our side. We are humans and we deserve to be considered. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Good morning. Norma Uriostequi: Hello. Hi all, my name is Norma Uriostequi. I'm here with the Miami Workers Center and we're located at 720 Northwest 55th Street, Miami, Florida, 33127. During the last reading of SR.2, Commissioner Carollo brought up a point that I want to highlight and underline, which is the subject of slumlords and uninhabitable conditions that people are living in. As a housing organizer, it is my job to go out into the field and build relationships with and develop the leadership of working class tenants. Lately, we've been focusing on District 3 and District 5 in particular. Now, I'm surprised he even brought it up considering how common of a problem it is within these districts and how the pattern of harassment from slumlords, impossible rent prices, and detrimental conditions lead to violent displacement and how it's a big part of the reason a lot of people find themselves without a home to begin with. The pandemic has exacerbated a crisis, a housing crisis, that already existed within the -- with the thousands of evictions filed during a time of extreme economic hardship for a lot of residents amidst a public health crisis. Tenants need protections. Houseless tenants need protections. What currently exists is not enough, and the ordinance being proposed will only lead to more violence. We are currently working on a Tenant Bill of Rights campaign, which is proposed legislation created alongside our base of working class tenants. We would love a meeting with you commissioners to talk about it where we can invite some of your constituents to actually address some of these issues and propose our solutions. But if you just want to put houseless people out of sight, you can just name that, because we've been knocking on doors all over the City of Miami. And your poor residents, your working- class residents, your elder residents, your immigrant, disabled, low-income, fixed - income, residents with families, your constituents who are one paycheck away from houselessness and displacement because of wealthy people that you're making a decision to cater to, they deserve to know. We will be here whenever you're ready to make better use of your time with something other than entertaining the idea of your little adoption program. Thank you so much. City of Miami Page 27 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Good morning. Anjuli Castano: Hello, my name is Anjuli Castano. 1 live at 1060 Northeast 119th Street. I am against SR.2 because I disagree with the criminalization of homelessness and find it to be a harmful and dated response. The horrific stories of medication, wheelchairs, IDs, and more being taken in the encampment sweeps will only multiply ifpunitive action is deemed as an appropriate response to those experiencing homelessness. The ordinance empowers officers to arrest those who seek safety on public property so long as they have offered shelter. I'm tired of hearing that shelter is being offered when it undermines my experience working at Camillus House as a helpline specialist, which connected me to hundreds of people who were seeking shelter to no avail. 1 spent 40 hours a week transferring them to the City of Miami where they would register as homeless and be put on a waiting list. And most of them had been on that waiting list for months already. Through this experience, I also have come to understand why a houseless person would be weary of accepting shelter from an officer. I was fired from Camillus House after speaking out against the police brutality I had witnessed from one of the on -staff officers at the entrance of the shelter as I was coming to work. An officer was brutally bashing the head of an unarmed guest of the shelter against the sidewalk as he laid in fetal position. Before faring me, my boss asked me how dare I question the officer who was only there to protect me. I did not and do not feel protected. And I can only imagine what a houseless person must feel. The city needs to acknowledge the precedent of distrust that lies within policing figures. We've heard that $7 million will be added to the budget addressing homelessness from the Mayor. I fear this money will be funneled to an already gross police budget the more we rely on them to act as the civil servants they are not. I stand with the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) in their proposal for a Housing First approach with wraparound services and wish to reiterate that criminalizing homelessness is violent and ineffective. I'd also like to address the attempts of Commissioner Carollo to undermine the comments from all who are not residents in the City of Miami. I grew up in downtown and went to school there. In support of our democratic rights, I ask you take our words seriously and end the disrespectful tone you've had towards Housing First advocates. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Good morning. Angela Pinder: Good morning. Angela Pinder, housing organizer with the Miami Workers Center, 129 Northeast 80th Terrace. For the last few months alongside members and organizers with the Miami Workers Center, I've been knocking on doors, talking to hundreds of residents and voters in neighborhoods across Miami about the issues they care most about. I have spoken with too many residents who have told me about the uninhabitable conditions in their homes, horrific abuse and harassment at the hands of their landlords, even while their rent goes up and up and up. I doubt anyone in this room wants to live in a Miami where the only place our community members are finding a place to sleep is in cars or on sidewalks, but for the renters we speak with, too many are one paycheck away from losing their current home and having nowhere to go. As many shared at the last Commission meeting and will share again here today, the solution to the crisis of homelessness is not arresting or fining people, it's finding community solutions that house our people and keep them housed, and housed in dignified conditions with the respect they deserve. We are here today to oppose the anti -camping ordinance and to supportfrontline service providers like Lotus House who support houseless community members on a daily basis, and of course also to support our houseless sisters and brothers who can and should speak for themselves about what they want and need. We are also here to invite the commissioners to meet with us at the Miami Workers Center and the renters we have been speaking with who are very afraid of being pushed out of Miami, about our policy proposals we call the Tenant Bill of Rights to reduce displacement and abuse that renters are experiencing. The renters who are tired of living with mold and City of Miami Page 28 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 infestation and don't know where to turn for support and again are very close to becoming houseless themselves. We believe that a much better use of the Commission's time would be to focus on these solutions and again we would love to meet with all of you to discuss them along with their families. Thank you for your time. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Good morning. Constance Collins: Good morning. Constance Collins, Executive Director of the Lotus House Women's Shelter. A home -- sorry? Commissioner Carollo: What item are you speaking on? Ms. Collins: I'm speaking on the Adopt -a -Homeless item -- Commissioner Carollo: Okay. Ms. Collins: -- and I'm not sure if the third item that came up is up for discussion Vice Chair Russell: It is. Ms. Collins: -- now or not -- Vice Chair Russell: That is P1.3. Ms. Collins: -- generally -- yes. Vice Chair Russell: That is discussion on the homeless. Ms. Collins: Okay. I thank you. A home is as fundamental, a human right, as food, education, health care. It is essential to our prosperity, both individually and as a community. We have a public health crisis in our community. We're asking the city to form ajoint task force to provide for new and improved pathways to access shelter, supportive services, financial assistance, housing to end homelessness. After the last hearing, we submitted a proposed multi point plan. We recognize that the solutions to ending homelessness are complex. Part of that plan was to bring together in the task force representatives of the Homeless Trust, the City, housing and shelter providers, those with lived experience, housing advocates, and to listen, to develop meaningful pathways to ending homelessness based on evidence -based best practices. We cannot arrest our way out of homelessness, nor is it suggested that individuals who are housed should take in those who are not, a viable solution to ending homelessness. There are thousands of individuals all across our community that are double and tripled up in other people's homes. It has not ended homelessness. To solve it requires addressing systemic issues, the lack of affordable housing, the lack of living wage, the lack of adequate childcare for parents who need to work, the difficulty of actually securing rental subsidies and financial assistance, even when it flows from the federal government, and the importance of trauma -informed solutions. We've made so much progress. We have more work to do together, and we urge the Commission to establish a task force to do so in a meaningful, thoughtful, comprehensive way. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. Ms. Collins: Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you lb r your comments. Commissioner Watson: Mr. Chair. City of Miami Page 29 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Vice Chair Russell: Yes, Commissioner Watson, you're recognized. Commissioner Watson: Ms. Collins. Vice Chair Russell: Constance? Commissioner Watson has a question for you. Commissioner Watson: We deferred this item, both of these items. We deferred both of these items on last meeting, and the irony of it is that I asked all of the stakeholders to get together, to talk to each other, and come up with a solution. And you didn't. You offered a plan, and another organization offered a plan, and I've plagiarized the two of you guys' plans and will hopefully offer some sort of amendment later. But I want to kind of preempt the perception of thought that we're going to end homelessness. So, for the gentleman who I heard said he'd been working in it for 25 years, my route, when I was a young man from home to work never was on I-95. It was always through the streets of Miami. And when I drove down North Miami Avenue to get to downtown, and left at night, 40 years ago, there were homeless and homelessness. And so the notion that the City of Miami, because there's a lot of cross -dialogue in Miami -Dade County, and we're not the County, we don't have the capacity, but I think really and truly, if we now come together, all of the organizations and stakeholders, because what you hear on this side is frustration on the fact that we're not compassionate and we've probably spent -- we have spent tens of millions of dollars, right? And so, there's not going to be an end to homelessness from this perspective. But if we do sit down and talk with each other, there's an opportunity to reduce the amount of homelessness and not let people now live in the streets. Because I don't care what any of you all say, at the end of the day, there's no dignity living in the streets. Even if you decide to do that, that is your prerogative, but there is no dignity in living in the streets. And as I drive through every day, because most of it is in my district, there is no dignity in allowing rats and other things that's happening, to be something that is the order of the day. So, I just wanted to point that out as we continue, and I continue to massage this as we go along the way, okay? Ms. Collins: Thank you very much, Commissioner. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Good morning. Nicole Fury: Good morning. Nicole Fury, 1040 Jefferson Avenue. I'm a Miami Beach resident and business owner. And I am here to tell you guys that homeless people do not have a zip code. They actually do not even have a place to live and the fact that we're all here from all places of Florida advocating for humanity needs to be taken into account. Any decision that this City of Miami Commission makes will affect any other county and any other city in the area as well as other states further up because like I said they do not have a zip code. Therefore, it is the responsibility of all of you and all of our government to bring that homelessness percentage to zero. All of you and all of us together, okay? I'm opposing, completely, any type of incarceration or any type of resistance against camping. I understand that we're not happy having them out camping outside our streets. I understand it doesn't make our city look pretty, but it's our responsibility to make available what they need to get out of where they are, because tomorrow it could be you, you, or even me. I'm actually a single mom of two children. I've lived in District 8 for the majority of nay younger years. I've lived in the northern Miami and being that we are all here today, it's a prime example that there is humanity behind the issue that the homeless community is facing, and we all must come together. Miami Beach is here to tell you all, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) everybody needs to do something. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Good morning. City of Miami Page 30 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Anshu Budhrani: Good morning. My name is Anshu Budhrani, and I am a resident of District 2 and I'm here regarding D1.2, to discuss Riverside Miami and the noise issues that come from Riverside. I live in the building right next to Riverside and I dread being in my home Thursday through Sunday because of the noise that Riverside creates. It baffles me to hear people talk about how Riverside, you know, it's only open till 10: 00 p.m. when Friday and Saturday nights it's open until 2: 00 a.m. If you check their Instagram, it's very clear that they hire DJs and they treat it like a club because it is a club. I've called Code Compliance and police non -emergency more times than I can remember and to no avail. They'll issue the citation. On one occasion a code compliance officer told me that they had issued the citation, but really a $500 fine is nothing to someone -- to an establishment like Riverside because that's one round of shots and so it's the cost of doing business for them. And I've also reached out to the Mayor, I've reached out to you, Commissioner Russell, with no response. 1 understand that violations have been issued. That's not an arguable fact here. They are in violation of the Code. What my question is now is what's going to happen, like what is the resolution to breaking the Citv's Code? And so, I believe this issue can be resolved amicably without the loss ofjobs and in favor of the residents of the area. Riverside probably just needs to invest in the same technologies that every other establishment invests in to be up to Code and not violate the noise ordinance. And so, in the meantime, we need our elected officials to step up and stand up for us because we're without recourse at this point because calling Code and calling police non - emergency has not worked thus far. Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. Could you tell me your name again? Ms. Budhrani: Anshu Budhrani. Vice Chair Russell: Anshu, and your last name? Ms. Budhrani: Budhrani. Vice Chair Russell: Budhrani. And you wrote to my office? Ms. Budhrani: Yeah. Vice Chair Russell: I just want to make sure you got an answer and if you didn't I want to find out. Ms. Budhrani: I did not get an answer. Vice Chair Russell: Alright, I apologize. Ms. Budhrani: Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. Good morning. Rosaliye Whiley: Good morning. My name is Rosaliye Whiley. My address is 720 Northwest 55th Street. I'm here talking about SR.20 -- 2, Commissioner Watson. You just spoke about what can you -- what you guys can do to help the homelessness. Just like this place is full of people speaking about the homelessness, I think the best thing will be is for all of us to get together with the homeless in here and sit down and communicate with the homeless and see where do they want to go from where we're at. Because we're all speaking about homelessness, which none of us are not homeless, but can't say won't be soon, but ) think that if you talk to ,'ne, if I'm a step away from walking out the door of being homelessness [sic] to find out what you can do to help me so I won't be homeless, I think that would be best for you to come and communicate with me. Each one of you commissioners, every -- I'm quite sure in each City of Miami Page 31 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 one of y'all district, y'all have homelessness. And if you don't, be proud. But in this world, wherever you go, it's homelessness because people are not able to live with the prices that we have to live with. A one -bedroom here used to cost you three to four hundred dollars a month. Now, if von don't have Section 8, you're looking at eight to nine hundred dollars a month. And if you're on a fixed income, that does not give you somewhere to stay. In order to stay here, you have to live with somebody illegally to be able to stay, and you're not comfortable living with someone, so then that puts you in the line of being homeless. So, I think the best thing would be for each one of you guys to sit down with the homelessness and communicate with them because they can tell you how they feel about being homeless and what can you do to help them -- Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. Ms. Whiley: -- for not being homeless. Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Good morning. Francisco Klatic Neto: Good morning. My name is Francisco Klatic Neto. I'm one of the Riverside employees. Riverside always wanted to be the good neighborhood -- to be a good neighbor for the community. The goal is to be the backyard of the residents. I had the opportunity to go to a meeting in the association of the building that's complaining about the noises and saw the survey they handed you a copy. At that time, we had -- we left that meeting with certain commitments that we fulfilled. We installed doors, we removed the bass speakers, the subwoofers, we installed more speakers to keep the volume lower, and -- and so on. And right now, we're considering even the main lounge that was mentioned by one of the residents, to sort of disassemble, partially, in order to have no issues with the sound and that's it. And other than this, what can I say? The neighborhood is very noisy. It's not only Riverside, we have our hours of operations. Sometimes there is misunderstandings and misinformation with the hours because there is noise income from everywhere. We have the properties is riverfront. There are boats passing by with loud music, we have airplanes, we have the cars, we have the bridge opening. And right now, this building will face a different kind of noise because the other side of the building neighbor is a construction site. So, it's going to be noise for -- it's the cost of progress. Progress is noisy. And in the end, what I could ask you, if COVID almost killed us, I beg you, gentlemen, Commissioners, please do not kill us. Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Good morning. Sabrina Velarde: Good morning Commissioners, Sabrina Velarde. I am the Policy Director with Miami Homes for All. Our business address is 1951 Northwest South (comments made in Spanish not translated) Northwest 7th Avenue, Miami, Florida, 33136. I am personally a resident of the City of Miami, District 4. I am a newly minted homeowner as well, and I have lived in Miami my entire life. I'm here today to speak in reference to SR.2 and to thank the commissioners -- those commissioners who have listened to advocates and service providers and publicly shared that what the city needs to end homelessness is more permanent supportive housing. We understand the pressure to end street homelessness quickly. We share your urgency, but we also know that measures like these will put an increased financial strain on hospitals, police departments, and jails. All costs that would be better invested in housing. Permanent supportive housing is proven to be the most effective and lowest cost solution to homelessness. It is also true that measures like SR.2 have been shown to exacerbate homelessness by making it harder for those who are unhoused to secure shelter and housing. Commissioners, we're asking you to vote no on SR.2 and to instead consider the following. Identify and invest in permanent supportive housing. Use American Rescue dollars to acquire and rehabilitate buildings. Identify and buy hotels or other surplus properties and convert them into housing. There are two City of Miami Page 32 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 immediate opportunities. Beckham Hall, which has been used as a shelter and has been vacant for several years, and the George Tres Virtue House, which can he rehabilitated. Use ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) dollars for rapid rehousing resources to assist people in accessing housing directly. The City of Miami has made great strides in reducing homelessness. We are at the lowest number since 2014, with only 510 individuals living on the street. As advocates, policy experts, and City of Miami residents, we ask that you vote no on this ordinance so that we may work together to ensure that those numbers continue to decrease. I look forward to continuing to work with you all. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. Good morning. Mayra Joli: Good morning. My name is Mayra Joli, 1221 Brickell Avenue. I hear everybody here has an opinion about the homeless, but nobody has said what is the definition of a homeless or a houseless. By the way, no houseless will be able to run for the City of Miami here because they will take you out if you don't have a zip code or you're not a homeless within the City of Miami, so you know. But now, let's see, who are the people who are suffering with this? Is it the residents? Is it the homeless? I don't know if there is no money to take care of things here because our Mayor talks about $60 million that's being made on Miami Coin or Bitcoin. Why that money doesn't go to serve the homeless? I just ask. But there is another thing that I want to add. There was a reporter called Guillermo Descalzi, who for some reason ended up being homeless in a crack house or whatever. It took one, maybe friend, maybe somebody who worked with him, called Gratas (phonetic), to get him out of homelessness. Here, we don't want to take the blame individually. We want to take it as a whole, because that way, nobody's responsible. But let's put something in perspective. What will it take for each one of the ones that are supporting the homeless to make a project out of wanting to take care of that person and bring them to their side and teach them how it is to get out of where you are just from the inside out, because no government is going to get us out of where we are. And when somebody comes to this microphone and say, it could be you, you, you, no. Don't tell me that it could be you, you, you. I want you to be me. I don't want me to be you. You have to remember that, because there are people, there are residents, that are living in the only place that they know, and they cannot go anywhere. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. Ms. Joli: Now there is a problem. When the big time developers, they want to put residences -- Vice Chair Russell: Ms. Joli. Ms. Joli: -- where the commercial places are, and commerce where the residents live, you all is going to have this problem. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. Ms. Joli: Think about it. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Good morning. Melanie Ramirez: Good morning, Melanie Ramirez. I reside in 3145 Mundy Street. Good morning Commissioners, I am here in reference to RE.4. Items like this and SR.2 are not based in best practices or solutions. The needs of folks surviving on the street are individual and based on each case. Instead of ordinances that make it difficult to find homes, we need investments in housing and supportive services. I was in a shelter. for nine months, and from that experience, I can tell you that not many City of Miami Page 33 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 things are achieved. 1 am currently staying in a transitional housing program that supports my goals in education, employment, and my well-being. Supportive housing has provided me and many others the opportunity to be self-sufficient and independent. We need to invest in solutions that have been proven to be effective. A year ago, around this time, I was working fast food while living in a shelter. Now thanks to them I'm working towards my degree while working on multiple projects and have shown me that I'm capable of so much more. I am living proof of these solutions. Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you jor your comments. Good morning. Betzaida Mercado: Hi, good morning. My name is Betzaida Mercado. I workfor Riverside, and I just wanted you guys to think about the fact that it's not just a business. Like we all have jobs there. A lot of people are coming in here and complaining about noise complaints. We get noises from everywhere. We have the volumes down. We get bad reviews because our music is not loud enough for the guests that are coming to our place. So, I don't understand how we have so many noise complaints. The lady that was here earlier, she said she's called the cops, she's called so many people. Why not try to talk to us? Just like we're all human, we can have a civil conversation. She could have came to our place and spoken to our managers, spoken to anyone in regards to the fact that they can't sleep or whatever the noise complaint might be. If you have hurricane proof windows, there's no way that they should be hearing our music. So maybe they need to speak to someone else in regards to those windows, but also again, like our jobs, they were the only place -- one of the only places that we're hiring during the pandemic. And during the pandemic, 1 was doing hosting, and many of the people that live in that building kept coming up to us and saying that they didn't even know that we were open because they couldn't hear us. So, I don't understand why we're getting so many different noise complaints, and people just bashing us for music being too loud when we get complaints for music not even being loud enough. So just please just look at it from actually our perspective. If we don't have these jobs, a lot of us are going to end up homeless too, because our rents are staggering in the prices. And this is like the only job that we're able to have that's able to help us pay, you know, our bills. I mean, if we don't have them, then what are we going to end up being at? Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Good morning. Daniel Edenburg: My name is Daniel Edenburg and I'm a resident of District 2. I'm here today to ask you to vote no on SR.2, the proposed anti -encampment ordinance, and furthermore, put an end to the encampment sweeps that have been destroying the few things these people have. It's insane to dehumanize to the degree where we have police protected trash trucks picking up tents with claws. Carollo, in the last meeting you spoke on how your constituents are living at the poverty line and paying outrageous rents to slumlords. Those folks are a step away from being displaced to the streets. The absurdity and dissonance of your statements that say homelessness in Miami is a choice right after prefacing on the unstable living conditions of your constituents in Little Havana. Please take a moment to leave this illogical, loveless mentality behind. This ordinance is predatory in nature by creating fines for living on the street. Research shows that criminalization exacerbates homelessness. So why are you going to exacerbate homelessness instead of providing housing and more resources to aid these folks. It's foolish, fiscally irresponsible, and downright evil. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Please direct all your comments through the Chair, not directly at anyone on the dais. Thank you. Commissioner Carollo: Yeah, I like your shirt. It's pretty cool. City of Miami Page 34 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Vice Chair Russell: Good morning. Sabrina Hennecke: Hello commissioners, thank you for your time and for hearing comments and taking this matter seriously. My name is Sabrina Hennecke. I'm a third year medical student and a founding member of Miami Street Medicine. Working on the streets and bridging gaps in care that exist gives us a unique medical perspective to talk to the homeless people of our community and really learn and understand their stories. I would like to first tell you a bit about some of the stories we've heard from our patients based on the criminalization they've already experienced and how it would get worse if this ordinance, SR.2, were passed. Take Mary for example, her -- every possession she had was thrown away including her epilepsy medicine. That's how we met her was she was seizing on the street. Another patient had his heart failure medication taken and instead of getting housing, he was very close to being document ready, which is something we help our patients with. He lost his ID, his birth certificate, everything he needed to get a job and get housing, and he was back to square one because instead of the system working for him, it worked against him. Homelessness is a public health crisis. Dispersing people through street sweeps only makes matters worse. On RE.4, I'd just like to say we are speaking about data -driven responses to homelessness that will work, and respectfully, two weeks ago we watched you make it up in front o f us. It doesn't seem very data driven. These sweeps and criminalization directly contradict CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines and have been called out by the United Nations. Last week -- two weeks ago, you thought we were pointing to California as an example, but respectfully, we'd like to say that there are examples that do work, and although California has much of an issue, there are places like Finland, which have implemented Housing First and have eradicated homelessness in Helsinki. You might ask why -- how can we just hand out homes? That doesn't seem like it makes any sense, but it actually saves cities money, lowering costs of arrests, jail housing, sweeps, and emergency room visits. Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Good morning. Commissioner Carollo: What does Dr. Fauci have to say about it? Vice Chair Russell: Who? Commissioner Carollo: Fauci. Vice Chair Russell: I don't know. Irfan Kovankaya: Hello, Commissioners. My name is Irfan Kovankaya. My address is 1951 Northwest 7th Avenue, 33136. I'm joining the community to stand against SR.2, the anti -encampment ordinance. Now like it was mentioned, the City of Miami has made great strides in reducing homelessness. I mean, you've made great strides. We're at the lowest number since 2014 with 510 individuals. Unfortunately, if this ordinance passes, much of that work is going to be undone, guaranteeing that in 5, 10, or however many or so years, we're going to all be sitting in this exact same room discussing this exact same issue. The problem is that those 510 or so folks are going to struggle to qualify for housing, find and keep employment, and on top of that, they'll have to pay the fines and fees that come with a criminal record, fees that can quickly add up to hundreds or even thousands of dollars, making the difficult of escaping homelessness infinitely harder. We need to fight homelessness and not homeless people, and we do that with housing, not handcuffs. This measure only exacerbates the problem, so I propose that we use these best practices mentioned to expand on the existing work together, the work that the city has often already done. And since we all benefit, from ending homelessness, and I know you're in a tight spot, City of Miami Page 35 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 1 know you want to as well. So, in short, same of those best practices are like identifying and investing in permanent supportive housing, as was mentioned, using ARP (American Rescue Plan) dollars to acquire and rehab buildings, using existing ESG rapid rehousing resources to assist shelter -resistant individuals, and accessing permanent housing placement options directly from the street. And now the list has gone on and I'd be happy to meet with any of the commissioners to discuss this and give full recommendations and work with you all to come with a solution. Because this is an issue we all want to solve and like was mentioned, these are data -driven policies that have been proven as ineffective. There are studies from the National Low Income Housing Coalition and the Urban Institute and pretty much all the studies say the same thing. Permanent supportive housing is both cheaper and more effective. But ultimately, I'm just going to end this by saying the most important recommendation that we all have, that we're all here today to give, is to vote no on an ordinance that puts people out of sig't rather than into homes, and we look fbrward to working with you all in the future. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Good morning. Terrance Cribbs-Lorrant: Good morning, Commissioners. My name is Terrance Cribbs-Lorrant. I am currently seated as the City of Miami Black Police Precinct Courthouse Museum Executive Director. I resided at 665 Northeast 83rd Terrace. I currently am couch -housing at 1495 Northwest 74'h Street, Miami, Florida. If you know what couch surfing is, that means I am homeless. For the first time, you probably thought that houseless or homeless people looked a certain kind of way, but this is how they look. They look like this, and many of the residents who would probably want to be here could not be here because they're on — one check away from being houseless. My circumstances are different than a lot ofpeople. There are a lot of different reasons why I've chosen — I've chosen to continue to house -surf and to use my support system to support me. As many immigrants that come to this U.S. (United States), they do, but my circumstances do not mitigate the problems that we have throughout our city, and you've heard many of the ways that we can deal with this issue. I know many of you all know me and many of you all would have never thought that I was houseless. As of September 1st, I had to move my mother back to Tennessee after six years of bringing her here to take care of her because her social security would not allow her to stay at our home because of price rising. I made a conscious decision to not put her in a houseless position, but that I would continue to fight. And so that is why Pm here. Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. Morning. Arman Henderson: Good morning. How are you? My name is Dr. Arman Henderson. I live in District 4, I believe. I am here to oppose SR.2. There are a lot of reasons that people have already expressed around why SR.2 is detrimental to the living standards of those who are already out on the street. But I want to talk about it from a public health standpoint. When you criminalize people for the -- for the way in which they find themselves out on the street. First of all, it's not a personal issue, as you heard my friend Terrance talk about his journey to become houseless. It's not a choice that people make. The rent is too high. The homes are too few. People are getting evicted. We're in the middle of a pandemic, and these are problems that more and more of your constituents find themselves in. The last thing we want to do is to criminalize them further, okay? By arresting people and putting them in jail, by doing sweeps out on the street, you're moving individuals to other parts of the city. One of my colleagues at the hospital came to work one day and she said, you know what Arman, it's all these homeless people who live in the park. She lives in Coconut Grove. And what's happening is that the sweeps that you're conducting in Overtown are pushing people to other parts of the city that they haven't been to before. And so, she's upset that her children have to step over needles, et cetera. But she doesn't know that, you City of Miami Page 36 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 know, that they're being criminalized. They're being moved all over the place. And so, I just want you to understand the health impacts of what you're proposing. People who live in Liberty City, who live in Overtown, and Downtown Miami, they're already at a decreased life expectancy. Sometimes over the range of 15 years, they die earlier than you and me. And so, by further criminalizing those individuals, what we're doing is fiirther decreasing their life expectancy. And so, the things that you put forth, you may think that they're jenny, but they have real impacts on people's lives. And so, I'd like to get together with people who are impacted, like Terrance, like other individuals who are houseless or unsheltered or who live in unstable housing and bring them together to talk about solutions and not just propose things on a whini. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you, Doctor. Mr. Henderson: Because it doesn't make sense. Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Mark Figliozzi: Good afternoon. My, name is Mark Figliozzi. I live at 1750 North Bayshore Drive, and I'm employed by Riverside, Miami. I believe God put this on my heart today to say, first, Commissioner Reyes, you know, as a survivor from cancer, I just applaud that. My mother, a two-time survivor of cancer, passed away about two years ago, which led me to come down and relocate to Florida from New Jersey. In that time, I was introduced to Riverside. They were very welcoming. 1 came in at -- put it lightly, a bottom barrel spot position. I've worked my way up, and I come here today with my employees that are limited here. The others are at their second job to stay afloat in Miami, asking for not what would be another chance, but to see what hand Riverside was dealt with. Two years ago, Riverside opened up, a month in, COVID hit. We had an eight -month layover `til things opened up and a curfew at 12 o'clock, midnight, that only was taken back months ago. With that, we have been dealt with so much between our employees and we try and accommodate with whatever headache arises so we don't have to deal with any further issues. An issue like noises. We don't have a DJ. We haven't for the last two months. We are in a down season in the hospitality industry in Florida. It's too hot. No one wants to go hang out in this heat. I have limited people at the venue. As of right now, I have limited hours that keep going back because of attendance. As of right now, I have music. Only a Spot playlist. I don't even have a DJ employed. And with that, I just say, consider the lives, the 120 plus employees we have at Riverside that are greatly affected by this. Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. So, we're just hitting noon right now. Commissioners, what I'd like to do, because we have about 30 more speakers waiting to speak between inside and outside, and at two minutes a piece, that's about an hour of public comment left. We also have two CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) meetings to take up, as well as lunch before we get to the business of the day at all. So, what I'd like to propose is a 10-minute break for us right now so we can just get refreshed and finish up public comment before we take the break. Does that sound good to you guys? Commissioner Carollo: Good. Vice Chair Russell: Alright. So we're going to recess just for 10 minutes and then we'll come back and finish up all of the public connentfor the regular agenda and then we will take up the CRA meetings and lunch. Thankyou. Commissioner Carollo: What's CRA meetings -- Vice Chair Russell: We have both the Omni and the Overtown. City of Miami Page 37 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Commissioner Carollo: Thought we did Omni the other day. Vice Chair Russell: There were two items that were deferred to a special meeting. See you in 10. [Later...] Vice Chair Russell: You ready? Calling back to order, the City of Miami City Commission meeting. Thank you all for being here. We are still in public comment. 1 understand we have between 20 and 30 speakers remaining inside and outside of the hall. Once you finish speaking, please exit so others can come back in. You have two minutes to speak. You'll hear a little tone at the 30-second mark. That's when it's time to start wrapping it up. Please speak directly through the Chair, not directly to any Commissioner, anyone on the dais, or to the audience. And please keep everything civil. I really appreciate everyone today. It's been a good experience so far. You're very welcome at public comment. Good morning -- good afternoon. Taylor Moore: Good morning Commissioners, my name is Taylor Moore, and I am a student at the University of Miami School of Law. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and to share comments on the anti -camping ordinance. This proposed ordinance would punish people for simply trying to survive. Essential life -sustaining activities, such as sleeping, eating, camping, and sitting, should never carry criminal consequences. The anti -camping ordinance would actually trap people in a cycle of homelessness. Punishing life -sustaining activity merely shuffles people around and doesn't actually solve anything. It's actually counterproductive. Issuing fines, citations, and arrests, leading to court fees and jail time, only makes it more difficult for people to get out of poverty and access housing and employment. A single arrest or conviction can result in a lifelong sentence of living on the streets. Instead of helping people escape living on the street, criminalizing homelessness just creates a costly revolving door that circulates individuals experiencing homelessness from the street to the criminal justice system and back. Criminalization is also extremely costly. City resources would be spent on enforcing an ordinance that does nothing to actually address homelessness. According to a central Florida study, housing just 50 percent of the current chronic homeless population there would save the taxpayers a minimum of $149 million by eliminating expenses for law enforcement, emergency room use, and hospitalizations. This ordinance is ineffective, it's costly, and it violates basic human rights. I urge you to please vote no. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Albert Gomez: Good morning, Commissioners, Albert Gomez, 3566 Vista Court, Miami, Florida. I'm here in support ofRE.6. Ali, God bless his soul, legacy nonviolent champion, historically connected to Miami. I'm fill of support of street renaming. RE. 7 in support, but how, we need more. How do we do it? Substance in the resolution is needed. If we're going to make these claims, intent is only one thing, practice is another. RE.4 in opposition as written, Adopt -a -Homeless. Language matters. I'm on the UN (United Nations) Chaplains Association Advisory Board. I'm several -- advisor to several nonprofits. I respond to disasters and deal with homelessness constantly, dignity and the language that promotes it is important. Advocate, champion, mentor, there are ways to funnel funds to bolster programs that make differences. Let's try to use language on ordinance that promote dignity. SR.2 in opposition, dignity requires respect. How we treat our most downtrodden defines us. Where I understand the need for -- to address encampments, there are better ways to do it. We need to set up a process that drives dignity and gives them the rights that they deserve. RE.9, DI [sic], I'm in support with more definition. These resolutions and discussion items need to have real actions. Enhancements without dealing with City of Miami Page 38 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 what's happening right now is a missed opportunity. Currently, contractors are spewing silt into our bay with little to no water containment controls. Let's increase our Code Enforcement budgets right here. Focus on the sites. Fast track ordinance like the permeable pavement ordinance, which is ready to go and move to a discussion item. And let's consider more bold steps like a moratorium below -- on below ground parking lots. We need to act now if we want to save our bay. It's -- it's -- it's going to be on a road to recovery or in its death on your watch. Let's do it for our kids. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Maggie Marquart: Hi, 1'm Maggie Marquart. I'm a student at the University of Miami School of Law. The proposed anti -camping ordinance, SR.2, being voted on today is a violation of human rights. Punishing people experiencing homelessness for sheltering in public violates human rights to housing, to life and freedom from cruel and degrading treatment. The anti -camping ordinance infringes on property rights as well of people experiencing homelessness as it is dehumanizing not only to enter but to tear down people's shelters and discard everything they own. We cannot fine or arrest our way out of homelessness. Punishing people for living in public does not solve anything, but there is a lot the city can do besides criminalization to serve the homeless population and to further your goals of getting people off the streets. Importantly, offering shelters is not the only answer as they are a temporary solution and not a long-term one. We need to put people in permanent and safe housing that gives them stability, especially when the CDC has specifically recommended that unless individual housing units are available, cities should not clear encampments during community spread of COVID-19. As a solution, Miami should adopt a Housing First approach and focus on getting people into permanent and supportive housing instead of shelters. For example, the Homeless Trust should be using FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) funds to support access to non -congregate housing. Miami is now the most -- second most expensive city in the U.S. to live in, and we need to invest in long-term solutions to housing. We should turn our energy and our resources to addressing the root causes of homelessness and stop treating people like criminals for merely existing in public. This proposed ordinance hurts all Miami residents, and the city must respect the dignity of every person in Miami and should look towards enacting policies that help the community, rather than further marginalizing the most vulnerable. Please vote no on this harmful ordinance. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Alesandre Rospinetti De Castro: Hello, my name is Alesandre Rospinetti De Castro. I'm a restaurant owner in Riverside. I'm the owner for the Mexican restaurant. The Riverside, they give me the first opportunity for giving me my own restaurant. I was a (UNINTELLIGIBLE) chef in a lot of restaurants in Miami. I have a good experience, and they gave me the opportunity. Now I heard the TUP (Temporary Use Permit) were revoked because they have a noise complaint. I have my, employees. I passed a difficult situation, two years for open my own restaurant. I keep my employees during the COVID. I pay the salary. I'm not abandoned, no one of my employees. Now, I don't know what to say for them because we can't operate this weekend. And I think this thing, the guys can have a conversation, but I don't sell alcohol, I don't sell nothing. And my business is shut down for your work. Please, think about, please. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Good afternoon. Christina Neptune: Good afternoon. My name is Christina Neptune. I'm from my organization Virtuous Hearts. I wanted to speak on the issue of homelessness. There is a very big issue with a lot of the things that they deal with. The anti -camping, it puts a heavy burden, a heavy load on them. I personally am out in these streets on a City of Miami Page 39 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 regular basis, feeding them, clothing them, and trying to find and resolve issues for them. Many of the things that they have endured are from the people that they call green jackets, where they endure abuse from them. Items have been stolen from them, not to mention items that have been stolen from -- there are those that are wheelchair bound, who their wheelchairs are taken along with identification and a whole list of other things. Many of them have accomplished where they're trying to be back on the workforce again, but the very items that they need to start over again are now missing. I would suggest that they can get funds to provide more housing to remove them off from the streets, which will resolve a very big issue that's going on. The anti - camping just makes it very difficult I think the way for it to be resolved is finding Ands to build more shelters that way that they aren't in the streets anymore. Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Good afternoon. David Perry: Yeah, hello. My name is David Perry. I'm a resident of the City of Miami and in Commissioner Reyes' District. 139 Southwest 31st Court. I serve as the federal class representative in the Pottinger versus City of Miami federal consent decree. In effect, I was the lead plaintiff in Pottinger. I assumed that role in 2013. I was involved in a federal mediation efforts to modem the agreement through the 2018- 2019 federal court litigation in which Judge Marino terminated the Pottinger Agreement. Commissioners, we've been here before. We've done this before. The anti - campaign ordinance is not new. The arrest provisions were tried in 2000 -- excuse me, 1998 when we had 5,000 people sleeping on the streets of Miami. As a result of violating civil rights and widespread arrests of the homeless, the City paid out $1 million in fines and fees. And then we got slapped with a 20 year federal consent decree that was only lifted in 2019. Why in the world do you want to go back to that? Okay, is the definition of insanity doing the same thing and expecting a different result? We've done this before, okay? Why do you not think that we won't get the same result of a new -- a new lawsuit, new violations of civil rights? And what's worse is that we're going to be paying more money to not solve the problem. Arrests are simply a way to make homelessness worse, a very expensive way to make homelessness worse. Here's what we should do. We should establish a joint task force that will look at real, evidence -based solutions to ending homelessness. We should support homeless trust efforts to put the people, the unsheltered street homeless, into temporary housing, non -congregate housing in hotels and motels, and then provide them a path to supportive housing, to permanent supportive housing. This is what's going to end homelessness. If you simply arrest people, if you don't mind, I'll wrap this up very quickly. If you arrest people, you simply put them right back on the streets. They don't stay in jail. They get released and they go right back to the same place where they were before. And so, you're simply, making the problem worse. I urge you to vote no to this horrible, terrible ordinance that will not solve your problems or achieve your objectives. Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Just want to check we've got the two minute timer. Go ahead, sir. Good afternoon. Glauber Silveira: Morning, commissioners. Thank you for your time. Sorry, English is not my first language, so I'm going to try to do my best. I'm Glauber Silveira -- Vice Chair Russell: Sir, we have a translator if you'd like. Mr. Silveira: No, no, no. Vice Chair Russell: Okay. City of Miami Page 40 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Mr. Silveira: No worries. Thank you. My name is Glauber Silveira, I'm here to talk about the D1.2.I'm the owner and manager of Owl Miami, a restaurant inside Riverside. We have more than 15 employees and more than 60 people living from my business and I'm responsible for them. In 2020, we are open only for three months. This year, 2021, we are running under the COVID situation, and it was really hard. We are doing our best and sometimes I feel very sad when I heard we are making thousands of dollars. We are not making thousands of dollars. To be honest, it's the opposite. More than twice, I was at the property, and I complained the City officer (UNINTELLIGIBLE) measuring the volume of the music around the prop -- below the metro mover, and we are below the limit the volume all the time. We have a lot of customers coming from the Brickell on the River, our neighbors, and they love the place. They have a great time, and they came, they are regular customers. But I respect those are feeling harmed. And I believe in balance, and 1 believe you can find a way to fix any kind of problem, but if you work together. We are living week by week and now we are closed. One week -- if you close one week, we're going to be dead soon. For sure. We need a week by week to make money and to give the employees we need to give for these people. The COVID almost killed us. Please help us not die at this moment. We need to work. Thank you for your time. Thank you very much. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for the comments. Good afternoon. Just a moment. Could we ask the Sergeant -at -Arms to let more folks in so that we have 0411 lectern on both sides? I think there's still more people waiting outside to get in. Good afternoon. Go ahead. Marlie Wise: Good afternoon, Commissioners. My name is Marlie Wise, and like my colleague, I'm a business owner in Riverside. I will be very straight here. We've been work very hard in this low season, this past month, because you know, low season we got less customers and it's a less job, but the salary is still the same to be paid to our employees. That's been very difficult. As a vendor in Riverside, I invested all my savings on this business and my efforts and left my life behind, you know, London, England, because I came here one year ago. But this business, now we have Riverside closing down, our staff to be paid every week, I just would like to ask you guys to, you know, come to an agreement for both sides. I mean, you know, something can help us carry on with our business, carry on paying the salary for our staffs, and provide to his family, you know, food, everything, and to our family too, and for the residents as well. That's all I make. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Ms. Wise: Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: Good afternoon. Kevin Amezaga: Good afternoon Commissioners, my name is Kevin Amezaga. I represent the Miami Riders Alliance of 2103 Coral Way, Floor 2, and we're a proud District 4 local business. Today I'm going to speak on FR.1, which relates to a scooter program in Miami. Since 2018, when the scooter program was established, we have had millions of rides using these scooters. This year alone, we've had 1.2 million, about to break our record of'2019, which was 1.3 million. So, we're very proud of that. The Miami Riders Alliance has sponsored the Mobile Miami Coalition since December of 2020, which has been a coalition of seven scooter operators, that's all of the scooter operators in Miami, and we've come together to self -regulate, to create a better program for the city. We've engaged in productive talks with the city, which have constituted geofencing of local properties. It has come with more regulation on the self=regulating level. And we've also instituted a reporting tool for local residents to report scooter violations in the City of Miami. We have, fielded almost a thousand complaints since May when it was launched. What's at stake with this scooter City of Miami Page 41 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 program, i f you are considering it today, are 150 local jobs, $6.8 million in local annual wages, and $3 million in City revenue that have been collected, but $4.2 million in guaranteed revenue over the next five years, which are building projects like the Micro -Mobility Network in Downtown Miami. That's two miles of protected bike lanes, which everyone can use, not only scooters, and that's' providing safer passage for all District 2 residents who visit downtown, and not only District 2 residents, but all residents of our metropolitan area, all 5 million residents who choose to visit Downtown Miami and I'd much rather a tourist on a scooter than one of the slingshots that we see all across our area. Thank you very much. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you jor your comments. Good afternoon. Alana Greer: Afternoon Commissioners, my name is Alana Greer. I'm the director of Community Justice Project. I'm here to speak on a number of items. The first one is DI [sicj, the Miami 21 Task Force report. I understand that was deferred, butt do want to bring attention. We sent a letter to your offices on behalf of several community groups who had both concerns and hopes about the future of the Zoning Code, and we'd love to make sure that those impacted communities are at the forefront of discussion and continue to engage with your office about it. I also wanted to speak against PH.5. The groups who work -- with in Allapattah were very concerned to see that the library, the Allapattah Branch Library, was again on the agenda and really wanted to make sure that the high school students who came out and spoke so passionately about the need for that site, the storytelling garden that was just recently opened, that those are really -- that we're being very intentional about community process with giving away public land. And finally, I wanted to speak against RE.4 and on P1.3. People have spoken at length today about all the reasons why this is the wrong decisions for Miami. Criminalization is not the options that we should be pursuing nor are you for. I also wanted to speak beyond the morality of this issue, the ways it's going to impact people is key, butt also wanted to talk a little bit about the fiscal impacts. You've heard about the reams of evidence that show that this is not the solution, this does not keep people off the street. We've seen it play out here, 30 plus years ago, we've seen it play out in other cities, but I also wanted to draw your attention to a recent study by researchers at Harvard and Stanford who studied Miami -Dade jails, and they found that choosing alternatives over a night in jail had a net fiscal impact between $55, 000 and $99, 000 per person. And so, I really -- I personally, as someone who cares deeply about this city, and it's -- not only its reputation, but how we treat each other, I really, really hope that you think deeply about your choices, that we choose a path that is going to move us towards any homelessness and not towards deepening this problem. Thank you very much. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Good afternoon. Vicki Mallette: Hi Commissioners, I'm Vicki Mallette, Executive Director of the Miami -Dade County Homeless Trust, 111 Northwest 1st Street, 27th floor. I'm here today in opposition to the anti -camping ban or the camping ban. I spoke to you during the first hearing. I'll start by saying we do have a plan. It's called a Community Plan to End Homelessness Priority Home. It's filled with implementation measures and strategies to reduce homelessness, some of which are never realized because of funding. We have a Functional Zero Plan that we're working with your city on, and I hope you've had the opportunity to be briefed on that plan that has a number of additional strategies and implementation measures. This ordinance that's before you today is not part of those implementation measures and strategies. While it may not seem today that homelessness is down in this community, it is. Our total homeless population is at record lows. Our unsheltered numbers are the lowest they've been since 2014 and that includes in the city. We are finalizing a federal application in our offices. That federal application brings down millions of dollars in funding from U.S. HUD (Housing and Urban Development). And U.S. HUD embeds in that application City of Miami Page 42 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 questions about what is your community doing to not criminalize homelessness. And so, this does not bode well for that application. We have to explain to U.S. HUD why anti -camping ordinance, which is making national headlines, is happening in our backyard. We are very much Housing First focused. I should mention that when we did the homeless count in August and we had that record low number, one in !bur of those individuals on the streets of Miami -Dade were 60 years plus. So, you're in essence, your camping van is going to detrimentally impact seniors. I think there are other options. We've employed some of those options. You have three new substance - use focused outreach teams on the streets. They're connecting with the ID exchange. They're connecting with housing. Well house people straight from the streets. We have multiple housing opportunities, some of which have been mentioned at this dais and some of which have not been mentioned, which can add capacity to the system. And we need landlords. The CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act, the American Rescue Plan, did bring new resources and we have clients today in the hundreds running around with subsidies in their hand looking for units. We've worked with you through Camden Nations, we've worked with you through COVID, we put 7,000 plus people in quarantine and isolation sites who are experiencing homelessness, and we ask that you work with us today, and I am in full support of a task force together with the energv that we've harnessed today to try, to put together a plan that not only serves the community, but serves your interests as well as the interests of the housing advocates. Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. Good afternoon. Karen Earl: Good morning, Mayor of Miami. My name is Karen. I am a United States Navy veteran. Unfortunately, I have used up my GPD program, grant per diem, with the United States military. I cannot use it for the third time. I am unable to go to the shelters. I have exhaustively tried to contact the City of Miami for almost a year now, and to no avail. I left messages and were never returned, but hey, I'm grateful I'm here today right before you. I'd like you, the Mayor, to come forth with leadership and show what you're made of as a mayor and consider abolishing the ordinance about the homeless. I can't help my situation. I cannot ask for the third time for the grant per diem program. They only help veterans -- each veteran twice in a lifetime with a hardship. That's why I'm before you today. Please remove this ordinance. It will cause more calamity for the City of Miami and the County. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. Thank you for your comments. Good afternoon. Megan Hennings: Thank you Commissioners and thank you Karen for sharing your lived experience with us. My name is Megan Hennings and I'm a law student at UM (University of Miami) and an intern with the People's Economic and Environmental Resiliency Group. I'm here in opposition ofSR.2 and RE.4 and to comment on D11. When hundreds of our, fellow Miami residents are living on the streets, it's not a sign of individual failure but of something much larger. With several thousand more people living in shelters and temporary housing, the City of Miami is systematically failing to provide and ensure truly affordable housing for its residents. Today's proposed policies that criminalize and push responsibility for the citywide failure back to individuals neglects the massive role that the City itself plays in our current affordable housing crisis. Historically, racially discriminatory housing and zoning policies segregated Miami and decimated predominantly Black neighborhoods. We are still seeing the long-lasting effects of these choices through the racial disparity and the housing crisis today, with Black residents experiencing disproportionate rates of housing cost burdens and homelessness. With current climate gentrification, communities of color are being fleetingly displaced as developers seek higher ground to build housing unaffordable to those who have been there jrogenerations. The Miami 21 Zoning Code has facilitated and quickened this process through the fast tracking of special area plans and reduced public input on development. With City of Miami Page 43 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 excessive housing costs, shelter services overwhelmed, unhoused folks are left with little ways to survive in Miami and there is simply nowhere to go. Criminalizing these survival tactics does nothing to solve the larger issue of housing instability. We have an opportunity now to set a global example with innovative and compassionate solutions to housing challenges that foster true stability for all. We urge you to consider the historic, systemic, and structural aspects of the Citv's housing crisis as you make decisions regarding homelessness and zoning policy today, as it's all interconnected, just like us. Thank you for your time. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comment. Adrian Madriz: Adrian Madriz, 1990 Northwest 4th Court, 33136, District 5, and proud resident of the City ofMiami. I am speaking against SR.2 and RE.4, and 1 will tell you that as a resident of the city, as a proud resident of Overtown, I frequently see unsheltered people under the overpass leading to Camillus and in other places around the city and I do not like seeing it. I do not like seeing it because it is incredibly unjust. I think it is a failure of our society to adequately take care of those who need the assistance the most. And so, I share with you the goal of wanting to make sure that we get to a point where we never have to see another person on the street anymore. But I will say that if ,you ask those very people, they will say they are 100 percent willing to go to an actual home as a way to get off the street. And I think that's why there's a certain kind of elegance in the Housing First policies, because that's exactly what it attempts to give people. And it has proven effective in many different cities, and I'm happy to show you, with supporting articles and documentation.1 also want to say that it is extremely expensive to do a criminalization of the homeless because according to a recent article, it says that Florida cities can anticipate spending about $80 per night in the year 2022 on every single person that spends a night in jail, per person, compared to the cost of supportive housing and services for homeless folks which is under $50 a night. Lastly, I do want to say that on DI [sic], which is the Miami 21 Task Force, I hope that going forward that there is a much more robust community' engagement process for that task force and the recommendations. I do not like the recommend -- the process that was established already and I would like to see that change moving forward and I would also like to express my extreme discontent at special area plans. I think that they are the devil. Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: Thanks for your comments. Good afternoon. Patrick Oleson: Thank you for that. Good afternoon. My name is Patrick Oleson and I'm an artist and I speak in opposition to the anti -- in opposition to the Homeless Encampment Ordinance. We come together today to protest against inhumane laws. It seems to me that laws like this get snuck into the system because we have hypnotized ourselves. We have hypnotized and brainwashed ourselves into believing that we do not have to look into the eyes of another human. As an artist, my skills come from observation. The growth of my practice is a result of observing others, being aware of my surroundings, and becoming mindful of the lives of others. When I say others, I mean to say that in current societal standards, we no longer see other human beings as an extension of ourselves. We have hypnotized ourselves in believing that we are not connected. However, if you were to look into the eyes of someone else, there is no way you can defeat that underlying feeling of connection. On that same notation of this statement, I have reason to believe that we have grown fearful of looking into the eyes of other humans, especially our homeless brothers and sisters. I have reason to believe that as a society, we are scared of looking at our homeless brothers and sisters in the eyes, simply because deep down, we know that compassion and sympathy comes from this underlying feeling of connection. As an artist who creates abstractions, the power of my paintings lies in the mark -making, and the power of the mark is intrinsic to my observations and being mindful to the value in the lives of City of Miami Page 44 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 others. That being said,l must ask, what kind of marks are we making today? Are we making marks based on love and connection, or are they rooted in fear? I must ask, the laws that we are creating, are they based on the value in the lives of others or are they rooted in fear? As someone who continues to observe the state of governmental affairs, I must say that I see that authorities that have power to do good do no such thing when we make laws like this. I see that the value in the lives of our brothers and sisters are not considered when we pass laws like this. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. Mr. Oleson: 1 see that the authorities that govern us civilians no longer feel like being human when we pass laws like this. Vice Chair Russell: Sir, time's up. Mr. Oleson: I'm not done yet. Vice Chair Russell: Two minutes for everybody, I'm sorry. Mr. Oleson: As a society, we must reflect on ourselves -- Vice Chair Russell: Sir. Mr. Oleson: -- consider the connection of others, and pursue a future where we can help each other instead of making laws like this. Vice Chair Russell: Just close it up, thank you. Thank you very much. Thanks for your comments. We just have to be fair to everybody, so everybody gets equal time. It's not to cut you off or be rude, but please respect everybody's time. When you hear the 30- second beep, time to start wrapping it up. Ana Del Rio: Hi, my name is Ana Del Rio and I'm here to speak on behalf of SR.2. I am here to explain why it's not a good idea and what you should do if you're looking to reduce homelessness, right? So, first I would like to start off by explaining that this criniinalization of homelessness, what you're trying to do is deter, right? You don't want people to -- you don't want someone to think it's okay to be homeless because if they are homeless then they could get arrested. I understand. Like for example, we -- the United States is based off the deterrence theory. Most of our laws, that's how they are. If you want to kill someone to get a revenge, you're going to have to double think about it because you could go to jail for life or you could be sent to prison here -- I mean you could be sent on death penalty here in Florida. The thing is the -- listen, listen, listen, don't raise your eyebrows, listen to me first. Vice Chair Russell. • Please, through the Chair. Ms. Del Rio: Yes. Vice Chair Russell: Just speak to me. Ms. Del Rio: I'll speak to you. I'll speak to you. Thank you, thank you -- Commissioner Carollo: I'm all ears. Ms. Del Rio: -- Chairman Russell. So, going back to what 1 was saying, I understand the intention is to reduce homelessness, but the correct way is not to criminalize it. So as many people here have explained what you could do, what other ways -- I mean, City of Miami Page 45 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 look at Finland, for example, they were able to bring down homelessness to almost 0 percent and this was during the pandemic. And it's not like they had -- Commissioner Carollo: (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Vice Chair Russell: Which city? Commissioner Carollo: (INAUDIBLE). Ms. Del Rio: Well, for example, they had homelessness in their city Vice Chair Russell: I'm sorry, we just couldn't hear you. Commissioner Carollo: Who? Who? Ms. Del Rio: I'm sorry? Vice Chair Russell: You had mentioned a place that had eliminated -- Ms. Del Rio: Finland, Finland. Vice Chair Russell: Finland, thank you. Commissioner Carollo: Finland. Ms. Del Rio: Finland was horrible. They had homeless people in their capital, people making -- makeup tents, housings, and they were able to bring it down. How? How were they able to do that? By the Housing First method. So, although it may sound radical and crazy, Housing First method, you have to think about how it works because otherwise by criminalizing it you're going to waste people's tax money and not fix the problem. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Good afternoon. Katrina Duesterhaus: Acting Chairman Russell and City of Miami Commissioners, my name is Kat Duesterhaus. I'm the chair of Florida NOW's (National Organization for Women) Task Force to end violence against women and a member of RAINN's (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) Speakers Bureau. My legislative work includes Donna's Law, which eliminated the time limits for prosecuting child rapists, Gail's law, which establishes a rape kit tracking system in Florida, and SB (Senate Bill) 1530, which establishes statewide sexual assault response team protocols and trauma -informed victim interview training requirements for law enforcement. But years ago, I was homeless. And what I needed then is what people need now, houses, not handcuffs. Adding trauma on top of trauma is not helpful to breaking the cycle of poverty and homelessness. That's why I oppose SR.2, the encampment ban. The United States Interagency Council Against Homelessness sets our national best practices, and they chose Housing First because it has consistently been proven the most effective solution to reducing homelessness, not only homelessness recidivism, but also in considering cost. While Housing First works, criminalization doesn't. It's expensive, ineffective, and often cruel. The Miami Herald reported it costs Miami taxpayers roughly $230 per inmate per day to house someone in jail. Even without incarceration, the cost of law enforcement officers and prosecution is not insignificant, and they have better things to be doing. If you want people off the streets, please send social workers, counselors, and housing specialists, not armed law enforcement officers. I can only imagine what being met with criminalization instead of compassion would have done to me when I was, facing homeless. I might not be here today. As the chair of Florida NOW's End Violence Against Women Task City of Miami Page 46 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Force and someone who has experienced homeless myself -- homelessness myself, I'm asking you to vote no on the encampment ban and focus on helping people off the streets with a Housing First approach. Thank you for listening. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. Mr. Cuesta. Good afternoon. Ernesto Cuesta: Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, Ernesto Cuesta, Brickell Homeowners Association. The reason that I'm here today is because I want to briefly speak about Riverside. The reason that we got involved with Riverside, as you are aware, is because Brickell on the River is one of our associate members. So, we have a responsibility to get involved once our members are being impacted, and -- Vice Chair Russell: A little closer to the microphone. Mr. Cuesta: -- they reached out to us because they felt that the quality of life there was impacted by the establishment. So, we got involved to mitigate this situation. We got involved with, as a matter offact, their representative here, and they can attest to that. And we met them many times. And unfortunately, the residents continue being affected. We, as you are aware, we are pro -business, pro -development. We are not in the business to shut down anybody. We have the best intentions to support, since day one when they come to us and explain to us the concept of Riverside, we supported it, and we are more than glad, and 1 spoke to a group earlier today, if they have a better plan to mitigate the situation they have now, and on top of that, according to them, they have a new management starting Monday or something like that. Brickell Homeowners Association will be in the best interest to support them, but we need to see a plan and our neighbors have to be complacent with what they are saying. The reason that they got -- they are at this point with the city is because the Administration, you know, acknowledged that they are violating the Code. It's like when you are running a stop sign, there are consequences. As of October, the 21st, they were fined and they acknowledged that they are violating the Code. So, this is not -- this is beyond Brickell Homeowners Association or my clients, my clients or my associate members. This has to do with they are not in -- they are not in -- they are violating the City Code and they have to understand that. So as of now, again, we have the best interest to help them out. But as of now, the City is the one that decided to take that action and we feel strongly that the City is correct because they are violating the codes. Thank you so much. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Good afternoon. Luis Puig: Good afternoon, Commissioners. My name is Luis Puig, 2710 Southwest 31 st Avenue. I'm not here with a problem, I'm here with a solution. I am the operator, I am the manager that took over Riverside, and as of a week ago, there have not been any noise incidents. Very simple. We got smaller speakers, we put the speakers facing a different way, now there's no problem. I'd like to provide my phone number to all the owners of the condominium next door and if they ever have a problem with noise, they can call me up personally and I'll take care of it. So, there is no more problem at Riverside. I just want all our employees to get their jobs back. It's that simple. Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. I believe we only have two speakers left. Is that correct? Good afternoon, sir. You can pull the microphone down a little bit. Landon Woolston: Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. City of Miami Page 47 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Mr. Woolston: Good afternoon. My name is Landon J. Woolston, 14311 Biscayne Boulevard, 33181. I'm here today to address items SR.2 and RE.4. I've been a housing advocate for almost a decade now, and as a social worker specifically, 1 worked with LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual., Transgender and Queer) youth experiencing homelessness here in Miami -Dade. On the front lines for years, I can tell you firsthand our local systems and services are still not adequate in meeting the needs of people experiencing homelessness, especially those with multiple, intersecting, oppressed identities and challenges. At the end of 2016, my own partner, and the love of my life, Diana Hemingway, a neuro-atypical, disabled, transgender woman, took her own life. While those who did not know her well would say that it was simply because she was mentally ill, the real reason is that our local systems and organizations failed Diana. She had experienced homelessness six times in her life and could not bear the thought of experiencing it again. She was routinely denied employment in Miami -Dade that she was well qualified for, and with homelessness on her immediate horizon, she would soon be left to make an unthinkable choice. Much like the LGBT youth I've served and advocated for alongside in our community for years, Diana was met with zero support and compassion when she approached many of our local social services. And on the street, she was routinely harassed by police while experiencing homelessness and housing instability as a youth. Rather than having to go back into the system, which is still largely ill-equipped to meet her needs, or risk the violence that LGBTQ people faced while unhoused, she simply chose to die instead. The young people I've worked with over the years face these unthinkable choices daily. Many choose the streets because they're actually a safer alternative to our systems. By allowing for the criminalization of people experiencing homelessness, they have even less options when simply looking for a safe place to sleep at night. If either of these ordinances move forward, people facing houselessness will die, whether at their own hands, the hands of the police, or the system. We can and we must do better. I implore you to vote against both anti -encamping -- anti -encampment and adopt a homeless person and in favor of the creation of a comprehensive task force to address these incredibly complex social equity issues. Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Ms. Betancourt. Brenda Betancourt: Good afternoon. Brenda Betancourt, 1436 Southwest 6th Street, Miami, Florida, resident and voter of District 3, so I do live in the City of Miami. To me, just a quick question to all of you about homeless. We do see it everywhere, every single part of the city. It's not just in a specific district. I know that Downtown Miami is more homeless than my district, but we still have this -- the homeless everywhere. Supporting the homeless in the time of need is like supporting your friend when they need it. The City of Miami has a team who support these homeless. Have any of the commissioners or the mayor actually walked with this team to see if this team is doing what they're supposed to be doing? And the reason I'm asking you guys is this question, is because when you actually speak with the homeless, the perception of walking with your employee who gives you the paycheck, who appoint that position to you, and when they are walking by themself with the person who supposedly be needing that help, it's not the same. It's not the same when a person walk with the boss to take care a customer, or when you are actually taking care of customer by yourself And I just want you to guys to keep this in mind, like I say one time to my friend Ferre many years back, us, the residents, are going to be residents until the day we die. You guys sitting in the dais have a (UNINTELLIGIBLE) time backwards. And whatever action you make in the dais, we're always going to remember us the residents. Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Mr. Torres, good afternoon. James Torres: Well, we're in the afternoon now. Right? So, James Torres, President of the DNA (Downtown Neighbors Alliance), officially want to introduce myself to City of Miami Page 48 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Alex del Portilla [sic]. Good afternoon. We are looking for your support on FR.1. I've reached out to your office several times on that. The Downtown Neighborhood Alliance, along with Edgewater, has said enough is enough. We know it's in a pilot stage, hut we're wanting something that's not coming out as of yet. So, we're looking for your support and the rest of the fellow commissioners on that item. The other item, SR.2, that everyone's been talking about, we firmly stand with Commissioner Joe Carollo on those items. This issue, and I did this on purpose by design to kind of wait last. I've seen everybody from all walks of life here today talking about this issue. But the funny thing is I've never seen anybody in downtown walking the neighborhood as I have as president of the DNA. I asked myself two days ago, I'm going to ride my bike throughout downtown. 1 did that. I ran into an officer that was doing bike patrol, ran into a homeless. What do you think he had? Crack cocaine with him. Doesn't live here. Is from Georgia. This is a problem, and it needs to be addressed. It needs to be addressed in a way where we can all come to a viable solution. The key word here is viable solution. But again, the DNA f rmly stands on SR.2, supporting Commissioner Joe Carollo. And we're looking forward to having further discussions on this item, not only from a commissioner's standpoint, but also from a mayor's standpoint, and then taking it from there. Greatly appreciate your time and efforts. Commissioner Joe Carollo, I hope that you get the sufficient votes to move forward on this item. Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. Is there anyone else here who would like to speak at public comment on any of the remaining items on the City agenda? You may not, sir. Two minutes for every person but thank you for corning and thank you for advocating. Last chance for anyone who hasn't spoken yet on any of the remaining Planning and Zoning, regular agenda items. All right, thank you very much everyone. I'll be closing public comment now. [Later...] Vice Chair Russell: Good afternoon, everybody. Welcome back. I am opening the City of Miami's City Commission meeting part two. We'll hold the CRA meetings until we have a fuller dais. I'd like to recognize June Savage, one of our constituents, who wasn't able -- June Savage: Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: -- to be here for public comment. You have two minutes to address this dais. Ms. Savage: Thank you very much. First, I'd like to address the way to help the homeless situation. So it involves all new development within the City of Miami, eight units or larger -- new development needs to have a homeless impact fee. I found the money, you can get it. Secondly, I am here today also regarding the homeless. I was walking my dog this morning at 7.•45 in the morning when I was accosted, and the reason I wasn't here is because I was having chest pains. I was accosted by a homeless man, breaking his shirt, yelling at me, and telling me how he was going to destroy my dog and I with his bare hands. There are two phone calls to 911 between 8:00 and 8:15 this morning. I was right here in front of City Hall. I do not deserve that, living here in the City of Miami as a 54-year-old woman working for ONE Sotheby's. I should be able to walk to the park safely without having someone tell me that they are going to kill me, that they are going to f' me up and destroy me, as I had to run across four lanes of highway to get away from this man. So, raise your hand if you think that's a fair way to live in the City of Miami. Vice Chair Russell: Ma'am, please address the -- City of Miami Page 49 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Ms. Savage: Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: -- Commission. Ms. Savage: Joe, do you think that's fair for me to live in the city like this or do you think a homeless impact fee may help the situation where we can find a solution? Vice Chair Russell: Commissioner Corollo recognized. Commissioner Carollo: Look, let me be as straight with you as 1 possibly can. Ms. Savage: Without political posturing please. Thank you. Commissioner Carollo: There's no political posturing here. Not unless that's what you've done. Of course, it's unacceptable, but this is just the point that I've been making, so thank you for making it for me. The problem that we have in Miami is not a homeless problem per se. It's a drug addiction problem that has caused a lot of mental problems in people like that. Whoever came at you clearly was on drugs. And look, I've seen this already so many times throughout our parks and throughout our city. Most, not all, of the homeless population that we have out there are out there because they're addicted to drugs, whether it's one kind or another. Many have mental problems because they've been burned out, checked out, because of drugs. And this is what we're trying to solve in the most humane way, because this is a problem that unfortunately was created by our federal government, and I'm talking Republican, Democrats, whoever has been in the White House, for decades, they've let our country be invaded by drugs. It's worse than ever now. Ms. Savage: Yes. Commissioner Carollo: And this is the outcome of it, what we're seeing across America, not just Miami. Now, the problem we have in Miami is that at least half or more of the homeless population we have out there has come from other states, other parts of the world, to us. But some are very nice people, but some can get real violent, and I'm going to tell you more. We have observed, and I certainly saw that Sunday, this weekend when I was out, that a lot of the men that are homeless in parks are carrying knives, legal knives, I'll say this, at least the ones that I saw, but nevertheless, they could hurt you real bad being legal knives, too, once they're opened up and they're three to four inches long. So, what has happened to you is not shocking for me to hear because it's happened to others and it's going to keep on happening unless we take severe action. Ms. Savage: Well, I can tell you -- Commissioner Carollo: And that severe action includes being compassionate, it includes being as gentle as we can with people, it has to include a lot of mental issue help that we need to bring, and a lot of drug addiction help that we need to bring for these people. But we cannot resolve the homeless problem, ever; in our city if we keep allowing people to come from all kinds of other parts of our country, or from other countries, to Miami. Ms. Savage: Well, I can tell you that do know, with Judge Barbara Labora, who I've worked with on the Lotus House, that her drug free program does work. I know it's not easy, but her program does work. And I think you should look into that because they have to go through the court system, they have to be drug free, and I'm sure you can look into that with Constance. Again, thank you for letting me speak. I'm sorry I didn't come earlier, but I physically could not because of what happened to me. City of Miami Page 50 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Commissioner Carollo: It's understandable. Ms. Savage: 1 thought I was having chest palpitations. Commissioner Carollo: That's understandable. And I am very sorry what's happened to you, too. And this is why we're taking this problem head on because we don't want this problem to keep repeating itself to women like you or to even men in our city or to children in our city. Ms. Savage: Just think of possibly thinking of a homeless impact fee with the developers. I know it's something touchy for you, but just think about it. You have a whole finance program that can create a chart. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you, Ms. Savage. Commissioner Carollo: I'm willing to look at anything that would make sense and I'm not going to shut the whole door on your suggestion, but what 1 don't want to do is to create more expenses for people that can't even get into apartments nowadays because that money that the developers are going to have to pay for any kind of impact fee like that, they're going to be putting it in the rent that people pay each month. Now, I'm not saying no, I'll look at any possible suggestion and look at numbers to see how we can make something work. But what I'm not going to keep on doing is keep throwing money into the huge business of so-called homelessness. So that a lot of people keep getting the gravy train, keep getting higher salaries than the ones they had before, because homelessness is a business to some. And that's an issue with me. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you, Commissioner. Ms. Savage: Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: And thank you, Ms. Savage. Would you mind going to my office, please? It's just in the back left corner of the building. I want to -- Ms. Savage: Okay, I have to show a house at 5:00. Vice Chair Russell: It's 4:20, but I ju.st want to make sure they've got your information and you're in touch with our commander for the area, where this happened, so that they're very much aware. I want to make sure it's at the commander's level. Ms. Savage: Albertico knows me. Vice Chair Russell: But have you reported this in a way that they can pick up? Ms. Savage: I recorded it on video camera. Vice Chair Russell: All right. If you're satisfied -- Ms. Savage: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) today. Vice Chair Russell: -- because I don't want anyone else to go through what you went through this morning. Ms. Savage: Right, I understand. Vice Chair Russell: Alright. Thank you for corning. City of Miami Page 51 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Ms. Savage: They have it all. Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: Alright, thank you. Commissioner Carollo: I'm sorry what happened to you, June. Vice Chair Russell: Agreed. Commissioner Carollo: I really am. MV - MAYORAL VETO(ES) NO MAYORAL VETOES There were no mayoral vetoes associated with legislation that is subject to veto by the Mayor. Vice Chair Russell: Mr. Clerk, are there any mayoral vetoes? (COMMENTS MADE OFF RECORD) Vice Chair Russell: We have quorum. Mr. Clerk, are there any, mayoral vetoes? Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): Chair, there are no mayoral vetoes. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you very much. END OF MAYORAL VETO(ES) City of Miami Page 52 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 CA.1 10720 Department of Fire - Rescue CA - CONSENT AGENDA The following item(s) was Adopted on the Consent Agenda MOTION TO: Adopt RESULT: ADOPTED MOVER: Manolo Reyes, Commissioner SECONDER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner AYES: Russell, Carollo, Reyes, Watson ABSENT: Diaz de la Portilla RESOLUTION A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH ATTACHMENTS, AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT ("PSA") BETWEEN THE CITY OF MIAMI ("CITY"), THROUGH ITS DEPARTMENT OF FIRE -RESCUE ("DEPARTMENT") AS THE SPONSORING AGENCY OF FLORIDA TASK FORCE 2 UNDER THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY'S NATIONAL URBAN SEARCH & RESCUE RESPONSE SYSTEM, ACTING THROUGH THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, THE STATE OF FLORIDA, AND EACH OF THE CURRENT AND ANTICIPATED STRATEGIC INDIVIDUALS ON EXHIBIT "A", ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED; AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER, SUBJECT TO CONSULTATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT, TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE ANY FUTURE AMENDMENTS, EXTENSIONS, AND/OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THE PSA, ALL IN FORMS ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY AND SUBJECT TO BUDGETARY APPROVAL AT THE TIME OF NEED. ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-21-0436 This matter was ADOPTED on the Consent Agenda. Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item Number CA.1, please see "End of Consent Agenda." City of Miami Page 53 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 CA.2 RESOLUTION 10673 Department of Resilience and Public Works A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH ATTACHMENT(S), BY A FOUR -FIFTHS (4/5THS) AFFIRMATIVE VOTE, RATIFYING, CONFIRMING, AND APPROVING THE CITY MANAGER'S WRITTEN FINDING, ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED AS EXHIBIT "A", PURSUANT TO SECTION 18- 90 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS AMENDED ("CITY CODE"), WAIVING THE REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPETITIVE SEALED BIDDING METHODS AS NOT BEING PRACTICABLE OR ADVANTAGEOUS TO THE CITY OF MIAMI ("CITY") FOR THE EMERGENCY PURCHASE OF THE NECESSARY EBARA DUTY PUMP REPLACEMENT PARTS FROM TOM EVANS ENVIRONMENTAL, INC., A FLORIDA PROFIT CORPORATION, FOR THE BELLE MEADE STORM PUMP STATION FOR THE CITY'S DEPARTMENT OF RESILIENCE AND PUBLIC WORKS FOR AN ESTIMATED EXPENDITURE AMOUNT OF FORTY SEVEN THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED FIVE DOLLARS AND TWENTY FIVE CENTS ($47,305.25); ALLOCATING FUNDS FROM ACCOUNT NO. 00001.208000.534000.0000.00000 AND SUCH OTHER FUNDING SOURCES, SUBJECT TO THE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS AND BUDGETARY APPROVAL AT THE TIME OF NEED; AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE ANY AND ALL DOCUMENTS, INCLUDING ANY AMENDMENTS, RENEWALS, AND EXTENSIONS, SUBJECT TO ALL ALLOCATIONS, APPROPRIATIONS, PRIOR BUDGETARY APPROVALS, COMPLIANCE WITH ALL APPLICABLE PROVISIONS OF THE CITY CODE, INCLUDING THE CITY'S PROCUREMENT ORDINANCE, ANTI -DEFICIENCY ACT, AND FINANCIAL INTEGRITY PRINCIPLES, ALL AS SET FORTH IN CHAPTER 18 OF THE CITY CODE, ALL IN FORMS ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, AND IN COMPLIANCE WITH ALL APPLICABLE LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS, AS MAY BE DEEMED NECESSARY FOR SAID PURPOSE. ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-21-0437 This matter was ADOPTED on the Consent Agenda. Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item Number CA.2, please see "End of Consent Agenda." City of Miami Page 54 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 CA.3 RESOLUTION 10715 Department of Resilience and Public Works A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH ATTACHMENT(S), ACCEPTING THREE (3) RIGHT-OF-WAY DEEDS OF DEDICATION, AS MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED IN EXHIBIT "A", ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED ("DEEDS"), FOR RIGHT-OF-WAY PURPOSES; APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING THE RECORDATION OF THE DEEDS IN THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA; FURTHER DIRECTING THE CITY CLERK TO RETAIN A COPY OF THE DEEDS. ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-21-0438 This matter was ADOPTED on the Consent Agenda. Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item Number CA.3, please see "End of Consent Agenda." CA.4 RESOLUTION 10842 Department of Risk Management A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION AUTHORIZING THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE TO PAY ON BEHALF OF TERESA BORKOWSKI, SUBJECT TO THE CONDITIONS IMPOSED BY CHAPTER 440, FLORIDA STATUTES, THE TOTAL SUM OF $35,415.00 IN FULL SETTLEMENT OF ALL CLAIMS FOR ATTORNEYS' FEES AND COSTS FOR ALL DATES OF ACCIDENT ALLEGED AGAINST THE CITY OF MIAMI ("CITY"), ITS OFFICERS, AGENTS, AND EMPLOYEES, UPON EXECUTING A SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT; ALLOCATING FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $35,415.00 FROM ACCOUNT NO. 50001.301001.524000.0000.00000. ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-21-0439 This matter was ADOPTED on the Consent Agenda. Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item Number CA.4, please see "End of Consent Agenda." City of Miami Page 55 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 CA.5 RESOLUTION 10843 Department of Risk Management CA.6 10845 Office of the City Attorney A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION AUTHORIZING THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE TO PAY TO AND ON BEHALF OF HUMBERTO CAMPO, SUBJECT TO THE CONDITIONS IMPOSED BY CHAPTER 440, FLORIDA STATUTES, THE TOTAL SUM OF $175,000, INCLUDING $100.00 FOR A SEPARATE GENERAL RELEASE, IN FULL SETTLEMENT OF ALL CLAIMS AND DATES OF ACCIDENT ALLEGED AGAINST THE CITY OF MIAMI ("CITY"), ITS OFFICERS, AGENTS, AND EMPLOYEES, WITHOUT ADMISSION OF LIABILITY, UPON EXECUTING A SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT, HOLD HARMLESS, AND INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT AS WELL AS A GENERAL RELEASE OF THE CITY, ITS PRESENT AND FORMER OFFICERS, AGENTS, AND EMPLOYEES, FROM ANY AND ALL CLAIMS AND DEMANDS; ALLOCATING FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $174,900.00 FROM ACCOUNT NO. 50001.301001.524000.0000.00000 AND FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $100.00, FOR THE SEPARATE GENERAL RELEASE, FROM ACCOUNT NO. 00001.980000.531010.0000.00000. ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-21-0440 This matter was ADOPTED on the Consent Agenda. Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item Number CA.5, please see "End of Consent Agenda." RESOLUTION A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION AUTHORIZING THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE TO PAY RICKY TAYLOR AND JEFFREY LOCKE (COLLECTIVELY, "PLAINTIFFS"), WITHOUT ADMISSION OF LIABILITY, SIXTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($65,000.00) EACH, FOR A TOTAL OF ONE HUNDRED THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS ($130,000.00), IN FULL AND COMPLETE SETTLEMENT OF ANY AND ALL CLAIMS AND DEMANDS BY THE PLAINTIFFS, INCLUDING ALL CLAIMS FOR ATTORNEYS' FEES, AGAINST THE CITY OF MIAMI, ITS OFFICERS, AGENTS, AND EMPLOYEES (COLLECTIVELY, "CITY") IN THE CASE OF FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE, MIAMI LODGE NO. 20, AND ALFREDO VEGA, ET AL. V. CITY OF MIAMI, CASE NO. 98-7760, PENDING IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE ELEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, UPON THE EXECUTION OF A GENERAL RELEASE OF THE PLAINTIFFS' CLAIMS AND DEMANDS AND A DISMISSAL OF THE PLAINTIFFS' CLAIMS AGAINST THE CITY WITH PREJUDICE; ALLOCATING FUNDS FROM GENERAL LIABILITY ACCOUNT NO. 50001.301001.545013.0000.00000. ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-21-0441 This matter was ADOPTED on the Consent Agenda. Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item Number CA.6, please see "End of Consent Agenda." City of Miami Page 56 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 CA.7 RESOLUTION 10947 Department of Real Estate and Asset Management A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH ATTACHMENTS, AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO PROVIDE CONSENT, IN A FORM ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, TO THE ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION OF THAT CERTAIN LEASE AND AGREEMENT FOR DEVELOPMENT DATED AS OF SEPTEMBER 13, 1979 (AS AMENDED, SUPPLEMENTED, AND ASSIGNED, "LEASE") BETWEEN THE CITY OF MIAMI AND HYATT EQUITIES L.L.C. ("TENANT") TO HRM OWNER, LLC, ("ASSIGNEE"); FURTHER AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE ANY AND ALL OTHER DOCUMENTS, ALL IN FORMS ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO CONSENT TO THE ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION OF THE LEASE FROM TENANT TO ASSIGNEE. ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-21-0442 This matter was ADOPTED on the Consent Agenda. Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item Number CA. 7, please see "End of Consent Agenda." END OF CONSENT AGENDA Vice Chair Russell: Could we look at the CA (Consent Agenda) and PH (Public Hearing) agendas? That's CA.1 through 7 and PH1 through 6. Is there a motion on those? Commissioner Carollo: Okay, hold on. CA.1. Vice Chair Russell: I'm sorry, CA 2 is a four -fifths. We cannot take that one up. But it's the CA agenda and the PH agenda, other than the four -fifths item. Commissioner Carollo: CA and the P --? Vice Chair Russell: H. Commissioner Carollo: H. Okay. Vice Chair Russell: Yeah. Commissioner Carollo: Okay. This PH 1, the Emergency Rental Assistance Program funds? Vice Chair Russell: Yes, sir. Commissioner Carollo: Can it be explained to me a little -- in more detail? Vice Chair Russell: Mr. Mensah. George Mensah: Good afternoon, Commission. My name is George Mensah, I'm the Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development. The PH 1 agenda is the allocation and approval of the programs for the ERA2 (Emergency Rental Assistance) Program. The City receives 22 -- about $22 million from the Treasury. We already have in our coffers about $9 million. So, the PH (Public Hearing) -- this allocation, we received $9 million, and we are allocating the $9 City of Miami Page 57 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 million to the various categories. And 1 can list the categories the commissioners want. So, what we'll do is thatl will be able to move over to the program. We already have, as of yesterday, completed the entire ERA] funds. So, we have been able to finish spending all the monies. So, if there are any questions, I'll be able to answer them. Commissioner Carollo: Yes, how much money is in the total pot? Mr. Mensah: For -- let me give you the exact amount. (INAUDIBLE) okay, the exact amount is $22.7 million, and we've already received $9.1 million. Commissioner Carollo: Who receives $1.9? Mr. Mensah: $9.1 million will be received in our -- in the City's financial assistance. Commissioner Carollo: Okay, so 9. -- Commissioner Reyes: (INAUDIBLE). Mr. Mensah: Yes. Commissioner Carollo: 9.2. Commissioner Reyes: 9.2, but the total was 27, right? Mr. Mensah: No, the total is 22.7. Commissioner Reyes: 22.7. Mr. Mensah: And we received 40 percent, which is $9.1 million. Commissioner Reyes: That's what we're going to get on hand. Mr. Mensah: We have it in our hands. Commissioner Reyes: We have it in our hands. Mr. Mensah: Yes. Commissioner Reyes: The only thing that we have to do is accept them. Mr. Mensah: Accept them and then distribute them. And then the rest, we cannot get it until we spend the first batch. Commissioner Reyes: As we spend this one -- once we spend this one, there's some more coming. Mr. Mensah: Yes. Commissioner Reyes: Okay. Thank you, sir. Mr. Mensah: Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. Is there a motion on the CA -- Commissioner Reyes: Move it. City of Miami Page 58 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Vice Chair Russell: -- and PH agenda? Commissioner Carollo: Yeah, there is a motion. There's a second. Vice Chair Russell: Commissioner Reyes is the mover. Commissioner Carollo the second. Is there any further discussion from the dais? Commissioner Reyes: Nope. Vice Chair Russell: And this is for all of them except for CA.2? Commissioner Carollo: Yes. Vice Chair Russell: We have four. So, would you like to include CA.2 in your motion, Commissioner Reyes? Commissioner Reyes: Yes, now we can. Vice Chair Russell: We do have four now. Commissioner Reyes: That's right. Commissioner Carollo: 1 don't mind at all. Vice Chair Russell: Okay. So, it's the entire CA and PH agenda. Any further discussion? All in favor say, "aye." The Commission (Collectively): Aye. Vice Chair Russell: Any opposed? Motion passes on CA.1 through 7, as well as PH. 1 through 6. Commissioner Carollo: Okay. City of Miami Page 59 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 PH - PUBLIC HEARINGS PH.1 RESOLUTION 9499 Department of Housing and Community Development A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH ATTACHMENTS, ALLOCATING EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM 2 ("ERA2") FUNDS IN AN AMOUNT OF $22,779,317.10 FROM THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY AS SET FORTH IN EXHIBIT "A," ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED, AND APPROVING THE PROGRAM SUMMARY FOR THE CITY OF MIAMI'S EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND ERA2 TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND HOUSING STABILITY TO ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLDS AS DESCRIBED IN EXHIBIT "B," ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED; FURTHER AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE ANY AND ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS, ALL IN FORMS ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, SUBJECT TO ALL FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LAWS THAT REGULATE THE USE OF SUCH FUNDS, FOR SAID PURPOSE. ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-21-0443 MOTION TO: Adopt RESULT: ADOPTED MOVER: Manolo Reyes, Commissioner SECONDER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner AYES: Russell, Carollo, Reyes, Watson ABSENT: Diaz de la Portilla Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item Number PH.1, please see "End of Consent Agenda." City of Miami Page 60 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 PH.2 RESOLUTION 10712 Department of Resilience and Public Works A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH ATTACHMENT(S), ACCEPTING THE PLAT TITLED "BISCAYNE ISLAND ESTATES ADDITION", A REPLAT IN THE CITY OF MIAMI OF THE PROPERTY DESCRIBED IN ATTACHMENT "1", SUBJECT TO SATISFACTION OF ALL CONDITIONS REQUIRED BY THE PLAT AND STREET COMMITTEE AS SET FORTH IN EXHIBIT "A", ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED, AND THE PROVISIONS CONTAINED IN SECTION 55-8 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS AMENDED; ACCEPTING THE DEDICATIONS SHOWN ON THE PLAT; AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER AND CITY CLERK TO EXECUTE THE PLAT AND CAUSE THE RECORDATION OF THE PLAT IN THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA. ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-21-0444 MOTION TO: Adopt RESULT: ADOPTED MOVER: Manolo Reyes, Commissioner SECONDER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner AYES: Russell, Carollo, Reyes, Watson ABSENT: Diaz de la Portilla Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item Number PH.2, please see "End of Consent Agenda." PH.3 RESOLUTION 10716 Department of Resilience and Public Works A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH ATTACHMENT(S), ACCEPTING THE PLAT TITLED "EDGEWATER SUBDIVISION", A REPLAT IN THE CITY OF MIAMI OF THE PROPERTY DESCRIBED IN ATTACHMENT "1", SUBJECT TO SATISFACTION OF ALL CONDITIONS REQUIRED BY THE PLAT AND STREET COMMITTEE AS SET FORTH IN EXHIBIT "A", ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED, AND THE PROVISIONS CONTAINED IN SECTION 55-8 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS AMENDED; ACCEPTING THE DEDICATIONS SHOWN ON THE PLAT; ACCEPTING A PUBLIC ACCESS EASEMENT, IN A FORM ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY; AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER AND CITY CLERK TO EXECUTE THE PLAT AND CAUSE THE RECORDATION OF THE PLAT IN THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA. ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-21-0445 MOTION TO: Adopt RESULT: ADOPTED MOVER: Manolo Reyes, Commissioner SECONDER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner AYES: Russell, Carollo, Reyes, Watson ABSENT: Diaz de la Portilla Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item Number PH.3, please see "End of Consent Agenda." City of Miami Page 61 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 PH.4 RESOLUTION 10721 Department of Resilience and Public Works A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH ATTACHMENT(S), ACCEPTING THE PLAT TITLED "MLK RESIDENCES", A REPLAT IN THE CITY OF MIAMI OF THE PROPERTY DESCRIBED IN ATTACHMENT "1", SUBJECT TO SATISFACTION OF ALL CONDITIONS REQUIRED BY THE PLAT AND STREET COMMITTEE AS SET FORTH IN EXHIBIT "A", ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED, AND THE PROVISIONS CONTAINED IN SECTION 55-8 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS AMENDED; ACCEPTING THE DEDICATIONS SHOWN ON THE PLAT; AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER AND CITY CLERK TO EXECUTE THE PLAT AND CAUSE THE RECORDATION OF THE PLAT IN THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA. ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-21-0446 MOTION TO: Adopt RESULT: ADOPTED MOVER: Manolo Reyes, Commissioner SECONDER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner AYES: Russell, Carollo, Reyes, Watson ABSENT: Diaz de la Portilla Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item Number PH.4, please see "Public Comments for all Item(s) " and "End of Consent Agenda." City of Miami Page 62 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 PH.5 RESOLUTION 9253 Commissioners and Mayor A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION RESCINDING RESOLUTION NO. R-20-0295 ADOPTED SEPTEMBER 24, 2020 AND RESOLUTION NO. R-21-0238 ADOPTED JUNE 10, 2021 CONCERNING NEGOTIATIONS WITH SAINT JAMES COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF MIAMI, INC. AND MIAMI-DADE COUNTY ("COUNTY") FOR THE CITY OF MIAMI ("CITY") OWNED PROPERTY LOCATED AT 1785 NORTHWEST 35TH STREET, MIAMI, FLORIDA ("PROPERTY"); FURTHER AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE AN AMENDMENT TO THE LEASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY DATED MAY 15, 2007 ("LEASE"), IN A FORM ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, AS MAY BE REQUIRED TO TERMINATE A PORTION OF THE LEASE TO CARVE OUT THE PROPERTY; FURTHER AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO TERMINATE THE MIAMI PARKING AUTHORITY PARKING SERVICES MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF OFF- STREET PARKING DATED FEBRUARY 28, 2020 ("MOU") IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS OF THE MOU; FURTHER AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE A QUITCLAIM DEED, IN A FORM ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, TO CONVEY THE PROPERTY TO MIAMI BETHANY COMMUNITY SERVICES, INC. ("MIAMI BETHANY") PURSUANT TO SECTION 29-B(A) OF THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS AMENDED, FOR THE PURPOSE OF REDEVELOPING THE PROPERTY INTO WORKFORCE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING ("PROJECT"), SUBJECT TO A REVERTER PROVISION WITH TERMS MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED THEREIN AND INCORPORATION OF THE LIBRARY INTO THE PROJECT; FURTHER DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE, IN A FORM ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, ANY AND ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY WITH THE COUNTY AND MIAMI BETHANY TO PROVIDE FOR THE INCLUSION OF A NEW COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY WITHIN THE PROJECT TO REPLACE THE EXISTING ALLAPATTAH BRANCH PUBLIC LIBRARY; FURTHER DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE, ALL IN FORMS ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, ANY AND ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY WITH THE COUNTY AND MIAMI BETHANY TO ENSURE THE CONTINUOUS OPERATION AND PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF THE LIBRARY AT THE PROPERTY, OR OTHER ACCEPTABLE LOCATION ON A TEMPORARY BASIS, UNTIL SUCH TIME THE LIBRARY IS INCORPORATED WITHIN THE PROJECT AND OPEN AND AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC; FURTHER AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE ANY AND ALL OTHER NECESSARY DOCUMENTS AND AMENDMENTS, ALL IN FORMS ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, AS DEEMED NECESSARY TO CONSUMMATE THE CONVEYANCE City of Miami Page 63 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 AND/OR PARTIALLY TERMINATE THE LEASE AND MOU AS PROVIDED HEREIN. ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-21-0447 MOTION TO: Adopt RESULT: ADOPTED MOVER: Manolo Reyes, Commissioner SECONDER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner AYES: Russell, Carollo, Reyes, Watson ABSENT: Diaz de la Portilla Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item Number PH.5, please see "Public Comments for all Item(s)" and "End of Consent Agenda." PH.6 RESOLUTION 10793 Commissioners and Mayor A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH ATTACHMENTS, AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT, IN A FORM ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, BETWEEN THE CITY OF MIAMI ("CITY") AND RF CONSTRUCTION GROUP, INC., A FLORIDA PROFIT CORPORATION, THE RESPONSIVE AND RESPONSIBLE WINNING BIDDER FOR REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NO. HCD 2021-04 ISSUED ON MAY 19, 2021 BY THE CITY'S DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SINGLE FAMILY HOMES ON CERTAIN CITY OWNED PARCELS OF LAND DESCRIBED IN EXHIBIT "A", ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED, WITH FUNDS FROM ALLOCATED FROM THE HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM ("HOME"); AUTHORIZING AN ADDITIONAL TEN PERCENT (10%) OF THE FUNDS FOR CONTINGENCIES FOR A TOTAL ALLOCATION OF $1,716,322.00 AS DESCRIBED IN EXHIBIT "B", ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED; FURTHER AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE ANY AND ALL OTHER NECESSARY DOCUMENTS, ALL IN A FORM ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, FOR SAID PURPOSE. ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-21-0448 MOTION TO: Adopt RESULT: ADOPTED MOVER: Manolo Reyes, Commissioner SECONDER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner AYES: Russell, Carollo, Reyes, Watson ABSENT: Diaz de la Portilla Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item Number PH.6, please see "End of Consent Agenda." END OF PUBLIC HEARINGS City of Miami Page 64 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 RE.1 10707 Department of Finance RE - RESOLUTIONS RESOLUTION A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH ATTACHMENT(S), ACCEPTING THE PROPOSAL RECEIVED JUNE 11, 2021 PURSUANT TO REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS NO. 1245391 FROM THE SOLE RESPONSIVE AND RESPONSIBLE PROPOSER, COMPLETE CONSULTING SERVICES GROUP LLC, A FLORIDA LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY ("CCSG"), FOR THE PROVISION OF PARKING SURCHARGE ADMINISTRATION CONSULTANT SERVICES FOR THE CITY OF MIAMI'S FINANCE DEPARTMENT FOR AN INITIAL PERIOD OF TWO (2) YEARS WITH AN OPTION TO RENEW FOR THREE (3) ADDITIONAL ONE (1) YEAR PERIODS; AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH CCSG, IN A FORM ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY; FURTHER AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE ANY AND ALL OTHER DOCUMENTS, INCLUDING ANY AMENDMENTS, RENEWALS, AND EXTENSIONS, SUBJECT TO ALL ALLOCATIONS, APPROPRIATIONS, PRIOR BUDGETARY APPROVALS, COMPLIANCE WITH ALL APPLICABLE PROVISIONS OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS AMENDED ("CITY CODE"), INCLUDING THE CITY'S PROCUREMENT ORDINANCE, ANTI -DEFICIENCY ACT, AND FINANCIAL INTEGRITY PRINCIPLES, ALL AS SET FORTH IN CHAPTER 18 OF THE CITY CODE, IN FORMS ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, AND IN COMPLIANCE WITH ALL APPLICABLE LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS, AS MAY BE DEEMED NECESSARY FOR SAID PURPOSE. ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-21-0449 MOTION TO: Adopt RESULT: ADOPTED MOVER: Jeffrey Watson, Commissioner SECONDER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner AYES: Russell, Carollo, Reyes, Watson ABSENT: Diaz de la Portilla Vice Chair Russell: RE's (Resolutions), let's see if we can take the easy ones. Commissioner Carollo: They're all easy. Vice Chair Russell: RE's -- RE.1 through 3, is there a motion for parking surcharge, the FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) -- the FEMA US&R (Urban Search & Rescue) monies, as well as the Securing Cities Program. Commissioner Watson: Parking Surcharge? Vice Chair Russell: RE.1 through 3. Commissioner Carollo: Art, did -- City of Miami Page 65 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Vice Chair Russell: This is the consulting services. Commissioner Carollo: -- you work a better deal for us? (COMMENTS MADE OFF THE RECORD) Commissioner Carollo: Okay, I'll go on that trust. Vice Chair Russell: So, is there a motion for RE.1, 2 and 3? Commissioner Watson: So moved. Vice Chair Russell: Moved by Commissioner -- Commissioner Carollo: Second. Vice Chair Russell: -- Watson, seconded by Commissioner Carollo. Any further discussion? All in favor say, "aye." The Commission (Collectively): Aye. Vice Chair Russell: Any opposed? Motion passes. Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): And Chair, just for the record, RE.1 had a substitution for backup documents. Not for the legislation, it doesn't amend the legislation, just backup documents. Vice Chair Russell: Thankyou. City of Miami Page 66 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 RE.2 10666 Department of Fire - Rescue RESOLUTION A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH ATTACHMENT(S), ESTABLISHING A NEW SPECIAL REVENUE PROJECT TITLED "FISCAL YEAR 2021 - DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY - FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY ('FEMA') - URBAN SEARCH & RESCUE ('USAR') COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT"; APPROPRIATING FUNDS IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $1,332,878.00 CONSISTING OF A GRANT FROM FEMA TO BE USED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FIRE -RESCUE TO PROVIDE ADMINISTRATIVE AND PROGRAM MANAGEMENT, TRAINING, SUPPORT, EQUIPMENT CACHE PROCUREMENT, MAINTENANCE, AND STORAGE FOR THE SOUTH FLORIDA USAR PROGRAM; AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ACCEPT THE FUNDS AND EXECUTE THE AGREEMENT, IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE ATTACHED FORM; FURTHER AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE ANY AND ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS, ALL IN FORMS ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT THE ACCEPTANCE OF AND COMPLIANCE WITH SAID GRANT. ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-21-0450 MOTION TO: Adopt RESULT: ADOPTED MOVER: Jeffrey Watson, Commissioner SECONDER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner AYES: Russell, Carollo, Reyes, Watson ABSENT: Diaz de la Portilla Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item Number RE.2, please see Item Number RE.1. City of Miami Page 67 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 RE.3 10717 Department of Fire - Rescue RESOLUTION A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH ATTACHMENT(S), ACCEPTING FUNDING PURSUANT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY'S ("DHS") SECURING THE CITIES GRANT PROGRAM; ESTABLISHING A NEW SPECIAL REVENUE PROJECT TITLED "SECURING THE CITIES (STC) PROGRAM 2020" IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $2,950,000.00 CONSISTING OF TWO (2) GRANTS FROM THE DHS IN THE AMOUNTS OF $2,000,000.00 AND $950,000.00 EACH FOR THE PURPOSE OF ENHANCING REGIONAL CAPABILITIES IN DETECTING, IDENTIFYING, AND RESPONDING TO RADIOLOGICAL AND NUCLEAR THREATS BY PROVIDING FIRST RESPONDERS WITH THE NECESSARY TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT; FURTHER AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE ANY AND ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS, ALL IN FORMS ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, FOR THE ACCEPTANCE AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE FUNDS AND COMPLIANCE WITH THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS. ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-21-0451 MOTION TO: Adopt RESULT: ADOPTED MOVER: Jeffrey Watson, Commissioner SECONDER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner AYES: Russell, Carollo, Reyes, Watson ABSENT: Diaz de la Portilla Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item Number RE.3, please see Item Number RE.1. City of Miami Page 68 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 RE.4 RESOLUTION 10951 Commissioners and Mayor A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER TO ESTABLISH AN ADOPT -A -HOMELESS PERSON ASSISTANCE PROGRAM ("PROGRAM") TO PROVIDE AID TO HOMEOWNERS IN THE CITY THAT ARE WILLING TO ASSIST THE LOCAL HOMELESS POPULATION BY WELCOMING A HOMELESS INDIVIDUAL INTO THEIR HOME TO LIVE WITH THEM BY PROVIDING A BED AND DAILY ESSENTIALS SUCH AS FOOD, WATER, ELECTRICITY, AND ANY OTHER NECESSITIES AS DEEMED APPROPRIATE BY THE PROGRAM AT NO COST TO THE CITY; FURTHER DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER TO REVIEW ALL FEASIBLE OPTIONS TO OBTAIN GRANTS FROM THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY HOMELESS TRUST OR ANY SIMILAR AGENCY, TO PROVIDE REIMBURSEMENTS TO PARTICIPANTS OF THE PROGRAM, ON AN AS -NEEDED BASIS. ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-21-0457 MOTION TO: Adopt with Modification(s) RESULT: ADOPTED WITH MODIFICATION(S) MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner SECONDER: Alex Diaz de Ia Portilla, Commissioner AYES: Diaz de Ia Portilla, Carollo, Reyes NAYS: Russell, Watson Note for the Record: For additional minutes referencing Item Number RE.4, please see "Public Comments for all Item(s)." Commissioner Carollo: RE.5 was that -- Vice Chair Russell: That was deferred -- Commissioner Carollo: -- deferred. Vice Chair Russell: -- until November 18th. Commissioner Reyes: Okay. Commissioner Carollo: Okay. And then we only have -- Vice Chair Russell: Within the RE agenda, the only thing left is the Adopt -a -Homeless Person Assistance Program. Commissioner Carollo: RE.4 and then we have -- Vice Chair Russell: SR.2 if you like. Commissioner Carollo: -- SR.2, let's do them both together because they're both sort of hand -in -hand. Vice Chair Russell: There's a motion by Commissioner Carollo for RE.4 and SR.2. Is there a second? Commissioner Reyes: RE.4. I just want to add to the encampment o f public safety -- mean of the public property. I believe that -- I do believe that we have to make -- City of Miami Page 69 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 mean, a move, we have to make some decisions. What has been done doesn't work, and -- hut 1 want to propose an amendment that we will not, this will not take an effect until we have a location that will be where the homeless can come and we can take them. And I propose -- Commissioner Carollo: Well, that -- that portion of it. Commissioner Reyes: Okay, that portion, and -- Commissioner Carollo: That portion. Commissioner Reyes: -- what I'm going to try to propose -- what Pm proposing, it is that we have, we will have a place that would provide with bathrooms, showers, and the facilities, all the facilities that they will need, you see. One of the biggest problems that we have in Downtown and we have all around is that those people that are on the streets, they defecate and they urinate wherever they can. And since there is none, according to the law, as I will say, since they don't have a bathroom near, or close, or someplace, they have -- there's no consequence. To that effect, atDDA (Downtown Development Authority) we are proposing five different bathrooms. Three that we have the -- the assistance and the help from everybody. And two additional that Omni is going to finance, the Omni CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency). So, I would like to have a resource center where we can direct homeless before we enact this -- Commissioner Carollo: But, but, but Commissioner. We do have the resource center - Commissioner Reyes: Where is it? Commissioner Carollo: -- that we've been paying for. The Homeless Trust is a resource center. Commissioner Reyes: No, what I'm saying is, if we don't want it on the street, because I say that I cannot encamp in the street, we can direct them and say, go to -- I mean, we have these places, just like we have for feeding -- Commissioner Carollo: Well, this is -- Commissioner Reyes: -- that we have to identf. Commissioner Carollo: But this is exactly what we are saying in this ordinance. What we're saying in the ordinance is that you cannot do this, you cannot be camping out anywhere you want to, and we have instructed the Manager to find one or more locations -- Commissioner Reyes: Okay. Commissioner Carollo: -- within the City that they can go. Now, those locations are going to have much better facilities than they have now. Commissioner Reyes: Absolutely. Commissioner Carollo: Whether it be tents, outdoor paddy bathrooms, or what have you, but -- Commissioner Reyes: What I wanted to say is, and I agree with you 100 percent, that the enforcement of this ordinance, we have to have that identified so we can -- City of Miami Page 70 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Commissioner Carollo: So, Mr. Manager, have you been able to identify some sites that you can open up? I want to make sure that we're talking about the same thing. Commissioner Reyes: No, no, we're talking about the same thing, butt don't want them just to go and try to get them off the street without them having a place, an alternative place that they can go. Commissioner Carollo: But think about this. We're hoping that with all the money, the $7 million plus a year we're giving to Homeless Trust, Camillus House, others, that there are going to be beds in these places. Commissioner Reyes: Well -- Commissioner Carollo: Beyond offering -- Commissioner Reyes: Yes, but also -- Commissioner Carollo: (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Commissioner Reyes: -- one thing -- one reason that I would like this resource, because by having them in that place, you see, we will have -- we will be able to bring all the support system that they're supposed to do now with the feeding ordinance and it's not being done. I have heard many people here, everybody comes and talks about homeless as if they were a uniform group ofpeople, you see. We have different type of homeless. We have homeless -- what 1 would like to know in that count, how many because -- how many are homeless because they lost their job, you see? 1 think it's a minority. And there's a lot ofjobs going around and maybe we can guide them and train them for the jobs and that's another thing that we can. But there is also a great majority, as I have found out, they are mentally ill or they are totally addicted, you see? Addicted. We have -- we pay for many beds at Camillus House and we pay for -- I don't know how many beds, but most of the time they're empty because as the police goes around, and in particular in Downtown, they offer them shelter to go to and sleep in those beds, they are rejected, you see. So, I would like to take the opportunity that when we have them in -- in that resource center that we can bring also the support system and try to get them into rehab and all of that, capture them. You understand what Pm trying to say Mr. Chair? Vice Chair Russell: You're singing my song. The problem with moving, even the HEAT (Homeless Empowerment Assistance Team) team trying to move people, if you don't have somewhere for them to go, you're just shuffling them around and causing even more disturbance. And what I'm getting reports of is neighbors feeling that there's new homeless in their neighborhood. Homeless is going up. The homeless just came from the neighborhood where they got -- the cleanup happened down the street, because if there's no shelter space for them -- Commissioner Reyes: Well, you know -- Vice Chair Russell: -- there's no place for them to go. Commissioner Reyes: But shelter -- shelter, you know, when we talk about shelter, we have to understand that it goes two to tango. It is for the shelter to be here and for the homeless to accept it. Vice Chair Russell: Yeah. Commissioner Carollo: Well -- City of Miami Page 71 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Commissioner Reyes: You see, that's not happening. Vice Chair Russell: So, let me just -- so let me just clarify where we are. Commissioner Carollo has made a motion. He does not yet have a second. Commissioner Reyes has requested an amendment. Commissioner Reyes: No, I will second without -- Vice Chair Russell: Condition of the amendment or -- Commissioner Reyes: -- with the Commissioner. With that -- Commissioner Carollo: Well, we're in the discussion. If could go back -- Vice Chair Russell: That's fine. Commissioner Carollo: -- to show what I want to do. IfI could show the video that I have. And then let's go -- Vice Chair Russell: Then we'll see if we have your second. Commissioner Carollo: -- then let's return to this. Vice Chair Russell: All right. So, then the motion is just withdrawn for the moment. We're going to have discussion, .show the video, and then you'll reintroduce the motion. Commissioner Carollo: That's correct. Vice Chair Russell: All right. That's fine. You have the floor. Commissioner Carollo: Before you start rolling, can you put the voice so you could hear? Audiovisual presentation made. Vice Chair Russell: Microphone. Commissioner Reyes: (INAUDIBLE) is bad, and everybody knows that, I mean, everybody that's driving around. Could you -- could you please come to the microphone? William Porro: William Porro, Director of Human Services. Good afternoon. Commissioner Reyes: Yes, sir. Have you identified places that we can provide the facilities for these people that are now on the street, and they have -- they are camping there, to go into that location and be able to stay there? Mr. Porro: We've talked about -- Commissioner Reyes: I mean, they're not going to be confined there. They can go out and all of that, but they cannot camp on the street. That's one thing that I want everybody to know. Mr. Porro: We've talked about a couple of locations there in the city. We need to delve in it more in terms of cost and things like that. But yes, I think we're on the same page. But if I can say, Commissioners, I think part of the solution to the problem, and City of Miami Page 72 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 1 believe that there's a lot right now that's going on to amplify, to expand this continuum of care that we all struggle with is that it's not just about shelter. We can get them off the streets and we have the beds. COVID has thrown a wrench in the whole thing. But more importantly, on the other side of that spectrum is affordable housing or this supportive housing, let's better call it. Commissioner Reyes: You're talking about a long-term houses? Mr. Porro: Yes, treatment beds -- Commissioner Reyes: Yes. Mr. Porro: -- there's all of that. If we can somehow, Commissioners, expand a little bit here, a little bit there, in the short term, 1 think it's going to be much more beneficial than just trying to put everybody in shelters, for example. Commissioner Reyes: Absolutely, but do you agree with me that now that we -- if we get them out of the street, you see, and -- and we're going to -- we need a place that they could go, and we could use that place as a resource center that we can capture and try to provide treatment. Some of them will not like treatment. Mr. Porro: Absolutely. Commissioner Reyes: I mean they would -- I have a lot offaith on Judge Leif/Tian -- Mr. Porro: I agree. Commissioner Reyes: -- initiative. I do, I do have a lot offaith, but meanwhile, until Judge Leifman is not ready to go, if we can get them, you see, they can go to a place that they have facilities, and there's no excuse then to be defecating in the streets because we're going to have bathrooms all over downtown. We're going to have a facility where they can go and do what they need to do, and they even can take a shower. Are we capable of providing those services? Mr. Porro: Yes, I've gotten quotes already in the short term to do, you know -- Commissioner Reyes: What -- how soon before this is going to pass, if this passes, how soon can you -- Mr. Porro: For example, in terms of the feeding ordinance, for example, if we were to supply bathrooms, I can supply 10, I mean, yeah, 10 bathrooms, 10 washing stations in all 5 lots -- Commissioner Reyes: Okay. Mr. Porro: -- literally within a week or two. Commissioner Reyes: Okay. Mr. Porro: I mean, there's a cost to doing that and maintaining it, and then to be, if I can be frank, I don't know if that's going to solve the issue in terms of just bringing more homeless to the area. I don't know. Commissioner Reyes: Listen, I'm a firm believer, and I'm sorry to say this, that we will never end homelessness. There is -- it's a choice that some people make. You just saw it. It's a choice some people make. We have had it since I remember, since the hobos. You see, we have had people that they don't want any responsibility, and they'd rather City of Miami Page 73 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 live like that. But what 1 want to do is, and also everything got worse when the Supreme Court --1 mean -- ruled that we have to nobody has to be in an institution, you see, 1 mean, against their will, and they open up Bellevue, all the mental institutions, they open it up and people didn't have any place to go but on the streets. Mr. Porro: Well, if I can share as well, COVID has thrown a wrench in it because before when we had the 10 overnight beds, all of a sudden, no treatment center will -- will take somebody off the street -- Commissioner Reyes: Absolutely. Mr. Porro: -- excuse me, just without being tested because they'll inject the entire place. So, I'm looking at rapid tests so we can get in those into Camillus House. Commissioner Reyes: In your opinion, taking this measure plus providing them with a place to go that could be a resource center that they could be captured by -- I mean, professionals that -- like psychologists, and also -- also, I mean, I think that they could even treated there because the -- some of them might own the medication and make sure that they take the medication and all of that. That could help a lot, right? Mr. Porro: I agree. If I can share as well, today a couple of times somebody mentioned something about Finland. I went online, as of August 21st, Finland had 4,800 people on the streets with a population of 5 million. Commissioner Reyes: Yes. Mr. Porro: We have, countywide, 900. Commissioner Reyes: Correction. They still have 4,120. Mr. Porro: They do, yes. Commissioner Reyes: (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Mr. Porro: And actually, there -- there's a group of those that they categorize as living with friends and relatives. Commissioner Reyes: Yes. Mr. Porro: So -- Commissioner Carollo: That's the Adopt a Home Finnish program. Mr. Porro: Yes. Commissioner Reyes: Yes. Okay, okay, so you are going to have -- you are going to provide the facilities and everything for the -- I mean, and the locations that you're going to determine. Mr. Porro: I will work with the Administration to do exactly that. Commissioner Reyes: Mr. City Manager, Mr. City Manager, are you going to be working with him, trying to provide a resource center so that when we -- they cannot camp in the street anymore. If Ave pass this, they won't be able to camp in the street. They have to go to some place. Are they going to provide those places that they can direct, or we can direct them to? City of Miami Page 74 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Arthur Noriega (City Manager): Yeah. Mr. Porro has already been working on a budget, sort of a comprehensive budget in terms of facilities. For us, it's just identifying one or two locations and then sort of transition that long term into a long term plan, which is some of the other stuff that we've been working on with the American Rescue Plan money as well. Commissioner Reyes: Okay. Mr. Noriega: So, we have sort of a comprehensive plan that we're going to work on. Some of it is short term, and then there's really a long term -- Commissioner Reyes: So, in other words, this is not just an ordinance that is going to be -- you've got to get out of the street and that's it. Mr. Porro: Absolutely not. Commissioner Reyes: It has a comprehensive plan behind it. Mr. Porro: I think this is the perfect time with the American Rescue Plan dollars to see how we can intelligently look -- Commissioner Reyes: Okay. Mr. Porro: -- at the things that are already there. Commissioner Reyes: I'm willing to give it a try. Yes, sir. I'm willing to give it a try. Commissioner Watson: Mr. Chair, let me ask you a question. Mr. Porro, what's that comprehensive plan look like? Because clearly there's some really [sic] elements to the resolution that should include some things that we should know about -- Commissioner Reyes: Yep. Commissioner Watson: -- that's going to give credence to what we're talking about at this point and give people an understanding that what we're doing is something that we're not getting into the business because I spoke to Ms. Collins earlier, we're not getting into the business because we don't have the capacity to do that. But we do have the capacity to bring these partners together and ensure that they, in effect, also help out. Two instances that I will talk about, because I saw the tape, butt can tell you in the last seven days, and now just two hours ago -- Vice Chair Russell: Right. Commissioner Watson: -- four people. One mother with a fancily offour daughters on the verge of now not being in a spot, in a -- in a home. One family, and yet she feeds a homeless person sitting in the front of a MLK (Martin Luther King) building that probably should have been fixed up, but has not been, and yet it was painted a week before signs went up, right? This is someone who lives in public housing feeding someone that lives outside. There's also a family who've moved a single mother and three kids into their home. They're in public housing. And another, who I talked to on yesterday, who moved a single mother and a family offour. I'm not talking about people taking in a person, taking in families. So, it's real. Commissioner Reyes: Absolutely. Commissioner Watson: And so, from that perspective, we don't want to get into the business, but we want to do a lot to, one, help city residents, because City of Miami City of Miami Page 75 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 residents, taxpayers, don't want to pay taxes for everybody, particularly people from other parts of the country. And just recently, I looked at a mold infested building, and once I say something to do something, seven more families need a place to go, right? And so, we're going to have to, Mr. Manager, spend a couple of dollars. We're also going to have to now do some of those things, centers and the like, because we can't just do one part of it, we have to do additional parts of it and that community, we should -- at some point, I'll take --you know, I'll stand to do it, bring them together, because they're clearly not talking together, talking to each other. And there are stakeholders, and they are in the business of homelessness, they are in the business, make no mistake. Some have different business models than others, but they are in the business. But they have to talk to each other, and we have to come together because one of the corporate -- corporations has been looking to help, one. Two, Red Rooster asked for help from the CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) to do a daycare program so that it can keep the employees and -- and keep employees who now need to work so that they, too, won't fall into the category of homelessness, right? And we also -- because people think we don't have compassion, right? We also, in a program that the Mayor and I did earlier in the year, we have, on three parks in my district, we have childcare services so that people can go to work. And CRA has a training program -- CRA has a training program that allows people to work from the street. We bring them in. So, I think that we have to be a little bit more aggressive in partnering, making sure for city residents, and ensuring that all these guys that now work in the business of homelessness, they, in effect, come to the table so it doesn't seem like we're doing a singular action, but doing something that's more comprehensive. We're not going to end it, but we can reduce it. I think I'd also thought maybe we have 300 achievable number, 300 achievable supportive/transitional shelter beds. And so, we do have to make a financial commitment of some sort, but please come back to us to let us know what that's going to be so that we all can be abreast of a plan because too often we're now labeled one way that we're not doing. Label is one thing, but saying what you're not doing, it's not accurate. Because the childcare program, we do at a loss. So, we are giving, we are doing something, and the public should know that part of it as well. Because it's easy to -- to take shots at some singular action. But if it's tied to a plan outright, then the entities that are involved can help us, and we can partner with them, and also make corporate Miami. Corporate Miami has to be a part of this as well. And if they -- and since they -- since some of them do want to be, then we ought to make sure that they are. Mr. Porro: I'll work with you, Commissioner. Commissioner Watson: Okay? Commissioner Reyes: Mr. Chair? Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. Commissioner Reyes,, you are recognized. Commissioner Reyes: Yes, I mean that this -- this ordinance, it is part -- has a comprehensive plan included in it that you are going to define as areas where they can receive treatment, and they can take a shower, do whatever they want. And also, listening to Commissioner Watson, I believe that you have to incorporate, we saw a lot of people coming through here that they claim that they are assisting the homeless and they want the program to keep on going. You see, well I think this is a good opportunity to everybody, everybody said, well let's work together, this is a great opportunity to work together, we're the City of Miami, we are going to keep in some place. We are also going to provide all the -- all the needs that they have in order to be out of the -- be protected. They're not going to be out of the environment, and we can -- they can come and if they are feeding or they are providing counseling, or they are providing medicine, well they can come and work together with you guys. City of Miami Page 76 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Mr. Porro: Absolutely. Commissioner Reyes: Is that possible? Mr. Porro: It's possible, sir, ifI can work with all of you. Commissioner Reyes: With -- with permission, I mean, I'm going to request from Commissioner Carollo, can we incorporate that into the order? Commissioner Carollo: Incorporate what? Commissioner Reyes: Incorporate that we are going to -- this is part of the comprehensive plan that is going to be -- that they are going to be -- they're going to be out of the streets and they're going to go into a place that we're going to provide, and that place will have the resources that they need. Commissioner Carollo: I think we need to talk more because what 1 don't want to do, Commissioner, I'll tell you right now, is kill the effectiveness. If the votes aren't here, so be it. But 1 don't want to water this down to a point that it's not going to be effective. Now, ifI can, let me go to what I showed here, because I wanted to show that and I didn't speak so everybody could hear and see it. There was a total of 18 homeless people that you saw in the screen that I spoke to. Out of the 18, let me give you a breakdown. Five were from another state. Three, New York, one Michigan, one Illinois. Four were from a foreign country. One from Africa, one from Antigua, one from the Bahamas, one from Peru. Two were from the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Out of those 11 that were not from here, two had just arrived. One said he had arrived four days ago from Peru, and the other gentleman said he had arrived here a week ago. That's one of the gentlemen from Puerto Rico. Out of the seven that claimed they were from Miami -Dade County. Five said Miami, so I'm putting them down as city of Miami, but not necessarily. One from Hialeah. I don't know if we should include that in the out-of-state, or in the local, but you guys tell me. And one from Miami Beach. Even though from some other statements he made to me off -camera, I do believe he was from out of state, but he said Miami Beach, so I'm putting hire down as Miami Beach. So, you have 11 out of the 18 that are either from out of state or from a foreign country. Five that could be city of Miami, one Hialeah, and one Miami Beach. So, this shows you that you have a great amount of homeless people. I believe it could be as much as a majority of the people we have out in the streets that are not from here. It's a problem that's being sent to us from other places. The other areas that I think were observed there was that some of the people that I went to speak to have some very serious mental problems and drug issues. Now, these are two areas of services that we have to provide, and I've always mentioned that. Last but not least, the most important part, you saw me asking them, in some cases almost pleading to go to a shelter where they would have a roof over their heads, they would have a warm bed, they would have hot meals. They didn't want to go to a shelter. They refused. Inflict, the two that said that they would go to a shelter, very soon Mr. Porro sent people there. One took off right away, and I think there was one left, Mr. Porro, right? And he said no, and he wanted to go to the shelter. So that's the essence of the issue because I keep saying the foundation of the problem that we have out there is not a homeless issue as we thought of homelessness in America before. What we have out there is a problem of addicts. Individuals that have gotten strung out in numerous different drugs, and that's caused mental problems in many of there, and they don't want to go to a shelter for two reasons. One, as one of them told me, they're too strict. In other words, no drugs. You're not going to be able to use drugs in a shelter. And two, you're not going to be able to acquire and buy drugs in a shelter. And this is the key reason why this huge population of addicts that are homeless don't want to go to a shelter because they can't get drugs in a shelter, they can't use drugs in a shelter. They want to be out on the streets so they can get strong high, big time, like the lady City of Miami Page 77 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 from District 2 that came here, and the problem she ran into, that you've all heard. Now, we're looking for compassionate solutions. And we have in the city of Miami. My God, we have spent more money per capita than most cities in America. We have spent tens and tens of millions of dollars in past years. This year's, funding alone is over $7 million, and that doesn't include hundreds of thousands of dollars of additional monies that we spend in Paramedics, Fire, Police, and other services that we provide to this population, but this solution is not going to be that we're going to take money from where we have very little to put this population, a majority from out of state or out of the country, in front of the line to build houses for them that, for the most part, they don't care to be in at all. And frankly, in the state of mind that many are in, wouldn't be able to maintain any kind of home like that. So, what 1 try to show in the additional part of the video is what our city, in different parts, is becoming. What you saw there is worse than third world. I've traveled in my lifetime to dozens and dozens and dozens of countries. I've seen it all. And 1 will tell you that what we have out there in the countries that we call third world here, you don't see it like that. This is as bad as it gets. And there are people out there, and I'll say it again, that are perfectly content with that because that's how they are going to make a living, get a higher salary. Others, I'm going to use a new word that's been thrown around in many ways, others have weaponized the homeless against the rest of us, all the other residents of Miami, to use as a weapon against us for their ideological reasons. Now, when I've shown clear videos that you have streets, sidewalks that are being blocked, that individuals cannot go through those sidewalks because they're being blocked, whether by tents, whether by other items. You see the whole line of bicycles in one. Where do you think those bicycles are coming from? Do you really think that they're going then to buy them at Kmart or Walmart? No, they're being stolen from our neighborhoods. That's why, at least before the pandemic, you would see small freight ships come to the Port of Miami, and when they leave, they'd have all kinds of bicycles on top. Those were bicycles that were being stolen from our homes, and other stuff that was being stolen. This ordinance is very clear. Let me go through some parts of it so that we can be clear in what we're voting on. It will not allow any police officer to take action unless they take certain steps before, including to make sure that there are shelters. Otherwise, they cannot take any steps. But what it's doing, most of all, like you saw in the video that I put there, with piles of garbage being thrown out, is we're going to make sure that all these areas that you saw in that video and others that you didn't see, are going to be clean, three times a week. Because what is happening to these encampments is that they are becoming a real hell passer to the people that are out there sleeping in those tents, in the sidewalk, and to the rest of us, all Miami residents. Those are real hell -passers that we have an obligation, as a city, to clean them up, to protect them and protect us from it. Let me go over, Commissioner. Says the police has tendered -- says when a police officer, before they can take any action, the police officer has tendered the written warning required by Subsection (c)(1)09 of and has provided a reasonable time, two hours for the person to pick up his or her belongings and comply with the prohibition. Yet, if the person has not complied, then the police officer has verified that there is available shelter for the person, and the person has refused the offer of shelter, then and only then, can a police officer take action. After giving them reasonable warning that we're going to come and clean, they have to move whatever belongings they have there, and we have to provide a shelter fbr them, know that there is a bed to take them to. Otherwise, they cannot take any actions. Yes. Commissioner Reyes: Can I say a couple of things? Commissioner Carollo: Sure. Commissioner Reyes: You're accusing me of -- Commissioner Carollo: I'm not accusing anyone of anything. City of Miami Page 78 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Commissioner Reyes: No, no, hold on a second, hold on a second, (UNINTELLIGIBLE). 1 don't want to water this down. The only thing that 1 want to do, and I agree with you, that we have a huge problem in our hands. And we have a bunch of people here that they are not from the city of Miami. I know that we have people, now that winter comes, we're going to get more from other cold states. The problem is that we're going to clean our streets. I -- me, more than anybody, has been always against having people camping on our streets and doing what they're doing, just -- and I don't give that nobody, be it homeless or be it a person that is a millionaire, has the right to go in front of a business and defecate in front of the business, and do their things in front of the business, nobody, because if1 do it, ifI do it, 1 will be arrested, you see? And 1 think that nobody is above the law here. Everybody has to comply with the law, and that's why I ask always the City Attorney to make sure to inform the police and inform us what we can do. But we have a reality here. We are moving them from one place, and we tell them, you got to leave. But we are not proposing -- what I'm asking is that we have a place that we can tell them because to build shelters for those people now, you see, I don't think there is enough. We can tell them, and what I'm saying is -- you got to move from here. We are not going to accept you to be blocking the street, blocking the sidewalk, I agree 100 percent. I don't want to -- I mean, be jumping over feces when I walk in downtown. You're going to have a place that you will be able to go. You don't have to -- I'm not going to move you from 1st street to 3rd street, you see? Because if we don't have a place that we can guide them to, then what we are moving them from one street to the other. And then we are creating a lot of problems. Commissioner Carollo: You are right. And 1 understand that. Commissioner Reyes: And the only thing that 1 want is to create a place, you see, make sure that we have a place that they can go to that place. Commissioner Carollo: Yeah. Commissioner Reyes: Okay, that's all. Commissioner Carollo: I think in the series of ordinance and resolutions that I have brought that we have passed some, and are in the second reading on some, the combination that covers everything. For instance, I think this is clear, that we have to take compassionate, humane steps -- Commissioner Reyes: Absolutely. Commissioner Carollo: -- before anything can be done, and we have to find shelter. Otherwise, we're not going to move. Commissioner Reyes: Agree with you. Commissioner Carollo: Now, beyond the shelter, this is what I -- why I had the other, I believe it was done in the form of a resolution, or instructions to the Manager, a resolution, where we requested of the Manager, and I think this is where you're coming in, that we would identify different places that, look, if they didn't want the shelter, if for any reason we have the shelters full, then we could have an additional place where they can go now. We will be responsible of providing a bed, providing bathroom facilities. I would include in that mental and drug counseling, or however you want to describe the service that we have to provide. But what we do not have to provide is a jive -star hotel service, an encampment. This would be that instead of a small tent they're going to be out there, maybe it'll be a nice big tent. Maybe we could even have air condition, maybe, fans, or maybe we could build something. I mean, I City of Miami Page 79 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 designed stuff that we could have out there in a matter of three or four days, and it's going to be super comfortable, as strong as any construction that you have here in Miami, and it's not costly at all. So, now I'll tell you what happened. When 1 mentioned, if you remember, that we have, my God, close to a thousand acres in Virginia Key. That that could be one place that we could have. I know that a lot of my friends, your friends, from Key Biscayne, and not near me, and this is the problem that everybody wants to dump their problem in the city of Miami, and we're taking everybody's problem. We can't do that any longer. Look what I am asking fir that our residents are going to be treated with the same courtesy, professionalism, and the sane rights that homeless people are in our streets. Because what's happened here is that we've turned our world upside down. Our residents are the ones that have become second-class citizens. And this is not right in any society. How the heck can people come here and demand that we provide 500 new housing units, as I've shown you, where the majority of people are not from Miami, they're out of state or out of the country. And that on top of that, yes, as I said before, when we have so many needy people in many of our districts that, hey, they would love to give up and say the heck with it. You know, why should I be doing two jobs? Why should I be having to sacrifice so much just to put a roof over the heads of my kids in Little Havana, or in Overtown, or Little Haiti, or Liberty City, or Allapattah, or Flagami, if now all I got to do is say, I'm homeless, I'm going to go in the street, and I'm the one that's going to the front of the bus, and I'm going to be given a brand new place. You know, Camillus House, somebody here 1 think, or I received a call from Camillus House. Now that's the brothers of whatever they are, the Shepard, or -- they're from another state, by the way, that came in here. Well, 1 remember when 1 was a kid commissioner in my early 20s, 1 had that priest that ran Camillus House, and he sat down with me, and he said, you know, I control over a thousand votes of these homeless. So, if you want to be re- elected in the future, this is what you've got to do and play with me. And I did not respond to him as the altar boy that I once was. I think that's part of the reason many years ago he was finally taken out, and for more of this. And yes, I keep saying it, this has become a major business. And you hear the only solution that all these people are giving you is, you've got to bring more millions of dollars, more millions of dollars. Yes, so they can get more millions of dollars in their hands. But what about the rest of our people? What about the need? I mean, I'd like for some of these television cameras to go with me through Little Havana and see how a lot of the people live and the rents they're paying for the places they're living in. They could have given up, go to the streets, but they haven't. You know, go see Commissioner Watson. He'll take you through Liberty City, Little Haiti, Overtown. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla could take you through Allapattah. And there are sections like Flagami that Commissioner Reyes can take you, and even Commissioner Russell, that lives in the most expensive district, affordable district in Miami, he could take you to a few places in the West Grove that would meet the criteria that I'm talking about. It is not right that all the attention, all the money is being demanded for individuals that the main problem they have is that they're addicted to drugs. Now I'm not saying that every homeless out there is like that. The guys that I ran -- that had just come in, one from Puerto Rico, a week before, and the Peruvian guy, those are different stories. But the videotapes that 1 showed you, me interviewing them, that -- those images didn't lie. You see the problems that many of these people have. And again, what happened to this lady, it's going to happen more and more again. And I'm going to say something more. What really concerned me when I went out this weekend to get those interviews was the fact of how many of the homeless that we have out there, are carrying knives for self-protection. And I don't know how many incidents we've had, but I know we've had quite a few of homeless attacking homeless and homeless attacking our residents, like the lady that was here today. So, Commissioner, I put something here that I think it's a good -- lays a good foundation to work from. And we know this is not going to be the whole solution, but at least we're taking the steps that none of these people cared before until we brought this up. City of Miami Page 80 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Commissioner Reyes: Yes, sir. And if you remember, we've been talking about this for a long time. Commissioner Carollo: Yeah, we have. Commissioner Reyes: And we've been talking about and something got to be done. And I agree that we should try to get them out of the street because the -- our residents, they have rights too. But what I'm saving is that we need not to move the problem to another place. That what we have to do is to have places that they can go and also support that they can get. Why? Because amongst those, and I'm going to talk with a clear conscience, among those that they are unfortunately, they are addicted, there could be some that could be recaptured, that could be saved. Commissioner Carollo: There are very, very small percentage, but there are. Commissioner Reyes: But there is a percentage. One, one is enough. And also, I'm going to tell you this, as I said when I first started speaking, I believe that the majority, the great majority of the homeless are not because of economic reason. Commissioner Carollo: That is correct, that's what I just stated. Commissioner Reyes: And when we -- if we get it --1 mean, we try to provide them -- we going to get them out of the street. We have to -- we need a place that they can go. Commissioner Carollo: But let me tell you what's going to happen. Commissioner Reyes: Okay. No, no, no, no, I know what you're going to say. You're going to say that, well, they are just going to go and -- and that -- and they're not going to go into the place. Commissioner Carollo: No, no, no, no, no, no, I'm not going to say that. I'm not going to say is that. What 1 am going to say is that once that population that are not economic homeless, as you stated, this is what I was saying before, that are homeless for drug addiction, understand that they're not going to be able to move from one part of the city to the other because we're going to apply the law equal in any part of the city. Commissioner Reyes: (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Commissioner Carollo: They're going to leave the city of Miami, and most likely, they're going to go to another part of Florida that's warm, or they're going to go back to whatever state they came from. Commissioner Reyes: Yes. But the -- Commissioner Carollo: But they're not going to be in the city of Miami, where we're spending our money for people that are not from here. I mean, some of the statements that you've heard from the people that I interview, when I asked them, how long you've been here, some were telling me two years, three years. Well, where are all these programs that I've been told. and this group and that group and the other, because these people have been recycled this -- during all these years here? Commissioner Reyes: Well, I don't think there is any problem, as you stated before. We give it a directive to the City Manager to find a location, and as you stated -- Commissioner Carollo: We have done that before. It's a resolution. City of Miami Page 81 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Commissioner Reyes: It's a resolution. Commissioner Carollo: So that works hand in hand with whatever else we got here. Commissioner Reyes: Apply that resolution, and -- and I don't think that you're going to need much time to find a place and get it ready. Commissioner Carollo: Look, I'll help you find people that maybe will donate sufficient tents or coverings that would meet our requirements. The good thing is that now we're going out of the hurricane season, so we're going to have a whole six months soon, no hurricanes, so we can gear up for this. It's not like we're in the middle of the hurricane season. But Mr. Manager, Virginia Key, and I know I'm going to get a lot of my friends here ticked off at me again, that's a place that we have a lot of room, that we could put a lot of services there. We could put trailers for mental health professionals we could bring. We can, you know, bring trailers that would have medical facilities, others for drug addiction. And I don't think that if what we're being told by some that this is what they want, well, here's exactly what we're doing. ButI submit to you that you're going to have a huge part of this population that no matter what we offer them, they don't want it. Because they've been checked out already. They're burned out with the drugs. All they want to do is be on the streets, buying drugs, using drugs, with nobody telling them they can't use it. That's why in all these places that we want to clean up three times a week, you see all the syringes from them shooting up. Commissioner Reyes: Absolutely. Commissioner Carollo: How many of them throughout the past years have we found dead out in our streets? Or from some of the other drugs that that wonderful country of communist China is sending to us to destroy us so they'll never have to fight a war with us, a real war, so they can destroy us with drugs like they're doing. And you see it across America. What you're seeing out there are not economic homelessness. This is not FDRs (Franklin Delano Roosevelt's) depression that he went out to help real homeless people for economic reasons, this is a different type of homeless that we have out in the streets now. And it's a very challenging one, because you've got people there that are schizophrenic, bipolar, all kinds of mental issues that derive of their drug usage, and they're addicts. That's all they care about, getting their next shot, getting their next high. Commissioner Reyes: I will add to that, I was talking to an expert the other day, and something that really scared me is that -- it is -- could be a lot, but could be a few, sexual predators that they have been labeled sexual predators. They cannot leave, have established themselves close to school or very difficult for them to find housing, that they are among the homeless population. Do we have the resources to identify or go out and try to identify that population so we can get rid of them -- I mean? Mr. Porro: Well, I think that that -- I can get back to you on the specific process, but that is looked at now. If I'm not mistaken, I could be wrong, but there's providers here, no one can go into a shelter at a level two. In other words, ifthey are found to have something in their background like that, they can't be a -- Commissioner Reyes: But probably that could be some of the ones that they refused shelter because of that, you see. Mr. Porro: It's possible. Commissioner Reyes: It is possible because it amazes me that you are on the -- I mean, you know there's going to come a big storm and you're offered shelter, and you City of Miami Page 82 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 refuse it. 1 mean it is either because you do have a serious mental illness or because there is some problem there. And 1 would like for you guys to make an effort to try to identify it, because if that is true, it is very dangerous. That is very dangerous, Jroour population. And Mr. Carollo, I have seen -- you have seen in the news, some of those, probably, I don't know if they are under the influence of drugs or they are because of mental illness, that they, out of -- I mean, they have jumped and started beating people without any provocations. And Pm afraid because I have family and I have people that, a lot of -- I mean my district we have a lot of elders, a lot of elderly people, that senior population is very fragile, you see, and could be hurt by that. If -- if -- I mean, I think we have to talk about this a lot. You are going to be doing the finding out that -- you might call it shelter, or you can call it whatever. Commissioner Carollo: We've instructed the Manager already through a resolution to do that. And if you want, you can incorporate the resolution as part of this ordinance Commissioner Reyes: Let's incorporate -- let's incorporate that resolution as part of this ordinance. And also, please invite everyone, everyone that has a program or that provides assistance to the homeless to go to those places and bring their expertise and see how many we can save, okay? Vice Chair Russell: Commissioner Watson. Commissioner Watson: Yeah, let me just say that 1 think that the -- I don't know, say two things. One, and 1 don't think any of us, I'm not interested in maybe watering down, as you say, their proposal, but I think what 1'd at least like to see happen is people understand that we are trying to address the issue as opposed to avoid the problem, one. And two, most importantly, not see what we're doing get lost in somebody else's description of trying to change the narrative. What I can tell you in working with the CRA I and we've had probably a little bit more than success in this sense, I was stopped in doing some things that I thought, and Commander Joseph thought would be helpful, simply because it does cost our police department more because we're not in sync. Why are we not in sync? Federal programs for housing are not in sync with people who are homeless. They're just not. And so, a lot of what -- the financial help that can be used, can't really be accessed by the providers, service providers or what have you. It's just really screwed up and so we have to work on that front. Two, we're not in sync locally. They'll go out and spend probably, I don't know, if Chiefs around, four hours on average, if they take somebody in and our judiciary will let them out an hour later. And so, it gets to be kind of cray. And I think that's why it's important to have something not singular, but comprehensive, because hopefully we now get a chance to do what we're trying to do, which is help slash, move, reduce the homeless on the street, as opposed to now the cycle of spending money, because that way doesn't really make sense either. And so I think that that's the biggest thing that I would like to ask my colleague, if in fact we can do something, I don't want to water down what you're talking about, but if we can do something that allows for something comprehensive that helps us rather than have the police officers doing what they're doing, and now if we go ahead and they put somebody in the system, they'll let them out. And they do. They take two hours to do it, take another two hours, take another two hours to write it up. And by the time they finish writing up what they just did, these guys downtown let them out. Commissioner Carollo: Commissioner, there's nothing that prevents any additional plans to be brought forward on top of this. But what basically we're being told is, by a few, is that first of all, the way that they have characterized this ordinance is totally false. This is not criminalizing homelessness at all, whatsoever. We have laws in the city that apply to everyone, and those apparently want us to exempt homelessness from the laws that we have for all the others that live in the city. But the City of Miami Page 83 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 characterization that this is an ordinance to criminalize being homeless, it's not so at all. What I'm not willing to do any longer is to keep feeding the beast of the business of homelessness. 1 want to come with concrete actions that will see real solutions. And that includes truly helping people that have mental problems, have drug addiction, knowing well that the percentage that you're going to be able to truly save are not super high, but at least we have an obligation to try. What we don't have an obligation to do is provide Ritz Carlton, Rolls Royce services to the homeless, or frankly, to anyone. This is government. The best that we could do at times is a Volkswagen, maybe a Chevy or a Ford. Commissioner Reyes: Or a motorcycle. Commissioner Carollo: I don't want to go to the scooters, so don't mention that, but we have put together a good foundation to keep building on. And these aren't the only solutions. Maybe we could do others. And I will say something that 1 didn't think was the case, but I did see it out there. There has been a drop in the homelessness out in the streets. And, you know, I -- not to the level that we're being told, but there -- there is a drop. Now -- Commissioner Reyes: They're going to California. Commissioner Carollo: Well, I --1 suspect that because we have been more vigilant in the cleanups and everything, we're not as welcoming as we used to be, and people from other states, other parts, are going somewhere else in Florida or where they came from. But for whatever is worth for those in the business, 1 did see a drop. I mean, from what we used to have at Bayfront Park and Ferre Park, or Bicentennial Park, there's' been a drop. The areas that you saw in the concentration that I showed in that video, they were even worse before. And that looked bad in what I showed. Anyway, I will put my motion back. Vice Chair Russell: There's a motion by Commissioner Carollo. Is there a second? Commissioner Reyes: I'll second. Vice Chair Russell: Seconded by Commissioner Reves. Is there further discussion? So, I'd like to say a couple of things, Commissioner Carollo -- Commissioner Reves: Second. Second with the all the -- Vice Chair Russell: Well, he hasn't accepted your amendments yet. Commissioner Carollo: No, I -- I have. Vice Chair Russell: You have. Okay, I'd like to -- Commissioner Carollo: We're going to include the resolution. Commissioner Watson: He accepted it. Commissioner Reyes: Yeah. Commissioner Carollo: Yeah. Commissioner Reyes: With the resolution. Commissioner Carollo: Yeah, with the resolution that we passed before. City of Miami Page 84 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Commissioner Reyes: (UNINTELLIGIBLE). We're going to provide the centers and all of that. Barnaby Min (Deputy City Attorney): Mr. Chair, can I clarify that I believe the amendment should be to the SR (Second Reading) item concerning the prohibition on encampments, that it include the section at the end to clarify that Resolution R-21- 0373, adopted on September 13th, 2021, which directed the City Manager to define alternate locations, be complied with pursuant to today's discussion. Commissioner Carollo: (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. So, seconder -- motion to -- the mover agrees and the seconder's -- to the seconder's condition. I'm not going to to; to change your mind, and you may have your votes on this, but I do want to say why 1 disagree with you, and I think we can have that healthy debate, because I know that this -- Commissioner Carollo: We can. Vice Chair Russell: -- comes from a place of frustration to try to solve the problem. I know you are trying to solve the problem. Commissioner Carollo: We're all frustrated with it. Vice Chair Russell: Yes. But 1'd like to speak a little bit to the criminalization side of it and the concerns I have there, and then to the resources that are available to us that clearly, you've lost trust in. Everyone you -- and 1 appreciate you bringing the video. It was actually heartbreaking. It was really hard to watch because it realiv humanizes what people are going through. You see the fear and confusion in their eyes. You see they're not of clear mind. They're distrusting. They're nervous. They don't want to come in. But if one of those people had had a unauthorized heating element and there was a shelter bed and they refused it and they were given two hours to clear out of that spot, they could be subject to arrest. It is possible. And they're not of clear mind to accept what's been given to them. And hopefully through our outreach, and our Green Shirts, and our Lazarus Project, we could break through with them and convince them to come in. But it isn't an immediate thing. They're not going to look at you and immediately trust you right off the street. And that's why people that work in our program and those who we entrust from the different programs to do that outreach specialize in that. I don't -- I could hear in your voice you were sincere in offering them -- Commissioner Carollo: Well I was, I really was. Vice Chair Russell: -- what was being offered, but -- Commissioner Carollo: Especially with rain that seemed it was coming. Vice Chair Russell .• Clear, and I've been out prior to a hurricane coming and offering. Commissioner Reyes: Yes. Vice Chair Russell: And there's a little more openness at that point, but you still see the fear and distrust in their eyes. Clearly, you've had years of experience with the shelters and organizations in our community, and the anecdote you made about from the 1970s perhaps with Camillus House. I can say that I've been. Commissioner Carollo: Not that far back, Chair. City of Miami Page 85 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Vice Chair Russell: Well, you said when you were a young Christian. Commissioner Carollo: Yeah, this is the 80s, not that far back. Vice Chair Russell: Okay, fair enough. Commissioner Carollo: I mean, I know that some of you think that I was here when we founded Miami, but I didn't go that far hack. Vice Chair Russell: I -- but have to say this. I've been out on the census count overnight more than once. I've been to every one of the organizations that we fund together as a Commission and as the CRAs. And the people like Vicki Mallette, Samiria Hudson, Constance Collins, who am I forgetting? Hilda Fernandez, that was the one I was forgetting. They are the people who run Chapman, Lotus, Camillus, and the Homeless Trust, and what you're proposing that we create as a resource with the medical and the wraparound and everything perhaps out on Virginia Key is what they offer. They offer those wraparound services, counseling, job training, clothing, day programs, night programs, short and long-term care. But if we -- Commissioner Carollo: But, Commissioner, this is why we're saying that we send them to shelters -- Commissioner Reyes: Yes. Commissioner Carollo: -- before we can take any action. Commissioner Reyes: Absolutely. Commissioner Carollo: If we don't have a place to send them to, then we don't take any action. Vice Chair Russell: Right, but the -- the previous resolution that was already passed about seeking new locations and asking Mr. Porro to find those locations. If it's Virginia Key, for example, it is so far away from the existing services that could be reaching them and it's going to be very hard. Commissioner Reyes: I don't think Virginia Key, you see, I know that we have a lot of places under the expressways and things like that, that we can -- we can get them there, butt think that what we're doing by keeping them all together, we are facilitating the job that they're doing. We are facilitating them and making it easier for them to reach to where they are, because if you have to go one by one, and instead of waiting, you have a concentration, it's my opinion that we're facilitating the job, but nobody's taking away the good job that they are doing. Vice Chair Russell: Well, my worry is that we're replicating what they do, but maybe not as good as they do it, because we're going to be trying to manage and seek new resources, and we're going to be feeding a new machine. But I'm not trying to debate. Commissioner Carollo: We won't know until we try it, maybe. Commissioner Reyes: Yes, I mean, I'm willing to decide that. Vice Chair Russell: But this is -- but please let me finish my point, because I can see that you've lost trust in the system that exists before us because with nearly 60 million dollars -- Commissioner Reyes: Absolutely. City of Miami Page 86 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Vice Chair Russell: -- in organizations, we still have the issues on the streets. I understand where you're coming from, but I have been at Chapman and watched someone, I don't know what their term is, but graduate, receive a key. They have a ceremony where they give them that key. They're getting out of shelter and into an apartment of supportive, permanent supportive housing and it's a celebration, and it's not -- Commissioner Reyes: And that got to happen. Vice Chair Russell: But it's not -- it's not jumping the line. We're not taking that person right off the street and taking them -- they've got to go through that whole process that this person went through. And so, it's just helping grow their process, the missing pieces. They've got a pipeline that is jammed. And so, the shelters are firll. And if we could just provide that relief valve, and the -- it's -- I mean, Constance doesn't take a penny. This is not a paid person here who's profiting off the system. This is someone who's giving back, and this is -- this is really hard work these people do and I don't I don't see them as taking advantage of our dollars. If we want to watch them and make sure it's being spent efficiently and never being misused, I agree with that, but I do not agree with discontinuing or the funding that we're giving to them because I see it being spent well. Commissioner Reyes: What do you propose, sir, we leave it status quo? You propose a status quo -- Vice Chair Russell: No. Commissioner Reyes: -- without doing anything or doing something where we can provide, we can facilitate, to -- to -- Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for asking, so -- Commissioner Reyes: -- to all of them, facilitate the -- the contact with the homeless and at the same time, we are protecting our residents. I mean, that's the way I see it. Vice Chair Russell: I understand. Commissioner Reyes: And that's why I was very adamant about having a place where they will be able to receive, I mean, be able to have facilities, will be able to receive any -- all type of support. I talked to Constance yesterday and I told her, you see, and she said we need to build resource centers. That's what I want to build, a resource center where they can go, you see, they can go and they can have, I mean, they can have a bed or they can camp there, or -- and they are -- they'd be, I mean, everybody could be able to go and work with them because I believe that some of the work that has been done it is excellent. I am a firm believer in Hermanos de la Calle and every time I can, I will support them, and I will contribute to them. They're doing an excellent job and there are some of the guys that you're doing an excellent job and -- and we will -- because of this it doesn't mean that we cannot work together, but we can work together and at the same time, you see, try to save or to reach those people that could be reachable, and also protect our businesses and our residents, you see? I mean, it is -- it is unfair, sir, whatever you might say. And I told Constance, we are -- we have been, you see -- one thing that really has irked me and I -- and I tried, and talking about this, listen, in 1983 I was the economist for the Overtown Park West Redevelopment Project. At the time that Camillus House was on Park West, you see, my job, part of my job was to relocate Camillus House because we knew that if we didn't relocate Camillus House, that the -- that that area will never redevelop, and we know it, even if you don't like to think up like that but people are not going to invest City of Miami Page 87 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 there, you see, and that affects our economy and I drove Commissioner Carollo was referring to Brother Paul. And I drove Brother Paul looking for a place all over Miami, including Little Havana. He wanted to come to Little Havana. 1 said, why? You want to destroy a neighborhood? I said, you're not going to get more indulgences from the Lord by destroying it. I mean, but then I decided to run for office, and I left in 1985, and I left that job. But what I'm saying is I've been dealing with this problem since 1985. I used to go and volunteer at Camillus House and serve food. I used to talk to them and do all of that. This is nothing new to me. I've been in touch and trying to help the homeless for a long time. And I know, and that's where I learned that there are different types of homeless, you see, that everybody -- I heard people come to this microphone and state that we have so many homeless because they have job -- lost their job due to COVID. And they don't have a job. They are -- I mean, whenever you walk in Miami, you see a sign that says, Help Wanted, you see? It says -- it reads, Help Wanted, you see. That's why 1 know that the majority of the homeless, they are not economic homeless. I mean, they might be some, and we need to help them real fast. Constance does a great job with abused women, you see? But that is transitional. She gets them, she protects them, she trains them, they find a job, and they leave. And they leave, and they work. That's a nice kind of job. And I help them anytime and she knows that. Okay? What we're trying to do here is different. What we're trying to do is, okay, let's get all those encampments out of the street, out of Downtown Miami, out of 14th Street. Let's clean our city and at the same time, they're going to be roaming our streets because they have not been -- they have not been prohibited from walking in Downtown Miami, and walking, that's their freedom, that's their right, you see? But let them go to a place, 1 mean, you want to have your tent? You can have your tent here, you see? And at that place, everybody that it is providing services could go and talk and meet with them and try to get their trust and try to get them into -- I mean, into a treatment if that's what they need. You see, we have -- Commissioner, we have ex -homeless working, and you know that, the ambassadors in Downtown Miami. You know that DDA you did that. Remember? You did that. We can keep on doing it. There's no reason why we cannot do it. There's no reason. This does not preclude us from doing it. Vice Chair Russell: I understand. Let me just finish my thought then -- Commissioner Reyes: Sure. Vice Chair Russell: -- and then we'll close out the conversation and vote. My final concern is that some of these actions, especially under the ordinance, the camping ordinance, could be used against us as a city, as a violation of civil rights if somebody refuses shelter and then they are arrested because they have a heater or they have more than three feet of personal belongings. And that will start putting us backward where we were under lawsuits in Pottinger. And then it's us -- we're fighting against our own homeless advocacy system, where we should be arm in arm. And so, my hope is to rebuild trust with whatever you've lost, with the system that is meant to solve this problem for us and continue working together. But I'm not here to convince you, because I know where you're coming from. And I know you're well entrenched in that you believe in your ordinance -- Commissioner Carollo: I do -- I do -- Vice Chair Russell: I'm just explaining why -- why -- Commissioner Carollo: I do and I'm also a believer that there are some out there that want to see more homeless people in our city, because they have weaponized the homeless situation in our city. Last summer, Commissioner, the police vehicle that got burned in the. first clay that we had problems in the streets, those pictures of that police car with a huge flame all burning up, that was a homeless person that burned City of Miami Page 88 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 that. You know where we found him a few days later? In a drug overdose in the hospital where he died. Now, maybe we all believe in coincidence, and maybe there are coincidences, but where did he get the drugs, so much drugs, to end up in such an overdose after he did something like that, or was somebody trying to reward him for his actions in burning one of our police cars. I took time going through all the arrests that we were making through a fairly sizable part of that summer, and 7 to 8 percent of all the arrests that we were making were homeless people. Someone was weaponizing them against the rest of us. So, this homeless situation is something that has been weaponized. When I see -- and these were identified by our police officers, our police department, through the facial recognition system that we have, which is excellent. We're the only department in the State of Florida that has it. And some of these so-called advocates of homelessness that had just arrived from Venezuela two months before, where they had gone with the Che Guevara, Bolivian, Bolivariana International Brigade, to receive training over there. And these were the ones, when they came back, we saw them in teams of twos organizing people that first day when Bayside was looted, where they tried to enter our police station, they burned our car, and more. I get the picture of what is happening with some people. I'm not trying to throw everybody into the same pot because you have people with a lot of different reasons and ideas of why they're taking this position. But what I'm saying is that there is a radical group out there that is trying to take advantage of this situation to use the homeless situation as a weapon against us. And if they want to go to court again for ordinance that are constitutionally sound, so be it. Maybe we could go all the way to the Supreme Court this time. So finally, we could do something not just for Miami, but for the whole rest of the countrv. Commissioner Reyes: Mr. Chair, can I call the Chief of Police in here? I mean to talk to him. Vice Chair Russell: Chief Morales. Commissioner Reyes: Chief Morales. Vice Chair Russell: You're recognized. Manny Morales: Good afternoon. Manny Morales, Interim Chief of Police. Vice Chair Russell: Go ahead, Commissioner Reyes. Commissioner Reyes: Chief I've seen, I have witnessed, driving around downtown Miami because I drive around downtown Miami although it's not my district, I'm the chairman of the DDA, Downtown Development Authority. And I had witnessed, more than once, drug transactions. Drug transactions that are there I mean very -- to the open eyes. I'm going to give you an instance. Miami Avenue and Flagler, right at the corner, I saw a guy that he was dressed like as if -- well, he had shorts and just a baggy t-shirt, but he didn't -- he was very clean to be a homeless. And he was just walking, pacing the street. And I went, came around and right there when I was waiting for the light, I saw him go, bent over, picked something, homeless came in and the exchange took place. And you can say, where they got money? They panhandle, you see. And there was a transaction there. Another time, just by Miami -Dade Community College, I mean, it was Wolfson Campus, there was another transaction that I witnessed there at night. And with StepUp, I would say, I don't know what you can do, maybe you can do undercover -- take some undercover actions and -- or whatever you can do, but there is a big problem, a big drug problem in that population, and we have to go after the dealers. We have to go after the dealers. And I will really appreciate it if you start such as a task Ibrce or whatever it is, so they can go after the dealers. And we can stop it, because they are the ones that are feeding, you see, the habit of those people that are hooked. City of Miami Page 89 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Mr. Morales: Commissioner, and there's no doubt that there's the criminal elements that hide among the homeless. We've done the vast majority of the HEAT detail arrests, but out of the 540 homeless contacts, we've only had 21 so far since August. But the bulk of those 21s were for narcotics and some of them were for arrest warrants that they had. So, well definitely focus on the attention, and when we're doing narcotics, we always prioritize the sellers versus the users. Commissioner Reyes: Yes. Mr. Morales: So they take the priority of our time. Commissioner Reyes: Absolutely. Mr. Morales: We'll make (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Commissioner Reyes: Okay. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you, Chief. Commissioner Reyes: Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: All right, Commissioner Carollo, just to clam, is your motion for both SR.2 and RE.4? Commissioner Carollo: Well, this motion is for SR.2. Vice Chair Russell: Okay. Mr. City Attorney, could you read that into the record, please? Commissioner Carollo: Unless you all would like for me to make it more into one, I'd have no problem. Commissioner Reyes: Well, I mean, (INAUDIBLE). Commissioner Carollo: We can take them separately. Commissioner Reyes: No, let's take it separately. Let's take it separately. Vice Chair Russell: Go ahead, Barnaby. Mr. Min: I'm sorry, one moment. Sorry, Mr. Commissioner, Mr. Chairman. SR.2 The Ordinance was read by title into the public record by Deputy City Attorney Barnaby Min. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. Any further discussion? All in favor say, "aye." Commissioner Reyes: Aye. Commissioner Carollo: Aye. Vice Chair Russell: Any opposed? No. Motion passes 4-1. Am I correct? 4-1, Mr. Clerk. Commissioner Carollo: Do we get a new city attorney? I don't know if you got a promotion or a demotion? City of Miami Page 90 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Commissioner Reyes: Well, I want -- listen -- hey, listen, why are you sitting away from the chair? 1 paean, 1 don't know. (COMMENTS MADE OFF THE RECORD) Commissioner Reyes: Okay, okay. Commissioner Carollo: No, no, no, no, no, but, but, whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on, hold on. That's where the mayor used to sit all the time (UNINTELLIGIBLE) -- Commissioner Reyes: Oh. Commissioner Carollo: Now you see who the real de facto mayor is. (COMMENTS MADE OFF THE RECORD) Commissioner Carollo: Okay, okay. Commissioner Dial, de la Portilla: You know, Commissioner, now I know why the City Attorney stays awake all the time, because it's a much harder chair than the ones we sit on. Right? They're different. So, we're going to move this one over there and this one over here because it makes sense, right? Commissioner Carollo: Yeah. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. Motion passes on SR.2. [Later...] Vice Chair Russell: Would you like to take up RE.4, Commissioner? Commissioner Carollo: Yeah, we could discuss RE.4. Look, RE.4 is very similar to what we have had for decades in the State of Florida. I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel here in any way. In the State of Florida, through the State, we have Children and Families. They use a different concept and name where instead of calling it adopt a child, they use the word foster parents. And they do pay foster parents most of the times to take care of children. Obviously, they do backgrounds to them and so on. What I'm proposing here, instead of calling it foster parents, is to adopt a homeless. That if someone wants to go the extra step in helping a homeless, and I showed some homeless people here that had recently come from foreign countries. You can see that they were well-educated people. They were not affected by any kind of drugs that you could see. So if there are people that would like to adopt a homeless, they have an extra room in their home, they want to put them in their living room, that this would facilitate it, and then we would instruct the Manager to establish a procedure that after we can confirm that indeed they're helping with a homeless in their home, that we could provide, through some of the monies that we have in different of the homeless groups -- associations that we have, that we could provide them a certain amount as a stipulant [sic] to help out with food, with utilities. I don't know how far that will take us. I don't know if it'll get us one, none, or 50 or 100 homeless that someone will step up, but it's -- we won't know unless we put it out there. Vice Chair Russell: I have a legal question, Mr. Min. Barnaby Min (Deputy City Attorney): Yes, sir. City of Miami Page 91 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Vice Chair Russell: If the adopt a homeless program were to be enacted and the City were somehow starting this, and let's say out of the goodness of their heart somebody were to want to take in someone who was homeless who appeared to be of sound mind and not drug addicted, but let's say they did have problems and they end up attacking the person that they are staying with that we are -- is there a responsibility the City might bear or an exposure to the City because this resident maybe is not equipped to recognize the danger that they may be in or that they've been exposed to a danger. Mr. Min: It's a very -- it a very good question, Commissioner. What this item is, is a directive to the Manager to create a program. We would obviously work with the Manager to ensure the proper waivers and documentation is done to ensure that the City is protected to avoid any potential liability. Vice Chair Russell: Okay, so maybe we -- we have the homeowner or the resident who wants to do this sign waivers that indemnify us and keep us from being responsible, but morally, are we responsible if one of them gets hurt because they're not equipped, but out of the goodness of their heart, they're trying to do something. I again see a good intention here, but I'm very concerned about the potential consequences. Commissioner Carollo: As much as we are on the scooters. Vice Chair Russell: I think it's a little different. But 1--1 think -- I think there's concerns with this concept. Commissioner Reyes: Yes, there is also -- I mean 1 don't want the City of Miami to be spending money. If instead of adopt, I will -- mean I'm going to throw something out that maybe we can find people that are of the Goodwill, they could sponsor. Commissioner Carollo: Well, you could call it a sponsor. Commissioner Reyes: But not receiving any stipend. I mean, that they would sponsor because they want to, like, hey, people are sponsoring and there are circles here. Commissioner Carollo: It's the same thing. You know if we want to change the name, you know, it doesn't matter. Commissioner Reyes: Where the money will come from? Commissioner Carollo: Well, the -- whatever money we offer, first of all, is going to be a small stipulant [sic] -- a small stipulant [sic]. It would come from different places like the Homeless Trust, other places that we could go to where there are grants that we could get. It would only be based upon whatever grants we get that we will provide, not from our general fund money. Commissioner Reyes: First, we have to direct the City Manager to investigate the possibility of getting grants for that. Commissioner Carollo: Right, but what I'm saying is that look, I heard some people here, that I'm sure they're sincere, that they're going to want to come forward and help with this. I don't think we should hold back to see if we have any money or not. I mean, part of the resolution would be that the City would try to get grants or other funding that would not come from our general fund, and we will provide help for food and utilities to the effect of whatever we get in grants or other donations. I mean there might be some that might want to donate money for that. Commissioner Reyes: But we shouldn't -- City of Miami Page 92 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Commissioner Carollo: No general fund money. Commissioner Reyes: No general fund money, but we shouldn't close the door also to any good citizen that want to sponsor. Commissioner Carollo: Well, exactly. If you want to use both words so that you know, some people feel better -- Commissioner Reyes: I like sponsor more -- better. Commissioner Carollo: -- than adopt a homeless or sponsor a homeless. I have no problem. We can use both definitions. And, you know, 1 will be happy to go forward with, you know, using both definitions and moving forward with it. But let's give it a try. Let's see how many of the people that have been saying that they want to do more can do more. Commissioner Watson: Mr. Chair? Vice Chair Russell: Yes, you're recognized, Commissioner. Commissioner Watson: Did -- do we take our American Recovery money, Mr. Manager, into general fund? No? We took it some kind of way. Arthur Noriega (City Manager): Yeah, we had a percentage of it that was used as a revenue loss, and then that -- those programs -- some of those programs that we created in terms of the allocation are used, then taken from the general fund. Commissioner Watson: But does that mean now, based on what we're talking about, we would not be able to use any of that money towards any programs that we're doing? Any programs relative to this resolution or any others? Mr. Noriega: I want to confirm eligibility. (UNINTELLIGIBLE). So, let -- the American Rescue Plan money can be used for homeless programs? It can be. So, it doesn't have to come from the general fund. Commissioner Carollo: Yeah. Well, I made it clear, and I think that's what Commissioner Reyes would want to see also, non -general fund money. Meaning that's money that comes directly from our taxpayers in the city. Commissioner Reyes: Could you come back with some potential sources or some analysis -- Mr. Noriega: Well, I think -- Commissioner Reyes: -- of any institutions that are providing funds for this? Because I think this is going to be innovative. I haven't heard of this program in the United States. I don't know if it exists. Commissioner Carollo: No. Mr. Noriega: No. I think that's embedded in the reso (resolution) that, you know, to come back with a plan. Commissioner Carollo: Yeah, that isn't better than the resolution. Mr. Noriega: A plan, so I mean, obviously if there's any financial need as part of it, it'll have to be incorporated. City of Miami Page 93 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Commissioner Carollo: If there is. Mr. Noriega: Yeah, if there is. Commissioner Carollo: I am sure that there are going to be a lot of good-hearted people that were here talking about this, and some that didn't make it, that would be willing to do it without a cent for food or utilities. So, there's a motion, gentlemen. Vice Chair Russell: Moved by Commissioner Carollo for RE.4. Is there a second? Seconded by Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla. We didn't have a motion before, did we? Commissioner Reyes: We're going to have a -- or a sponsor. Commissioner Carollo: Yeah, we'll include adopt a homeless or sponsor a homeless. The sponsor doesn't get any money from ranks. Vice Chair Russell: So that's an amendment? Commissioner Reyes: Yes. Commissioner Carollo: Yeah, that is an amendment. Vice Chair Russell: The seconder approves the amendment? All right, is there any further discussion? Commissioner Carollo: And that doesn't mean that the person that adopts will get any money either. It depends if we are able to find it. Vice Chair Russell: All right. Commissioner Carollo: And I think we could. Vice Chair Russell: No further discussion on the resolution? All in favor say, "aye." Commissioner Carollo: Aye. Vice Chair Russell: Any opposed? No. Motion passes 4-1. That's RE.4. Commissioner Carollo: By the way, Mr. Clerk, did that nice fellow, Thomas Kennedy, when he was here last week and I brought this up first as an idea, actually the last meeting, not last week. Did he come up and sign up? I figured he'd be the first one. Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): No, sir. Commissioner Carollo: Okay, all right, well maybe, you know, he'll come sometime. Mr. Min: Mr. Chairman? Vice Chair Russell: Yes. Mr. Min: I believe that last vote was actually 3-2. I believe Commissioner Watson voted no. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you, I stand corrected. The motion passes 3-2. City of Miami Page 94 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 RE.5 10577 Commissioner Reyes: Okay. Now, listen. RESOLUTION MAY BE DEFERRED Commissioners A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH and Mayor ATTACHMENT(S), WAIVING CERTAIN SIDEWALK AND STREET CAFE FEES SET FORTH IN CHAPTER 54/ARTICLE VI/SECTIONS 54-224(A)(2) AND (A)(4) AND SECTIONS 54-224(B)(2) AND (B)(4) OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS AMENDED ("CITY CODE"), TITLED "STREETS AND SIDEWALKS/SIDEWALK AND STREET CAFES/FEES AND SECURITY DEPOSIT"; SPECIFICALLY WAIVING SIDEWALK AND STREET CAFE PERMIT FEES ASSESSED UNDER SECTIONS 54-224(A)(2) AND 54- 224(A)(4) OF THE CITY CODE AND THE SECURITY DEPOSIT ASSESSED UNDER SECTION 54-224(B)(2) AND 54-224(B)(4) OF THE CITY CODE DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE FLAGLER STREET BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT ("PROJECT") UNTIL SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION OF THE PROJECT AS PROVIDED HEREIN FOR DOWNTOWN MIAMI SIDEWALK AND STREET CAFES LOCATED IN THE AREA BOUNDED BY THE WEST SIDE OF NORTHWEST/SOUTHWEST 1ST AVENUE ON THE WEST, BY THE NORTH SIDE OF NORTHWEST/NORTHEAST 1ST STREET ON THE NORTH, BISCAYNE BOULEVARD ON THE EAST, AND BY THE SOUTH SIDE OF SOUTHWEST/SOUTHEAST 1ST STREET ON THE SOUTH, AS FURTHER DESCRIBED IN EXHIBIT "A"; PROVIDING FOR A SUNSET PROVISION; CONTAINING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. MOTION TO: Defer RESULT: DEFERRED MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner SECONDER: Jeffrey Watson, Commissioner AYES: Russell, Carollo, Reyes, Watson ABSENT: Diaz de la Portilla Note for the Record: Item RE.5 was deferred to the November 18, 2021, City Commission Meeting. Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item Number RE.5, please see "Order of the Day." City of Miami Page 95 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 RE.6 RESOLUTION 10886 Commissioners and Mayor A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION CO - DESIGNATING NORTHWEST 53RD STREET FROM NORTHWEST 5TH AVENUE TO NORTHWEST 7TH AVENUE, MIAMI, FLORIDA AS "MUHAMMAD ALI WAY" PURSUANT TO SECTION 54-137 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS AMENDED; FURTHER DIRECTING THE CITY CLERK TO TRANSMIT A COPY OF THIS RESOLUTION TO THE HEREIN DESIGNATED OFFICIALS. ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-21-0421 MOTION TO: Adopt with Modification(s) RESULT: ADOPTED WITH MODIFICATION(S) MOVER: Jeffrey Watson, Commissioner SECONDER: Alex Diaz de Ia Portilla, Commissioner AYES: Russell, Diaz de Ia Portilla, Carollo, Reyes, Watson Note for the Record: For additional minutes referencing Item Number RE.6, please see "Public Comments for all Item(s). " Vice Chair Russell: Commissioner Watson, I understand you want to take up RE.6 before we break for lunch, please? Commissioner Watson: Yes, Mr. Chair, please. Vice Chair Russell: Is there a motion? Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I'll move it. Commissioner Watson: Well, I want to amend the item. I'd like to amend the item to include a marker at 4610 Northwest 1 5th Court and a marker at 6101 Northwest 17th Avenue. Why? In the context of the street naming, the history is such that Mr. Ali lived at 4610 North -- I'm sorry, Mr. Ali lived at 4610 Northwest 1 5th Court. Every day, before the Liston fight, he traveled through our neighborhood, played with the kids before he went to Miami Beach. And 6101 was his first business called Champburger. So, there would be rnarkers there. The mosque where the street will be renamed is where he went from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali. And so that is the historical significance of those amendments and I wanted to make sure I put that in because of course Mr. Elvis Cruz made note that I did not have that in there. Commissioner Reyes: (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Move it. Vice Chair Russell: So, I'll make it a motion by Commissioner Watson -- Commissioner Carollo: Second. Vice Chair Russell: -- seconded by Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla. Commissioner Watson: And invite all to co-sponsor. Commissioner Reyes (UNINTELLIGIBLE). City of Miami Page 96 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Vice Chair Russell: It sounds like we're going to have a unanimous -- Commissioner Reyes: Unanimous co-sponsorship. Vice Chair Russell: -- co-sponsorship of this. And thank you, Commissioner Watson, for bringing this. Commissioner Watson: So, in doing so, before you vote, Mr. Ali's son is here. I'd like to have him step forward for a second. Vice Chair Russell: Good afternoon. Muhammad Ali, Jr.: Good afternoon. I'm Muhammad Ali, Jr. 1 came on behalf of the Ali family. 1 want to thank Jeffrey Watson and Honorable -- I can't see your name over there. Commissioner Watson: Everybody's a co-sponsor, so thank all the Honorables at this point. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: All the Honorables. Commissioner Watson: All the Honorables. Mr. Ali, Jr.: All of you all. Thank you for honoring my father's name and labeling the street after him. And I'm here to just be here for that. Commissioner Watson: Show the ring. Mr. Ali, Jr.: And also, I want to give you a gift. Everyone in this room a gift. I'm a Muslim. That's my religion. My name is no longer Cassius Clay. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) that's my religious belief. I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalized a brick. Man, I'm so mean, I made medicine sick. I done wrestled with a lion. I done tussled with a whale. I done handcuffed lightning and throw thunder in jail. Man, I'm so fast, I could turn off the light, hit switch, get in bed, before the room, get dark. That's fast. I also have a website, Muhammad Ali Legacy Continues. And we also have a non -for - profit, it's called Muhammad Ali Legacy Continues Anti -Bullying. And the reason why I'm doing this is because my father was bullied. He got his bike stolen, but then it led him into boxing. And then when he was boxing, he was bullied in the ring by Sonny Liston. He put some stuff in my father's eyes where he couldn't see, but lost the fight anyway. You know, cheaters never win. Commissioner Watson: Amen. Mr. Ali, Jr.: And so, I was bullied also as a kid in junior high school. They wanted to see if I could fight like my father, but I wouldn't show them. He said, you scared of me? I said, no, I'm only scared of God and God only. So, I'm doing this anti -bullying program also to -- because I know how it is to be bullied. I've lived it. It's very embarrassing, it's depressing, and it's not like back in the day. We used to get bullied and be friends. Now they're doing harm to themselves and others. And that got to stop because the kids are our future. My father died so they could find the Muhammad Ali within them. They could find the greatness that God made them for and live for that purpose. And we also doing something with homelessness too, but that's neither here nor there. We're doing anti -bullying and we're not stopping with the children. We're doing single parent home bullying. We're doing job placement bullying, police bullying, senior citizen bullying. There's a whole lot of type of -- cyberbullying. Whole lot of type of bullying is going on nowadays, and we need to stop. And this is what my organization is going to do. Thank you. City of Miami Page 97 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Commissioner Watson: Thankyou very much. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you for your comments. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Thank you. Applause. Commissioner Watson: And this portends something that hopefully 1'll be able to announce shortly as a part of a bigger program. Thank you very much everybody for co -sponsoring. Commissioner Carollo: Don't go yet, go back to the mic. Commissioner Watson: No, not yet. So, thank you Mr. Chair. Vice Chair Russell: Thankyou. Commissioner Carollo, you're recognized. Commissioner Carollo: Yes, I asked him to go back to the mic because I want to end - - end this early -- Mr. Ali, Jr.: (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Commissioner Carollo: -- afternoon meeting in high note. Commissioner Watson: Okay. Commissioner Carollo: None of you guys knew Muhammad Ali. Mr. Ali, Jr.: You know what, he actually traveled with my father. Commissioner Carollo: I did. Mr. Ali, Jr.: Yeah. Commissioner Carollo: We were friends. We made one very special trip together throughout the United States. We went back to where I was raised as in Chicago. Commissioner Watson: Okay. Commissioner Carollo: I took him to the elementary school that 1 went to in Chicago, St. Jerome's. Got to see that my pictures were still up. I was a very young commissioner then. Mr. Ali, Jr.: Was it still there? Commissioner Carollo: It's still there. Mr. Ali, Jr.: All right. Commissioner Carollo: The nuns make sure that that's protected, night and day. Mr. Ali, Jr.: Good. Commissioner Carollo: We went to other different states. And during that trip in the plane we were sitting, always together, I said to him, I said, Muhammad, which was City of Miami Page 98 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 your toughest fight? And even though there were many people in the plane with us, because it was a private plane we were flying in, hut a large plane. He looked around and then he said softly to me, Joe Frazier. Mr. Ali, Jr.: That's funny. Commissioner Carollo: Now, he's got a different version of what he was told when he was a kid. Mr. Ali, Jr.: Well, I asked my father. Commissioner Carollo: Tell us (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Mr. Ali, Jr.: I asked my father, I said, Daddy, I know you had a whole lot of professional fights in your life. What was one fight you'd never fight again? And I was wondering, you said Joe -- Joe Frazier? My father told me something different. He looked at me, he said, Joe Frazier, no. He said, Foreman, no. He said, Neon Spinks, no. And he started by saying, yo mama. I'm going to tell you why he said my mother. Because my mother used to sneak out the house and go to karate class with Bruce Lee. And my mother didn't tell my father because my father would have thought that they had something going on together. So, my father snuck into the house one day, right, and put his hand on my mother's arm, my -- her shoulder, and my mother flipped him. He got mad. He said, the woman's crazy. The woman don't know who 1 am. Then he looked and said, how did she do that? He didn't know she was sneaking out the house going for karate class. Commissioner Carollo: Well -- Mr. Ali, Jr.: He -- hey, look, he gave her back the key. He never snuck in the house again. Commissioner Carollo: Well, talking about the key. Mr. Ali, Jr.: Huh? Commissioner Carollo: I'm talking about the key, and I'm sure he didn't give her back that key. Mr. Ali, Jr.: Oh yeah, he did. He gave it back to her. Commissioner Carollo: Not the key. We're very proud that back then we gave your father right up here, the key to the City of Miami. It was a special private ceremony that we had, for him. Mr. Ali, Jr.: That's great. Commissioner Carollo: And we gave him the key to the City then. So, I know he didn't give that key away. Mr. Ali, Jr.: No, no, no, no, he didn't give that one away. Commissioner Watson: Let me -- Mr. Chair, let me just say, in finishing, that in my office I have on loan a statue from (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to anybody and everybody is welcome to kind of come through and view it. And it's been on loan now to me for about 30 days and the beginning of a bigger project to speak about. So, thank you very much. City of Miami Page 99 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. Commissioner Carollo: Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: Is there any jurther comment from the dais? Commissioner Reyes: No. Vice Chair Russell: All in favor of the item say, "aye. " The Commission (Collectively): Aye. Vice Chair Russell: Any opposed? Motion passes. We now have Muhammad Ali Way in the City of Miami. Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): As amended. Mr. Ali, Jr.: Alright, thank you. RE.7 RESOLUTION 10931 Commissioners and Mayor A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER TO TAKE ANY AND ALL ACTIONS TO RAISE THE CITY'S MUNICIPAL EQUALITY INDEX SCORE. ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-21-0458 MOTION TO: Adopt RESULT: ADOPTED MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner SECONDER: Manolo Reyes, Commissioner AYES: Russell, Carollo, Reyes, Watson ABSENT: Diaz de la Portilla Note for the Record: For additional minutes referencing Item Number RE.7, please see "Public Comments for all Item(s)." Vice Chair Russell: And just to clean up the rest of the RE's (Resolutions) other than Commissioner -- could we do RE.7 as well? Is there a motion for RE.7? Commissioner Carollo: Sure. The motion. Commissioner Reyes: Move it. Vice Chair Russell: Motion by Commissioner Carollo, seconded by Commissioner Reyes. Any further discussion? All in favor say, "aye." The Commission (Collectively): Aye. Vice Chair Russell: Any opposed? Motion passes. City of Miami Page 100 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 RE.8 RESOLUTION 10933 Commissioners and Mayor A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION DIRECTING THE CITY ATTORNEY TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF PREPARING A RESOLUTION FOR THE CITY COMMISSION'S CONSIDERATION AT A FUTURE DATE CONSISTENT WITH SECTION 2-64 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS AMENDED, THAT WILL DIRECT THE CITY ATTORNEY TO PREPARE AN AMENDMENT TO THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS AMENDED, FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE APPOINTMENT BY THE CITY MANAGER OF THE CHIEF OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE CHIEF OF THE FIRE -RESCUE DEPARTMENT BY A COMMITTEE PROCESS AND FOR PLACEMENT ON THE NEXT CITY OF MIAMI GENERAL ELECTION. ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-21-0452 MOTION TO: Adopt RESULT: ADOPTED MOVER: Manolo Reyes, Commissioner SECONDER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner AYES: Russell, Carollo, Reyes, Watson ABSENT: Diaz de la Portilla Vice Chair Russell: Commissioner Carollo, did you want to take up your RE.4 and SR.2 at this point? Or once we have a full dais? Commissioner Carollo: Yeah. Let me see if these guys are ready, because I have a little show for you guys. I actually probably had more interaction with homeless than 95 percent of the people that we heard from today here, on both sides. Are they ready? Okay. If -- if our IT (Information Technology) people are ready, if you could begin. Commissioner Reyes -- Vice Chair Russell: Did you want to start it off by moving an item? Commissioner Reyes: I just -- I was just wondering if RE.8 was -- Vice Chair Russell: We have not passed it yet. Commissioner Reyes: Okay. Commissioner Carollo: Okay. Commissioner Reyes: Can I move it? Commissioner Carollo: RE.8? Sure. Commissioner Reyes: Can I move it? Commissioner Carollo: Yeah. Vice Chair Russell: Moved -- there is a motion by Commissioner Reyes for RE.8, seconded by Commissioner Carollo. Is there any further discussion on the dais regarding RE.8? City of Miami Page 101 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Commissioner Carollo: On RE.8, we're all going to give our input to the City Attorney, right? (COMMENTS MADE OFF THE RECORD) Commissioner Reyes: No, no, no (INAUDIBLE). Vice Chair Russell: This is RE.8, the police chief -- the fire chief Commissioner Reyes: We all -- we all will give input to the City Attorney. Commissioner Carollo: Okay. Commissioner Reyes: The thing is, just directing her to present it -- bring it -- bring it so we can discuss it -- Commissioner Carollo: Yeah. Commissioner Watson: (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Commissioner Reyes: -- 90 days before the election. Commissioner Carollo: We got time. Commissioner Reyes: Yes, sir. Commissioner Carollo: So maybe if we could instruct her to bring her sometime after the first of the year -- Commissioner Reyes: That's right -- Commissioner Carollo: -- so we could have a nice Christmas -- Commissioner Reyes: -- 90 days before the next election. Commissioner Carollo: Yeah, okay. Commissioner Reyes: 90 days before the next election. Commissioner Carollo: All right. Vice Chair Russell: All right. Commissioner Reyes: Okay. Commissioner Carollo: So, moved. Vice Chair Russell: It's been moved by -- Commissioner Watson: 18? Vice Chair Russell: I'm sorry. I think it was moved by Commissioner Reyes -- Commissioner Reyes: And also -- Vice Chair Russell: -- seconded by Commissioner Carollo. City of Miami Page 102 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Commissioner Reyes: Also -- Commissioner Watson: RE.9? Commissioner Reyes: -- can I include RE.9. Vice Chair Russell: 8. Commissioner Carollo: Yeah. Vice Chair Russell: You want both items? Commissioner Reyes: That's right. (MULTIPLE PARTIES SPEAKING IN UNISON) Vice Chair Russell: That's fine. Commissioner Carollo: Those funds are your dollars, right? Commissioner Reyes: Yes, sir. Commissioner Carollo: Okay. Commissioner Reyes: It's four homes that are single family homes that we are going - Commissioner Watson: Move to. Commissioner Carollo: But I'm saying that you're not taking from me. Commissioner Reyes: No, sir. I tried very hard, but you are very careful with your funds, you know. Vice Chair Russell: All right. Commissioner Carollo: I second. Vice Chair Russell: Commissioner Reyes, Commissioner Watson would like you to include RE.10 if that's -- Commissioner Reyes: Absolutely. Commissioner Carollo: Okay. Vice Chair Russell: And the seconder as well. Commissioner Carollo: Yes. RE.8, 9 and 10. Vice Chair Russell: 8, 9, and 10. Is there anything else? Commissioner Reyes: So, we got rid of the RE's. Vice Chair Russell: All right. Commissioner on RE.8, I will support you on this one. I want to see what comes back. Obviously, the committee concept is, you know, I want to see how it works. City of Miami Page 103 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Commissioner Reyes: Yes. Vice Chair Russell: And who makes the end decision? Commissioner Carollo: You could give the City Attorney your input, too. Commissioner Reyes: That's right. He will get it. I will get it, we (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Vice Chair Russell: All in favor say, "aye." The Commission (Collectively): Aye. Vice Chair Russell: Any opposed? Motion passes on RE.8, 9, and 10. City of Miami Page 104 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 RE.9 RESOLUTION 10954 Commissioners and Mayor A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH ATTACHMENT(S), ALLOCATING FUNDS, AS DEFINED HEREIN, IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED FOURTEEN MILLION THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ($14,300,000.00) TO THE CITY - OWNED PROPERTIES, BUILDINGS, AND STRUCTURES DESCRIBED IN EXHIBIT "A," ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED (COLLECTIVELY, "CITY PROJECTS"), WHERE FOUR MILLION DOLLARS ($4,000,000.00) OF THE TOTAL EIGHT MILLION DOLLARS ($8,000,000.00) ALLOCATED TO WEST END PARK POOL ENHANCEMENTS ("ENHANCEMENTS"), AS DESCRIBED IN EXHIBIT "A," ATTACHED AN INCORPORATED, IS ALLOCATED IMMEDIATELY AND THE REMAINING FOUR MILLION DOLLARS ($4,000,000.00) IS ALLOCATED ON THE CONDITION THAT THE CITY RECEIVES THE SECOND TRANCHE OF AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT OF 2021 ("ARPA") FUNDS IN THE YEAR 2022, SO THAT THE CITY OF MIAMI ("CITY") CAN REHABILITATE THE CITY PROJECTS, PROVIDED THAT THIS ALLOCATION IS APPROVED IN WRITING BY THE CITY'S ARPA CONSULTANT ("CONSULTANT APPROVAL"), WHO IS TO BE RETAINED BY THE CITY PURSUANT TO REQUEST FOR QUOTATION NO. 1431386 AND WHO WILL SUPPORT EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT AND OVERSIGHT OF ARPA FUNDING, INCLUDING CONSULTATION FOR ENSURING COMPLIANCE WITH LEGAL, REGULATORY, AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS; SUBJECT TO THE RECEIPT BY THE CITY MANAGER OF THE CONSULTANT APPROVAL, AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE ANY AND ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS, INCLUDING AMENDMENTS, EXTENSIONS, AND MODIFICATIONS, ALL IN FORMS ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, SUBJECT TO COMPLIANCE WITH ALL APPLICABLE FEDERAL, STATE OF FLORIDA, LOCAL, AND CITY LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS, IN ORDER TO ALLOCATE THE FUNDS TO THE CITY PROJECTS. ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-21-0453 MOTION TO: Adopt RESULT: ADOPTED MOVER: Manolo Reyes, Commissioner SECONDER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner AYES: Russell, Carollo, Reyes, Watson ABSENT: Diaz de la Portilla Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item Number RE.9, please see Item Number RE.8. City of Miami Page 105 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 RE.10 10953 Commissioners and Mayor RESOLUTION A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION DIRECTING THE MANAGER TO WORK WITH THE LIBERTY CITY REVITALIZATION TRUST ("TRUST") AND THE DEPARTMENTS OF PLANNING AND ZONING TO ALLOW FOR A CULTURAL COMPONENT WITHIN THE TRUST'S BOUNDARIES TO CREATE THE LIBERTY CITY SOUL DISTRICT. ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-21-0454 MOTION TO: Adopt RESULT: ADOPTED MOVER: Manolo Reyes, Commissioner SECONDER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner AYES: Russell, Carollo, Reyes, Watson ABSENT: Diaz de la Portilla Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item Number RE.10, please see Item Number RE.8. END OF RESOLUTIONS City of Miami Page 106 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 SR.1 9311 Commissioners and Mayor SR - SECOND READING ORDINANCES ORDINANCE MAY BE DEFERRED Second Reading AN ORDINANCE OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION AMENDING CHAPTER 54/ARTICLE VI OF THE CODE OF THE CITY MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS AMENDED, TITLED "SIDEWALK CAFES", TO INCLUDE STREET CAFES, FEES, PERMIT REQUIREMENTS, AND PERMIT CRITERIA; CONTAINING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. MOTION TO: Defer RESULT: DEFERRED MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner SECONDER: Jeffrey Watson, Commissioner AYES: Russell, Carollo, Reyes, Watson ABSENT: Diaz de la Portilla Note for the Record: Item SR.1 was deferred to the November 18' 2021, City Commission Meeting. Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item Number SR.1, please see "Order of the Day." SR.2 ORDINANCE Second Reading 10623 Commissioners and Mayor AN ORDINANCE OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION AMENDING CHAPTER 37 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS AMENDED, TITLED "OFFENSES -MISCELLANEOUS;" MORE PARTICULARLY BY ADDING A NEW SECTION TO PROHIBIT ENCAMPMENTS ON PUBLIC PROPERTY; PROVIDING FOR DEFINITIONS AND PENALTIES; CONTAINING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. ENACTMENT NUMBER: 14032 MOTION TO: Adopt with Modification(s) RESULT: ADOPTED WITH MODIFICATION(S) MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner SECONDER: Manolo Reyes, Commissioner AYES: Diaz de la Portilla, Carollo, Reyes, Watson NAYS: Russell Note for the Record: For additional minutes referencing Item Number SR.2, please see "Public Comments for all Item(s)"and Item Number RE.4. Vice Chair Russell: And before we break for lunch, I just want to take up RE.6 through -- Commissioner Carollo: Before you do, can I have the Clerk read into the record the letter from the Flagler District Business Improvement District? City of Miami Page 107 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Vice Chair Russell: Yes. Commissioner Carollo: I thought you had it. Could you make copies for all the members of the Commission, City Attorney, also Manager? Vice Chair Russell: You'd like it entered into public comment? Commissioner Carollo: I would, yes. This is a unanimous vote that the Flagler Business Improvement District took. Nicole Ewan (Assistant City Clerk): This is Resolution Number 2021/22-001, a resolution of the Flagler District BID. It was approved unanimously, on October 11, 2021. Support for SR.2, Number 10623, prohibiting encampments on public property. Whereas public properties, including public right-o f-ways, parks, streets, sidewalks, and parking lots, exist for the purpose ofjacilitating ingress and egress to all buildings and facilities, and maintaining attractive and welcoming exteriors to be enjoyed by all members of the public and, whereas the unauthorized use ofpublic properties for camping where they are neither intended far nor designed as a campsite, campground, or site for temporary human habitation tends to impair, obstruct, or otherwise distract from the use for the property's intended purpose and, whereas the act of unauthorized camping on the properties tend to endanger the health, safety, and well-being of those engaged in camping -- in such camping as well as the public at large and, whereas the historic Flagler District of Downtown Miami is striving to maintain its status as a thriving commercial and mixed -use neighborhood and its businesses and residents have unduly been impacted by encampments on public property. Now, therefore, the Board of Directors of the Flagler Business Improvement District, the Flagler District BID, hereby supports approval of SR.2, Number 10623, prohibiting encampments on public property. We sincerely appreciate Miami City Commission's consideration and encourage approval of this important initiative. Please feel free to contact us if we can provide further information. Board members Dylan Finger, Daniel Pena, Sergio Rok, Gary Ressler, Randy Alonso, Executive Director Terrell Fritz. It's a resolution of the Board of Directors of the Flagler District BID. Thank you. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you very much. Please enter that in the record and share with the Commissioners. Commissioner Carollo: The only other thing I'd like to state before we move on, I kept hearing individuals that for the most part do not live in our city, are not residents of the City of Miami, say time and time again that what we want to do and what we're doing with SR.2 is to criminalize homelessness. That is not so. In no way does that ordinance says that if you're homeless, you go to jail. Not whatsoever. So, we'll discuss that in detail this afternoon. And for anybody, who wants to come back, I'm going to have a little treat so that you can hear from many of the homeless themselves that I talked to recently. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. END OF SECOND READING ORDINANCES City of Miami Page 108 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 FR - FIRST READING ORDINANCE FR.1 ORDINANCE First Reading 10797 Commissioners and Mayor AN ORDINANCE OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION AMENDING CHAPTER 8 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS AMENDED, TITLED "BICYCLES, SKATEBOARDS, SCOOTERS, AND OTHER SIMILAR DEVICES", TO REPEAL THE PILOT PROGRAM FOR MOTORIZED SCOOTERS; MORE PARTICULARLY BY AMENDING ARTICLE 1, SECTION 8-5, TITLED "GENERALLY/PARENTS AND GUARDIANS NOT TO PERMIT VIOLATIONS OF CHAPTER; SAFE DRIVING", TO ELIMINATE REFERENCE TO MOTORIZED SCOOTERS; AND ELIMINATING ARTICLE II, TITLED "MOTORIZED SCOOTERS", IN IT ENTIRETY; CONTAINING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. MOTION TO: Defer RESULT: DEFERRED MOVER: Alex Diaz de Ia Portilla, Commissioner SECONDER: Ken Russell, Commissioner AYES: Russell, Diaz de Ia Portilla, Reyes, Watson NAYS: Carollo Note for the Record: Item FR.1 was deferred to the November 18' 2021, City Commission Meeting. Note for the Record: For additional minutes referencing Item Number FR.1, please see "Public Comments for all Item(s)." Vice Chair Russell: FR.1, Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I'm going to ask that we defer this item to the next Commission meeting. Commissioner Reyes: Okay. Vice Chair Russell: That is November 18th, correct? Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Yes, sir. Vice Chair Russell: All right. Motion to defer FR.1. Commissioner Reyes: Second. Commissioner Carollo: You're not ready to go? Vice Chair Russell: Second by Commissioner Reyes. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I'm always ready to go, but not just today. Commissioner Reyes: Okay. City of Miami Page 109 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Vice Chair Russell: All in favor say, "aye. "Aye. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I am a -- well, I'm going to say it. I'm being -- in a good mood today. I'm in a good mood. Let's just wait to have a conversation moving forward. Commissioner Carollo: Okay. Vice Chair Russell: Just a question for the Manager. Where is the RFP (Request for Proposal) process? Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Do you really want to have the debate, Mr. Chairman? Vice Chair Russell: No, I'm just curious what the timing is because -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I will take -- Commissioner Carollo: If I were you -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: III were you -- Commissioner Carollo: -- (UNINTELLIGIBLE) -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: -- I would quit while you're ahead. Commissioner Carollo: -- and run with it. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Take the bar and run. Commissioner Carollo: Take the deferment and run with it. Vice Chair Russell: We're good. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Really? Okay. Vice Chair Russell: All in favor of the deferment say, "aye." Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Aye. Vice Chair Russell: Deferral. Commissioner Carollo: No. Vice Chair Russell: You want to take it up today? Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: We -- we'll have the conversation, Commissioners, November 18th, I think. We'll be in a good place. Vice Chair Russell: All right. Motion passes 4-1 or 5-0? Commissioner Carollo: 4-1. Vice Chair Russell: 4. I.He's getting me back because I4-1'd him twice today. Or he 4-1'd me twice today. Commissioner Carollo: I don't want you to feel lonely. City of Miami Page 110 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. END OF FIRST READING ORDINANCE City of Miami Page 111 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 DI.1 10764 City Manager's Office DI - DISCUSSION ITEMS DISCUSSION ITEM A DISCUSSION ITEM REGARDING MIAMI 21 TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS FINAL REPORT. MOTION TO: Indefinitely Defer RESULT: INDEFINITELY DEFERRED MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner SECONDER: Jeffrey Watson, Commissioner AYES: Russell, Carollo, Reyes, Watson ABSENT: Diaz de la Portilla Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item Number DI.1, please see "Order of the Day" and "Public Comments for all Item(s)." DI.2 DISCUSSION ITEM 10948 Commissioners and Mayor A DISCUSSION ITEM REGARDING THE ENFORCEMENT AGAINST BUSINESSES, INCLUDING MIAMI RIVERSIDE, LLC AND SLS BRICKELL MIAMI, FOR VIOLATING THE CITY CODE FOR NOISE, ALCOHOL AND OTHER MATTERS. RESULT: DISCUSSED Note for the Record: For additional minutes referencing Item Number DL2, please see "Public Comments for all Item(s)." Vice Chair Russell: The final remaining item on our agenda is, Commissioner Carollo, your discussion item regarding enforcement against businesses for City Code violations. Commissioner Carollo: This has to do with the item that we asked to be placed beginning in Brickell -- Vice Chair Russell: A little closer to the mic. Commissioner Carollo: -- the one that -- the item that we had different residents come and speak about today. Vice Chair Russell: Commissioner, you actually have the representative of the residents here, the president of BHA (Brickell Homeowners Association), and you actually have the principal of the establishment sitting together and not fighting. That's a good sign to start. I -- I hope to see a positive outcome because everything is about the balance between quality of life as our priority as a Commission and obviously trying to have fruitful business survive in the city. Commissioner Carollo: Well, do we have the president of that particular building of the homeowner association? City of Miami Page 112 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Vice Chair Russell: That's a good question. 1 mean, their building was in the BHA, so he -- Mr. Cuesta does represent them. Commissioner Carollo: Well, I don't know exactly how wide his reach is. Vice Chair Russell: Understood. Commissioner Carollo: I saw a lot of people, and I was surprised that you came today to discuss about that particular place. Where I'd like to start is, if the Manager could give me a breakdown as to exactly what has been happening there and what has the city done. You saw that there was a lot of people that were complaining that couldn't sleep at night. Arthur Noriega (City Manager): So, we -- I'll let Robert sort of give you an update on the open code enforcement citations there. Some have been appealed. I know there's a couple others that haven't been adjudicated yet. And then we'll give you a current status on the TUP, the temporary use permit, and then the conversations we've had with the owner and the operator, in particular with regards to some potential corrective action, which would allow them to reinstate the TUP, too. Robert, if you want. Robert Santos-Alborna: Yes, sir. Good evening, Commissioners. I'm Robert Santos- Alborna. l'm the Code Compliance Director. So, at this point in time, I'll tell you -- give you a quick synopsis. In the past year alone, we've had 41 cases, complaints, at this property -- at three properties, addresses, two folios that encompasses the Riverside. We have at this point in time 10 violations, 3 civil citations that have been paid, and there are currently 4 that are on appeal at Circuit Court. Commissioner Carollo: What are the three citations that have been paid and for how Mr. Santos-Alborna: For noise. Commissioner Carollo: -- much? Mr. Santos-Alborna: The process right now is $250. Okay. $250 for the first citation and $500 citation thereafter. So, there is no increases. So, we have -- yes Commissioner, I understand. And I think therein lies one of the challenges. Commissioner Carollo: Absolutely. And I think you, you know, have been very keenly aware of it since you've become our Code Enforcement director. Mr. Santos-Alborna: Correct. I -- last time I was here, I commingled processes, and I want to make sure that I don't do that. One of the concerns that I have is that after the $500 citation, our current process, with the exception of the Wynwood BID (Business Improvement District), which is a pilot, we have nothing else. And technically, you and I have discussed about cost, you know, cost of business. And so, at this point in time, with this specific property, in addition to that, there's been a revocation of the temporary use permit. I went Monday and talked to one of the principals of this property. I also had a conversation with the second principal, where I advised that because of the revocation, at this point in time, they could not operate. There's also a revocation of the business tax receipt. So, as we speak right now, unless otherwise advised by my chain of command, they are not to operate. Now there are discussions that that property owner, the business owner, that they know, they are technologically savvy, they can take some corrective action to ensure that the sound is not excessive, and it doesn't escape the chamber, and it doesn't, you know, that we don't identify the Code -- the noise violations. But until they do that, at this point in time, there is a City of Miami Page 113 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 revocation of the temporary use permit and there is a revocation of the business tax receipt. Vice Chair Russell: I noticed some of the -- so people -- there were some people that came and spoke that were -- that are employees of the facility who were actually planning on going to work tonight. I guess Thursday is the first night of the week that it opens, so they assumed it's open, but it not going to be open tonight, is that correct? Mr. Santos-Alborna: No, sir. As of last night, we posted the property and going through our due process, but the property was posted with both revocations. Vice Chair Russell: Got it. So, I was talking to the City Attorney to understand the process once a TUP is revoked. I mean, and sometimes you don't fix things until it gets to a point of -- Mr. Santos-Alborna: Right. Vice Chair Russell: -- no return, right? Because that's when it's dire enough that, you know, sides come together to try to solve an issue. And I think I saw that today between the new manager that came and spoke and all the people that represented both the residents, you know, everyone's at their wits end. So, it's either over or it's going to get fixed. Now, is there a path through which they can reapply for the TUP or it can be reinstated if the Administration is satisfied with their corrective action? Mr. Santos-Alborna: The answer to your question is yes, there is a path. So after -- they need to do certain due diligence and ensure the City that corrective action has been taken by way of technology, moving, doing a number of things. And when the City, which includes Zoning and us, when we are satisfied that corrective action has been taken, the TUP can be reinstated. The concern, the flip side of that is -- let me take a step back. One of the things that I'm very mindful of is, we're Code Compliance. What we want is that exactly, compliance by the businesses so that it can coexist with the residents. I am hopeful that we can find that path. But if we don't, to the outliers out there, I'd like to create a process similar with as the BID where the bad the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and the bad players cannot proceed on their cost of business. So, it's a balancing act. I am hoping that we can find one here. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. Commissioner Carollo, you're recognized. Commissioner Carollo: Well, I think he's explained their actions. Look, I don't know who the owners of these establishments are. In fact, I've never been to them, so I'm not quite sure where they're at. I'm reacting to, I think, the legitimate problems that so many residents there have addressed, just like I have in many other parts of our city. And this is a recurring problem. And I think that, you know, we kind of hit the nail on the head and the essence of it, that a lot of these establishments, what they've got to pay is nothing. First time is $250, then it's $500, which is, you know, maybe one good bottle of something that they sell. And it doesn't hurt them. Party goes on. And this is what we've got to change in -- in our ordinance. And then some of them, I'm not saying these people are like that, but some others, know how to play the system. And in fact, they had people within the system that would help them. And they kept, you know, stalling the fines and so on and everything. In fact, some point next week, there was a chap in one of our districts that had, I think, a $300 fine or $500. I'd like to see if that was ever paid. And somehow, I think I'm going to find that it never was paid, and everything falls through the cracks. So, it's a system that is broken and we've got to fix it. City of Miami Page 114 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Vice Chair Russell: Well, the biggest -- the biggest teeth is revocation of their BTR (Business Tax Receipt) or their TUP. Commissioner Carollo: Well, yeah, and that's all -- that's all that he could do now and he certainly did it. That's why I have no -- nothing further to say. Now, I don't want to see people shut down -- Mr. Santos-Alborna: Right. Commissioner Carollo: -- if they truly can redeem themselves and are willing to work so that they respect other people's rights, too. But, you know, I don't know where the problem is exactly, what violations they might have or not, and this has been another problem that we've had that Building, other departments, you know, everyone's been blind when it's convenient. Mr. Santos-Alborna: Well, Commissioner -- Commissioner Carollo: They never see anything. Mr. Santos-Alborna: -- as I've said to you before, it is my intent to tweak the process, bringing it into place, the three strikes and you're out resolution -- Commissioner Carollo: Yeah. Mr. Santos-Alborna: -- where the third -- this is why we have the Wynwood BID as a pilot, where the third time we issue an NOV (Notice of Violation) and we bring that respondent before the Code Enforcement Board and let them explain, let that respondent explain to the board why is it that there are going to be better operators. The board may decide to pull the BTR or the certificate of use. I hope we don't. I hope that we give that one opportunity, butt think that process brings teeth to our entire process and make sure that we don't have the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) that are going to try to test the system. So hopefully with that process in place, we can replicate. That, I will tell you this, we don't have any problems in identifying noise. Whether it's plainly audible, or excessive, unusual, and unnecessary, our staff identifies noise. The issue, the challenge is on that, after the second violation, that $500 citation, it is not a deterrent for some businesses. So hopefully with this process, we can move forward and find a better balance. Commissioner Reyes: Sir. Mr. Santos-Alborna: Yes, sir. Commissioner Reyes: Through the Chair. We cannot apply the same type of ordinance, the Wynwood ordinance -- how much is -- not can we, I mean, take a proper legislative action -- how much is the, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) increase the fines in Wynwood? It went to -- Mr. Santos-Alborna: It's the same, no, no, I've been corrected. Originally when I came here, I talked about some of the plans that I had wanted to put in place through my chain of command and the City Manager. But the Wynwood pilot is $250, $500. And on the third one, we issue the NOV, which we bring to the Code Enforcement Board. The board may -- has the ability to issue a higher fine. This is why 1 talked with -- Commissioner Reyes: Okay. It's $250. Mr. Santos-Alborna: And it could be up to $1,000. City of Miami Page 115 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Commissioner Reyes: It's $250, $500, $1,000. Mr. Santos-Alborna: It could be $1,000,000. Commissioner Reyes: It could be -- and then what? Mr. Santos-Alborna: The next one could be $5,000. Commissioner Reyes: Okay. Mr. Santos-Alborna: Under -- Commissioner Reyes: Because as you well stated, you see, I mean, you can -- you can be without a license -- I mean, a permit or a license -- Mr. Santos-Alborna: Right. Commissioner Reyes: -- and -- and -- I mean, 500, even 1,000, that's the cost of doing business, you see. Mr. Santos-Alborna: Correct. Commissioner Reyes: That is -- that is, I mean, that is peanuts -- Mr. Santos-Alborna: Understood. Commissioner Reyes: -- compared to what, because they -- a bottle would sell for two or three hundred dollars. Mr. Santos-Alborna: Or higher, in some places. Commissioner Reyes: Or higher, it all depends. you see, VIP (Very Important Person) section and all of that. Barnaby Min (Deputy City Attorney): Mr. Chairman. Commissioner Reyes: I mean, it's just a -- it's a minimum cost. Mr. Min: Ili can try and assist the Code Director. So, the legislation concerning the Wvnwood enhanced penalties, that is corning back on second reading November 18th. Commissioner Reyes: Yes. Mr. Min: As drafted, the Director is correct, and again, there's ticket violations and there is a process before the Code Enforcement Board. With ticket violations, it's $250 for the first offense, $500 for the second offense. If it goes before the Code Enforcement Board, as proposed, and as passed on first reading, a first offense found by the Code Enforcement Board is punishable by up to $5, 000 per day, and a code violation for a repeat violator that goes before the Code Enforcement Board. If it's found to be irreparable and/or irreversible, it's punishable by up to $15, 000 per violation. So, it is increased penalties, but that is limited to the Wynwood program that the Director spoke about. Commissioner Reyes: We might -- we might -- we should, I don't know if we should start thinking about legislation to extend that to the whole city. City of Miami Page 116 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Vice Chair Russell: For the fee structure, I wouldn't be opposed, but for the other process regarding decibels and megahertz, et cetera, I'd like to see how it works in Wynwood before applying it. Commissioner Reyes: No, I mean after we -- we test -- Vice Chair Russell: Right. Commissioner Reyes: -- the decibels and all of that, but the fee structure should be changed. Vice Chair Russell: All right. Thank you. Is there any further discussion on this item? Commissioner Reyes: Oh, okay, I'm sorry. Do you have a problem with your ears? Vice Chair Russell: Any further discussion on DI2, I believe it is? Commissioner Reyes: No. Vice Chair Russell: All right, seeing none, we'll close that discussion. Mr. Santos-Alborna: Thank you, sir. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you so much. Commissioner Reyes: And I think 1'm going home. Vice Chair Russell: Is there any further business for this morning's' agenda? Commissioner Reyes: I have (INAUDIBLE). Vice Chair Russell: All right. We have the Omni CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) and the Overtown CRA, which should be relatively quick, but we are now adjourned unless there's any further business. Thank you all for your advocacy and your patience in being involved. We are now adjourned for the City of Miami Commission meeting, and we will start the Omni -- DI.3 DISCUSSION ITEM 10952 A DISCUSSION ITEM REGARDING BUILDING ISSUES. Commissioners and Mayor rRESULT: DISCUSSED Vice Chair Russell: And your final discussion item, Commissioner Watson, is DI3 building issues. So, I'll go ahead and take that now. Commissioner Watson: I guess at some point I'd like to work with -- I'd like to work with, or let's see the Manager, I just saw a neighbor complain and someone was building a building, getting ready to, and they didn't have a permit. Come to find out it was a double address, but still no permit notwithstanding. And so two things with that. There are a couple of companies, one called Priority Holdings and others out there building without building permits on lot lines, not setbacks, all kinds of things, pulling permits for windows and building whole houses. And so, we have to be vigilant about that and that process and tear them down or whatever we need to do City of Miami Page 117 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 with them. But that's one component of it. The other component is, if the police identify a house or building or something of that sort by way of illegal drug activity, vagrancy, whatever the case may be, they should not take six, seven, eight months for them to get a response. And it should immediately trigger some sort of process, Barnaby, some sort of process that allows for an immediate action to be taken. Because in a lot of neighborhoods, maybe you guys don't have in your neighborhoods, a lot of neighborhoods, people just shy away from saying anything because nothing is done. You have to know it because you see it. And so, since they see it and nobody does anything, they don't say anything, right? And so, if the police says something, that should jump something in the front of the line to ensure that we either, one, tear it down, two -- or whatever we can do under state law. If we can't do that, then we need to go to the State and change the law. And so that's more of a right-hand, left-hand thing, but at least, procedurally -- and we have a lot of processes that are working for people, but procedurally, that should be something that we take a look at. Jose Regalado: Absolutely; Jose Regalado, Assistant Director of the Building Department. Earlier today, I spoke with Interim Chief Manny Morales to --from now on, for all the unsafe structure meetings that we have with each of your offices that are monthly, we will have an NRO (Neighborhood Resource Officer) attend the meeting and increase the communication across Code, Fire, and Police. Commissioner Watson: Alright. Mr. Regalado: And we'll continue to work. Commissioner Watson: And 1 found out from Mr. Min -- something we can do on the legal side that shortens that process as well. Barnaby Min (Deputy City Attorney): (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Commissioner Watson: Thanks. Mr. Regalado: Thank you, sir. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. And that's DI.3. END OF DISCUSSION ITEMS City of Miami Page 118 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 PART B: PZ - PLANNING AND ZONING ITEM(S) PZ.1 ORDINANCE 9385 MAY BE DEFERRED Commissioners and Mayor - PZ First Reading AN ORDINANCE OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 13114, THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS AMENDED ("MIAMI 21 CODE"); MORE SPECIFICALLY BY AMENDING ARTICLE 2, SECTION 2.2.1.3 AND SECTION 2.2.2 TO CLARIFY THAT THE MIAMI 21 CODE PROVIDES A HIGHER STANDARD OF ZONING FOR THOSE PROPERTIES LOCATED IN THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT ZONE AND PROVIDING THAT ALL SUCH PROPERTIES SHALL REMAIN SUBJECT TO ALL OF THE PROVISIONS OF THE MIAMI 21 CODE; CONTAINING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING FOR AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE. MOTION TO: Defer RESULT: DEFERRED MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner SECONDER: Jeffrey Watson, Commissioner AYES: Russell, Carollo, Reyes, Watson ABSENT: Diaz de la Portilla Note for the Record: Item PZ.1 was deferred to the November 18. 2021, City Commission Meeting. Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item Number PZ.1, please see "Order of the Day." City of Miami Page 119 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 PZ.2 9429 Commissioners and Mayor - PZ ORDINANCE First Reading AN ORDINANCE OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 13114, THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS AMENDED, BY FURTHER AMENDING ARTICLE 1, TITLED "DEFINITIONS," AND ARTICLE 6, TITLED "SUPPLEMENTAL REGULATIONS," TO PROHIBIT GAMBLING FACILITIES; CONTAINING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. MOTION TO: Pass on First Reading RESULT: PASSED ON FIRST READING MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner SECONDER: Jeffrey Watson, Commissioner AYES: Russell, Carollo, Watson NAYS: Diaz de la Portilla, Reyes Vice Chair Russell: All right. Moving on to PZ.2, please. Is there a motion on PZ.2? This is the gambling ban. And if I'm not mistaken, we're taking first and second reading today, is that correct? Burnaby Min (Deputy City Attorney): No, sir Vice Chair Russell: We're on second reading. Mr. Min: 1 believe you're on first reading. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Well, you need a motion first. Vice Chair Russell: Yeah, yeah, no, but I'm looking to see if it's first or second. Commissioner Carollo: This is first reading. Mr. Min: It was deferred at the last meeting. Vice Chair Russell: It was deferred at the last meeting. Commissioner Carollo: All right, I'll make the motion on first reading. Commissioner Watson: Second. Vice Chair Russell: Moved by Commissioner Carollo, seconded by Commissioner Watson. Commissioner Carollo: For the purpose of having more discussion on it. Vice Chair Russell: Of course. It's -- this is a big issue. Obviously, statewide it's a big issue and it affects us locally. So, you know, we need to have a consensus to move forward, or at least a majority anyway. For my part, I think we have gambling in the city of Miami. I think the congestion it brings is the main concern for rne. I don't have a moral stance against gambling. But this basically, hopefully, will protect us if the State moves in directions that we don't agree on, or if other entities try to move into the city of Miami. It may or may not. We may not -- we may get preempted regardless of what we do here today, butt think we should have our residents and our local businesses prioritized. And so, just for a clarification, Mr. City Attorney, this would not affect existing establishments in the city of Miami, correct? City of Miami Page 120 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 Mr. Min: That is correct. As drafted, it specifically states that, but even if it wasn't drafted that way, that is the state of the law. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. So that should be very clear to Mr. Havenick that this is not a threat to his business. In fact, it even could protect him. Commissioner Reyes: Well, that's a -- that's a Mr. Havenick problem, you see. My problem is out of principle I'm not going to tie the hands of the City of Miami for whatever it is, and neither do 1 want to start, just for the sake of having an ordinance, we're going to have ordinance prohibiting gambling or prohibiting liquor or prohibiting any other activities. I think the City of Miami, when the time comes to make a decision, that we --1 don't like to relinquish our authority or relinquish our options like that. Even if what you said, if the State goes in any direction, you know that we have to follow what the State says, and the opposition to gambling, I don't gamble. I don't even play the lotto. And the -- I think that -- I mean, I've seen it. The gambling -- type of gambling that affects more the low-income population is the lotto. And those little machines that were in the bars, you see, those are the ones that affect the most. So, it's not because I favor anything that has to do with gambling, but out of principle, I would never tie the hands of my city. Never. Vice Chair Russell: So, you're against, I understand. Commissioner Reyes: Yes. Vice Chair Russell: Is there a motion from anyone? Is anyone interested in this ordinance. Commissioner Carollo: Well, I just made a motion. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: It's already been -- Vice Chair Russell: Oh, I'm sorry -- Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): Yes. Vice Chair Russell: -- you did make a motion. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: It's been moved and it was second. Vice Chair Russell: And who was the second? Mr. Hannon: Seconded by Commissioner Watson. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Yeah. Vice Chair Russell: Watson, thank you very much. I apologize. It's been a long day already. So, we have a motion, we have a second. Further discussion? Hearing none, all in favor? Mr. Hannon: Title. Vice Chair Russell: It's an ordinance. Thank you. Mr. Min: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. City of Miami Page 121 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 The Ordinance was read by title into the public record by Deputy City Attorney Barnaby Min. Vice Chair Russell: All in favor say, "aye." Commissioner Carollo: Aye. Commissioner Watson: Aye. Vice Chair Russell: Any opposed? Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: No. Commissioner Reyes: No. Vice Chair Russell: Motion passes 3-2. Thank you very much. That's first reading. Commissioner Carollo: On first reading. Vice Chair Russell: On first reading, correct. This will come back. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: It will. END OF PLANNING AND ZONING ITEM(S) City of Miami Page 122 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 NA.1 11002 City Commission NA.NON-AGENDA ITME(S) RESOLUTION A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH ATTACHMENT(S), AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE JOINDERS AS MORTGAGEE PURSUANT TO THAT CERTAIN MIAMI FOREVER BOND MORTAGE AND SECURITY AGREEMENT FOR SAWYER'S WALK BY BLOCK 55 RESIDENTIAL, LP, A FLORIDA LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, WHICH ARE RELATED TO THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY AFFORDABLE HOUSING COVENANT, ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED AS EXHIBIT "A," THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY ELDERLY HOUSING COVENANT, ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED AS EXHIBIT "B," AND THE DECLARATION OF RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS FOR DEFERRED MIAMI-DADE COUNTY ROAD IMPACT FEES, ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED AS EXHIBIT "C, ALL IN FORMS ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY AND BOND COUNSEL. ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-21-0455 MOTION TO: Adopt RESULT: ADOPTED MOVER: Jeffrey Watson, Commissioner SECONDER: Ken Russell, Commissioner AYES: Russell, Carollo, Reyes, Watson ABSENT: Diaz de la Portilla Note for the Record: For additional minutes referencing Item Number NA.1, please see "Order of the Day." Vice Chair Russell.: Thank you. Just to set the table for the afternoon, Commissioner Watson, I understand you may want to bring PI1 before lunch as well, but that's up to you if you'd like to make that motion. Commissioner Carollo: Can we -- Commissioner Watson: Motion. It's a quick one. So move. Vice Chair Russell: Okay, it's moved. Seconded by the Chair. Commissioner Reyes: Which one is that? Vice Chair Russell: This is SaNyer's Walk PH. Commissioner Reyes: Okay. Vice Chair Russell: Is there any discussion from the dais on this item? Seeing none, all in favor say, "aye." The Commission (Collectively): Aye. Vice Chair Russell: Any opposed? Motion passes. Thank you very much. So, as we break for lunch right now; what we're going to do is have the Omni CRA (Community' Redevelopment Agency) meeting and then the Overtown CRA meeting. Then we'll City of Miami Page 123 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 NA.2 11003 City Commission break for lunch, and we should be able to come back at 3: 30 for the remainder of the day. Commissioner Carollo: 3:45, we're going to take at least 15 minutes in this. I have to see my, mom, so (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Vice Chair Russell: We will break for lunch and come back at 3:45. In the meantime, we're going to have the Omni CRA meeting right now, as soon as we switch the tape and the Overtown CRA meeting right after that, but we will come back for the remainder of the morning's agenda at quarter to four. So, we are in recess. Commissioners don't go anywhere. As soon as the Clerk is ready, we're going to have the Omni CRA meeting. DISCUSSION ITEM DISCUSSION BY COMMISSIONER WATSON REGARDING HOMELESSNESS IN THE CITY OF MIAMI. rRESULT: DISCUSSED Note for the Record: For additional minutes referencing Item Number NA.2, please see "Order of the Day." Vice Chair Russell: PI.2 Commissioner, directive minimum housing standards. Commissioner Watson, that was your item as well. Commissioner Watson: Yes, there is a real problem and what happens is that when you say something, then there again, it triggers over to a whole other avenue. There's a real problem with older facilities in the private side. When residents complain, and I wish 1 should have put pictures up like Commissioner Carollo, when residents complain, then you have to now take people out of those conditions. And so clearly, people should be able to come forth, say something to Code. We also should be able, when they do that, be able to move in and have some sort of resources where we take them out, transition to some other locations, and move forward. Because otherwise, they won't complain, and it causes a whole other set of circumstances as a result of it. So, my idea on the minimum building -- minimum standards for these facilities, or apartments, is that in fact maybe the Building Department along with the Manager can come back with something proposed to us that will allow people to be able to call, get relief and we now have some opportunity to assist them in transitioning out of bad living -- living conditions. I have three apartments on westside, on the river that I guess at some point somebody wants to tear them down. They've been vacant and people have moved in, fixed them up, they don't pay rent to anybody, and all of a sudden at the last minute, on short notice, they get thrown out. And so, I'm looking for the -- to the Administration and the Manager to come back with something that we can look at that allow residents who are living in squalid conditions to get some sort of relief, and when they in fact come forward and say something. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. Mr. Manager, you're clear on the direction? Thank you, Commissioner Watson. City of Miami Page 124 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 NA.3 11004 City Commission DISCUSSION ITEM DISCUSSION BY COMMISSIONER WATSON REGARDING PROVIDING MINIMUM HOUSING STANDARDS. rRESULT: DISCUSSED Note for the Record: For additional minutes referencing Item Number NA.3, please see "Order of the Day" and "Public Comments for all Item(s). " Vice Chair Russell: All right. All we have left, if Pm not mistaken, are two discussion items and the pocket items from Commissioner Watson. Commissioner Watson, do you feel PL3 was sufficiently discussed with regard to the comprehensive plan for homeless that you were requesting? It was a pocket item, but you did jump in on the other two items. Would you like to discuss further or consider PL3 closed? Commissioner Watson: Well, I think that I -- like I said, was not necessarily, don't want to see us have a singular effort but also be perceived as taking into account other components of trying to deal with the issue. And so, I think it was fairly discussed, and 17l come back and maybe put something on the table that also takes into account that comprehensive plan that Mr. Porro was talking about, as well as some other components. Because we -- we can't expand ourselves or do something because we don't have the capacity to do it. And I think a lot of these organizations that are so-called partners in this effort, by way of the pandemic, they may not have been given some sort of financial grace. And so, to create something new would duplicate versus having them have -- having them already have things in place that we should probably buttress up. So, 1'll bring something back to help in the effort. Vice Chair Russell: All right, thank you. That's P1.3 fully discussed. City of Miami Page 125 Printed on 07/02/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes October 28, 2021 NA.4 11005 City Commission ADJOURNMENT RESOLUTION A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION URGING THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, AND THE UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY TO TAKE ANY AND ALL ACTIONS TO ENSURE THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION'S ("FDOT") FULL COMPLIANCE WITH THE CLEAN WATER ACT REGARDING FDOT'S ROADWAY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF MIAMI (COLLECTIVELY, "PROJECT"); FURTHER AUTHORIZING THE CITY ATTORNEY TO TAKE ANY AND ALL ACTIONS NECESSARY, IN LAW OR EQUITY, REGARDING THE REPEATED DISCHARGE OF SILT PLUMES INTO THE MIAMI RIVER AND BISCAYNE BAY RESULTING FROM FDOT'S PROJECTS; DIRECTING THE CITY CLERK TO TRANSMIT A COPY OF THIS RESOLUTION TO THE OFFICIALS NAMED HEREIN. ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-21-0456 MOTION TO: Adopt RESULT: ADOPTED MOVER: Manolo Reyes, Commissioner SECONDER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner AYES: Russell, Carollo, Reyes ABSENT: Diaz de la Portilla, Watson Note for the Record: For additional minutes referencing Item Number NA.4, please see "Order of the Day." Vice Chair Russell: Could I get a motion on PL 4, please? This is the pocket item regarding urging regulatory agencies to take action on the water -- the silting in the bay. Commissioner Carollo: Second. Vice Chair Russell: Thank you. Moved by Commissioner Reyes, seconded by Commissioner Carollo. Any further discussion? All in favor say, "aye." The Commission (Collectively): Aye. Vice Chair Russell: Any opposed? Motion passes. Thank you very much. The meeting adjourned at 6.:47 p.m. City of Miami Page 126 Printed on 07/02/2024