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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC 2024-03-24 MinutesCity of Miami City Hall 3500 Pan American Drive Miami, FL 33133 www.miamigov.com �YOp r 1 ' 'Parr +� v * INCORP ORATEO * 1896 Meeting Minutes Thursday, March 24, 2022 2:30 PM Special Meeting City Hall City Commission Francis X. Suarez, Mayor Christine King, Chair, District Five Joe Carollo, Vice Chair, District Three Alex Diaz de la Portilla, Commissioner, District One Ken Russell, Commissioner, District Two Manolo Reyes, Commissioner, District Four Arthur Noriega, V, City Manager Victoria Mendez, City Attorney Todd B. Hannon, City Clerk City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 2:30 PM INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Present: Chairwoman King, Vice Chair Carollo, Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla, Commissioner Russell and Commissioner Reyes On the 24th day of March 2022, the City Commission of the City of Miami, Florida, met at its regular meeting place in City Hall, 3500 Pan American Drive, Miami, Florida, in special session. The Commission Meeting was called to order by Chairwoman King at 2:38 p.m., recessed at 5:30 p.m., reconvened at 5:42 p.m., and adjourned at 5:55 p.m. Note for the Record: Commissioner Diaz de La Portilla entered the Commission chambers at 2:43 p.m., and Vice Chair Carollo entered the Commission chambers at 2:43 p.m. ALSO PRESENT: Arthur Noriega, V, City Manager Victoria Mendez, City Attorney Todd B. Hannon, City Clerk ORDER OF THE DAY Chair King: Are you ready? Mr. City Attorney? George Wysong (Assistant City Attorney, Supervisor): Yes, ma'am. Chair King: Can you read for the record -- Mr. Wysong: Yes, ma'am. Chair King: -- your statement? Mr. Wysong: Yes, George Wysong, Assistant City Attorney. 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 www.municode.com. Any person making a presentation, formal request or petition to the City Commission concerning real property must make the disclosures required by the City Code in writing. A copy of this City Code section is available at the Office of the City Clerk or online at www.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 City Code Section 2-8, Disclosure Requirement. Any documents offered to the City Commissioners that have not been provided seven days before the meeting as part of the special -- of the agenda materials will be entered in the record at the City Commission's discretion. In accordance with Section 2-33 (f) and (g) of the City Code, the agenda and the material for each item on the agenda is available during business hours at the City Clerk's Office and online 24 hours a day at www.miamigov.com. Any person may be heard by the City Commission through the Chair for not more than two minutes on any proposition before the City Commission, and unless modified by the Chair, public comment will begin at approximately 2:30 p.m. and remain open until public comment is closed by the chairperson. Members of the public wishing to address the body may do so by submitting written comments via the online comment form. Please visit www.miamigov.coin/meetinginstructions for detailed instructions on how to provide public comment using the online public comment form. The comments submitted through the comment form have been and will be distributed to the elected City of Miami Page 1 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 officials and City 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 comments and distribute to the elected officials up until the chairperson closes public comment. Public comment may also be provided here at City Hall, 3500 Pan American Drive, subject to any and all City rules as they may be amended. If the proposition is being continued or rescheduled, the opportunity to be heard may be at such a later date. 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 for this meeting may notify the City Clerk. The City has provided different public comment methods to indicate, among other things, the public 's support, opposition, or neutrality on the items and topics to be discussed at the City Commission meeting in compliance with Section 286.0114(4)(c), 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 Commissioners have generally been briefed by City staff and the City attorney on items on the special agenda today. Anyone wishing to appeal any decision -- strike that. This meeting can be viewed live on Miami TV, the City's Facebook page, the City's Twitter page, the City's YouTube channel, and Comcast Channel 77, which broadcast will also have closed captioning. Thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Mr. City Clerk, would you please read for the record your statement? Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): Chair, there's nothing for me to read into the record. Chair King: Okay. PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR SPECIAL MEETING ITEM(S) 11774 DISCUSSION ITEM Office of the City Clerk PUBLIC COMMENTS SUBMITTED ONLINE BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC FOR THE MARCH 24, 2022, SPECIAL CITY COMMISSION MEETING. RESULT: PRESENTED Chair King: At this time, I would like to take public comments. There are no public comments? Good afternoon. Linda Williams: Good afternoon. I'm Linda Williams, a longstanding Grovite, born and reared here, 3523 Charles Avenue, temporarily at 3517 Hibiscus Street. As you are aware, we've attended your meetings, we've listened, we've watched your maps. There are alternate maps that keep the Grove together and I ask that you all consider that highly. The people have spoken. We've shown up. We've been courteous, respectful, and we take in your thoughts. We trust your guidance, your governance of our communities, but we have spoken. I hope you're listening and I hope you value our participation as community connected. Please keep the Grove together. Thank you. Chair King: Thank you. John Dolson: John Dolson, 4205 Lennox Drive, Coconut Grove. First I want to thank Commissioner Reyes for restoring that piece south of US 1 back into Coconut Grove. That was clearly listening to the input from the citizens of the city here. I also support restoring the Wharf into Commissioner King's District. That makes sense to me. It doesn't involve people. It was there before. I support Commissioner Russell's plan and the modification to Commissioner King's. We want to keep the Grove whole. I don't think carving off Bayside is a very good idea. That's part of the NCD City of Miami Page 2 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 (Neighborhood Conservation District) and part of the Grove. But people have spoken. We've got over 2,000 petitions here. Hundreds of people have spoken. We appreciate you listening to us and hope you make the right decision today. Thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Good afternoon. Leonard Scinto: Hi, Len Scinto, 3091 Bird Avenue. Thank you all for taking the time to continually revise this. I would take notice with Item 5, keeping neighborhoods together where feasible and possible. I've spoke here a number of times about the spirit of the Grove and the things we do as a community in the Grove. That spirit defines the neighborhood. And we've talked about those areas that are trying to be excluded in the base plan is diminishing the spirit of the Grove. And a neighborhood is nothing -- it's not a geographical location, it's a spirit. And we know what that spirit is and we know how we define that neighborhood. So, 1 would ask you please to keep the Grove whole south of US I and vote for Commissioner Russell's plan. Thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Debbie Dolson: Debbie Dolson, 4205 Lennox Drive, Coconut Grove. I would like to, again, also thank all of you for listening to so many of us make comments about Coconut Grove, and 1 don't think there's really anything else we can say that hasn't been said. Clearly, the residents of Coconut Grove would like to see our community stay together. I know Mr. DeGrandy, at the last meeting, .said that he didn't think that Bay Heights was part of Coconut Grove. It is part of Coconut Grove. It's part of the NCD, which is extremely important to the people that live here, the NC -- the Neighborhood Conservation District. And that's a huge reason to keep Coconut Grove together. I also support Commissioner King's desire to keep the Wharf in her district where it belongs. I think that the maps shown by Commissioner Russell pretty much support what we've heard over the many, many times we've been together. So, please keep the Grove together. Please keep the Wharf District in District 5. Thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Nathan Kurland: Commissioners, good morning. Nathan Kurland, 3132 Day Avenue, neighbors and friends of Coconut Grove. I was a little late in arriving today. I got robbed after filling up my tank with gas. A police officer came and said, can I give him a description of the robber? And I said, yes, pump number eight. Having been robbed once today, I would really not like to be a victim twice. Other than Commissioner Russell, we did not elect any of you, but you are our representatives. And we have let you know, like Mr. DeGrandy, we have appeared at five or six, Mr. DeGrandy, public hearings. Five, six. Six public hearings we have come before you, and we have said, leave our neighborhood alone. Not because we're any more special than any other neighborhood. All neighborhoods are important. But this means a lot to us. And there's no way you don't understand by this point how we feel. We want you to leave Coconut Grove alone. Thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Good afternoon. Cindy Snyder: Good afternoon. My name is Cindy Snyder and I live in Coconut Grove. I am very glad to see that these other maps have been produced and have been available here at this meeting, but we haven't gotten to see these maps prior to this meeting or to study them, which is a big shortcoming. I hope it's good. I would like the chance to look at it and study the different ones, and I think to balance the districts would be a challenging task. The population is not even in the districts, but we shouldn't break up neighborhoods to make the districts even. What we need to do City of Miami Page 3 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 is have representation that's appropriate for the areas where people want to live. And some people, you know, want to live along the coast. There's probably more people who want to live along the coast than want to live inland. Also, people need to be able to, you know, they need to be able to enjoy their areas. Anyway, that's -- I would hope that we could have a -- more time within this meeting to study those maps. So, I hope that can be taken into consideration. Chair King: Thank you. John Snyder: John Snyder, 3980 Hardie Avenue. 1 would like to speak in favor of Commissioner Russell's plan Al- redistricting. I think that it takes into account the foremost environmental goal of Miami 21, which states the conservation goals include, number one, preserving neighborhoods. While this was given the least weight in the consultant's plan, it should have been given the most weight and we're in favor of preserving neighborhoods. In addition, we may, need to increase the number of districts and I know that he was given the instructions to keep the number of districts at jive. There have been five districts as long as I can remember. I came here in 1985, and I believe there were five districts at that time and there are still five districts, even though the population has increased significantly. These new people that are coming deserve representation, and if ,vou don 't increase the number of districts, the number of constituents that each commissioner has to deal with gets to be burdensome. Thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Anthony Parrish: Good afternoon, Commissioners. Andy Parrish, 3940 Main Highway. You've already heard about neighbors and I've always been a big advocate for preserving neighborhoods, but I also think preserving districts is important and I've watched all of you. I've watched Commissioner Carollo fight the traffic going through his district. I've seen Commissioner Reyes fight for neighborhoods and districts. Commissioner King, our chair, is now fighting hard for her district. So, I want to talk a little about deference. Deference used to be -- and Commissioner Carollo well remembers -- that each Commissioner gave a lot of deference to his colleagues when their district was most affected. And in this case, the district most affected is District 2. But we have another one coming up. We have a vote on Melreese that's corning up. There's only one commissioner and it's his district, and I would hope you would give hint deference, just as I hope you would give Commissioner Russell deference when it's his district most involved. Vice Chair Carollo: Are we doing a trade-off. Mr. Parrish: No trade-off Vice Chair Carollo: Coconut Grove for Melreese or --? Mr. Parrish: No trade-off. I'm just watching, Commissioner, the deference that used to be given to each district has -- maybe because the city is growing so fast that all of you think now that every decision affects the whole of the community, which it does. Vice Chair Carollo: You know what I think? I think from hearing from less than one quarter of a percent of the population from Coconut Grove, that we should go back to running citywide. I would have no problem with that. You know what? Maybe I made a mistake when I was mayor, and to have a balance here, I said to go with districts. Mr. Parrish: I don't think you've ever made a mistake, Commissioner. City of Miami Page 4 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 Vice Chair Carollo: No, no, no. I'm human, and 1 make mistakes. So, maybe that's what we need to do. Put a referendum, a charter amendment, that we go back and run citywide like I did and won many, many times so that everyone gets represented. We don 't have to worry about districts anymore. Now if it happens, that you end up with five Hispanics, then don't cry. Mr. Parrish: I don't cry, I'm just -- and thank you for the time. Chair King: Thank you. Mr. Parrish: And 1 do hope that the deference thing will layer into your consideration today because District 2 is the one that's most affected. Thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Good afternoon. Go ahead. Tina -Gave Bernard: Good afternoon. Tina -Gave Bernard, 1871 Northwest South River Drive, Unit 1901, Miami, Florida, 33125. At the last meeting on March llth, there was a councilmember that remarked about the race card and not seeing race. And words are really important, so I think we should just review a few. In terms of racism, that's something that's extreme. It's psychologically and economically systemic. Discrimination, which is one level under, is subjective and it's situationally intentional. And then there's bias. It's general, it can be subtle, obtuse, yet deep- seated and mute even until it plays out in shockingly dark ways unbeknownst to prior circumstance. For councilmembers to assert that racism is not at all at play is obtuse. The all-around bias of this redistricting -- of this redistricting is undeniable. The fact that meetings have been extended, maybe some in secret, so far as to yesterday it seemed like possibly suppressed public comment, is discriminatory because it's situationally intentional. One key reason for this redistricting is to quell the voice of the active and very advocate Black community and have the population increase electoral votes for politicians with the latitude to possibly and quite frankly marginalize their interests. There's an inextricable link between race, property, and voting that we cannot deny. We had Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1921, Wilmington, North Carolina in 1898, and even here in Miami, Railroad Shop in 1947. It's clear that this redistricting is a modern-day attempt similar to that. The race card is most certainly being played -- Chair King: Thank you. Ms. Bernard: -- as there are no attempts to divide -- Chair King: Thank you. Ms. Bernard: -- Surfside, Bal Harbour -- Chair King: Thank you. Ms. Bernard: -- or Brickell. Keep Coconut Grove (INAUDIBLE). Brigitte Molitor: Good afternoon. My name is Brigitte Molitor. I live at 2620 Hilola Street. I've been living in the Grove for 30 years. I think we can maybe agree that all the commissioners have done a great job in their own districts. They really know their residents. They know their concerns. They know how to represent them. They know how to fight for them. They know what is important to them and what to do, what is best for the residents. And I think that everyone is passionate about it too. If that is true, then it appears to me, pretty logical to me, that it should be left to Commissioner Russell to work out a plan that is best for his own district. He is the one impacted the most for the Grove. He knows the people in the Grove. He knows the very specific City of Miami Page 5 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 concerns, all the issues in this very diverse district. He has been dealing with us for years. To all the other commissioners, how many, residents have to come up here for you all to understand that splitting up the Grove is really a bad idea? Have you heard one single person come up here that spoke in favor for the original base plan? I have not heard anyone. That should tell you something. The people that spoke out against dividing the Grove will not go away. They simply cannot be silent. They're very passionate people, as you know, and they keep fighting for what is the right thing. So, please, do the right thing. Say yes to Commissioner Russell's plan. Thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Good afternoon. Lucian Ferster: Good afternoon, Commissioners. Thank you again for your patience in hearing us out. My name is Lucian Ferster. I live at 4038 Crawford Avenue in Coconut Grove. Been there since 1983. 1 support keeping Coconut Grove as one community. I support the Russell plan, if you will. I support it for several reasons, most of them have been covered here, but there are two things I want to say. One is, there have been insinuations that this is racially motivated, that this is some form of gerrymandering. I don't know if that's true or not. I don't know what's in the hearts of this commission, but the appearance of that delegitimates our city government. It delegitimates your effectiveness in the minds of the voters. You don't need to go there. The City doesn't need this perceived stain. The second thing I want to talk about is the reason. I've said this before, I'm sorry if I'm a boring old guy, but no one has given a reason why Coconut Grove should be split. I understand the overriding reasons why there's redistricting, but why what's being done or proposed to be done, there are no compelling, articulated reasons. Give us reasons. We're reasonable citizens. You're reasonable commissioners, but it hasn't happened. This is a policy decision, nothing more, nothing less. You folks are here for policy. Thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Mr. Ferster: Policy is rooted in reasons. Chair King: Thank you. Mr. Ferster: Policy without reasons is a whim. Chair King: Thank you. Mr. Ferster: Thank you. Chair King: Good afternoon. Cynthia Shelley: Hi, my name is Cynthia Shelley, and I've been here since 1980 in the same house owned by myself since 1980. And before that I moved 31 times with my Air Force parents. I like being in the same house, I like being in the Grove, I love the fact that we're a community and that we join together and I've known these people for such a long time. I don't want things to change and it's lovely. The Grove is lovely being what it is. I don't understand, like he just said, I don't understand why we need to come in and split up a section of the Grove, put it up into another area when our most populated area is to the north. And I believe Commissioner Russell's proposal shows that and is a pretty good proposal, at least it doesn 't come into the Grove, take sections out. And that proposal makes me suspicious and makes me think there's a hidden agenda because I don't understand, like he just said, this man just said, I don't understand why we need to come in and take out a section when the northern part, northeastern part of Zone 2 is more populated and more likely to be more populated. Thank you. I appreciate your time. City of Miami Page 6 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 Chair King: Thank you. Barbara Lange: My name is Barbara Lange. I live at 3901 Braganza Avenue in Coconut Grove. I lived in Coconut Grove for about 40 years. And the first thing I'd like to say is I'd like to thank Commissioner Reyes. I believe he took his section -- he gave back the Central Grove to Coconut Grove. And I'm just going to make it short and ask you to vote for Ken Russell 's plan. Thank you very much. Chair King: Thank you. Unidentified Speaker: Good afternoon, Commissioner King, Commissioners, City Manager Noriega, public. 1 wasn't planning to come here today but 1 understood from someone, word of mouth, in the last few days that no one from my area of the Grove has actually been here to speak up. And I live in on Crystal Court in North Grove, in the area called Natoma Manor, which is part of the area in contention here. And I will tell you that I identify with North Grove. I connect to the village of the Grove, to the shoreline of the Grove. That is my area. I've gone door-to-door in the last few days. I've spoken to my immediate neighbors. No one was aware that this was going on in that neighborhood and we were all up in arms that we hadn't been represented. So, I came to be a voice. I brought my neighbor with me, Marlene. We live on Crystal Court. There's at least five other people on my street that are like shocked to find out this is going on and 1 can tell you no one that I spoke to is in favor of it and we're all pretty upset about it. 1 don't see any reason in our interest to do this split and I think that Commissioner Russell's plan represents our interest as usual. Thank you, Commissioner Russell. And 1 don't see how these other plans represent my interest at all. And with all due respect, Mr. Carollo, you know, there may be a conflict of interest from what I've heard, but I respect your statement and I'll assume that you mean well. But in the meantime, I hope that you all at least hear what we're having to say here and that my area, Natoma Heights, actually, you know, our interest is to stay in one Grove. So thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Robert Deresz: Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Bob Deresz. I live at 200 Southeast 15th Road. I've been a resident of District 2 for 52 years. I believe that the only reason to move Black residents up north on the US 1 would be to dilute the value of their vote and their views. I think that's -- that -- I believe, the sort of commissioner belittle the small amount of people here and who we represent. And the suggestion that we get rid of all the commissioners, just have -- all the districts is also just lessening and diluting the vote of all the Blacks and all the Whites, non -Hispanics, in this city. And that's -- and I like Mr. Commissioner's suggestion, and the residents north of North Miami, I think they're all Republicans anyway, so ship them up north. Thank you. Vice Chair Carollo: Excuse me, excuse me, excuse me, excuse me. No, no, no, no. Chair King: Wait, wait, wait. Vice Chair Carollo: Who did you say to ship out? I just wanted to hear that. Commissioner Reyes: What was the last --? Vice Chair Carollo: Who were the people that were supposed to be shipped out? I didn't understand. Chair King: Republicans. City of Miami Page 7 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 Vice Chair Carollo: Mr. Clerk, who did he say that needed to be shipped out somewhere else? I didn't hear. Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): I believe he referenced a political party, one party in particular. Vice Chair Carollo: What party did he say? I didn't hear. Commissioner Reyes: I heard Republican. Mr. Hannon: The gentleman can correct me if I'm wrong, but he said the Republican. Vice Chair Carollo: Oh, okay. Chair King: Go ahead. Good afternoon. Diane Fitzsimmons: My name is Diane Fitzsimmons. I live at 2512 Abaco Avenue, Coconut Grove. I have been in the same house for over 40 years, know my neighbors very closely. I was amazed at the first base map, which I was totally immediately opposed to, where my neighbor's three blocks on one side of me were going to be removed to another district and my neighbor's six blocks to the other side of me, because I'm in that little finger that kind of sticks up. 1 am really opposed to any changes and to breaking up Coconut Grove. We are a community and we ask you, Commissioners, we are all asking you to keep this community together and give us an identity together which we've always had. And so I am very much in favor or 100 percent in favor of Commissioner Russell's plan and 1 would like to see the Grove maintained as a community and as a spirit that we have. Thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Javier Gonzalez: Good afternoon, Commissioners. My name's Javier Gonzalez, 3622 Solana Road, Miami, Florida, even though we're known as Coconut Grove. We've been called a lot of things. Coconut Grove residents get called a lot of things. We know that. And one of the things that we are is passionate. We're the ones showing up at these meetings. We're the ones that consistently come here to try to protect our community. And that's something that cannot be denied. Today, everyone speaking is from Coconut Grove. At the other meetings, everybody that's speaking is Coconut Grove. We know what we want. We know what we can accomplish. And one of the things that's frustrating is you've had plans. You have multiple plans. And every time it's, let's pound this. Commissioner Reyes, I thank you. I thank you for that gesture. It was absolutely brilliant. As I've always said, District 4 should always have had Golden Pines. But we're here. We keep coming in with the same comments over and over. Man, if we haven't gotten our message yet, you know, let's do the right thing. There's other plans out there. This can be worked any old way. We've already seen it. So, all we ask as Coconut Grove residents is keep the Grove together. You know what? We've been together for a long, long time, and I think we are, we're just passionate about our community. And this is who we are here every day. Thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Fleta Stamen: Good afternoon. My name is Fleta Stamen. I'm at 3078 Aviation Avenue, and I want to thank everyone for being here today. I would like to support Commissioner Russell's plan. I'm a native of Miami, Florida, and I've lived in the Grove for over 30 years. I know what a community is and neighborhoods are. And no offense to the committee or the consultants, I just don't see how the first plan presented February 7th makes sense Jroany neighborhoods. So, I'm asking you to please, you know, look at all the people here today. We're here to say we are City of Miami Page 8 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 passionate. I think you all can see that this is not personal against any commissioners. It's simply to say we're a community, please let us stay together. 1 think that's the objective of many of the laws that are applicable and 1 don't think that the plan that's being proposed achieves any of the suggested redistricting essentials put in your Attorney General opinion, I think it's 1101, if you all want to look back at that. But anyway, I ask you to please keep the Grove together and thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Ozie Williams: Good afternoon. My name is Ozie Williams. I live at 3021 New York Street. I've been in the Grove since 1957. I've been in the house that I'm living in now, 3021, for 57 years. Please keep the Grove one Grove. Thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Sameer Mehta: Madam Chairwoman and dear Commissioners, I'm Sameer Mehta. I'm a cardiologist. We live in 185 Shore Drive South in Bay Heights. From -- and I state this absolutely respectfully to all of you, from everything we have read and researched, we do not see how the redistricting is going to help us. But one thing which we are absolutely certain about and that's why we are all here is that there is a real possibility it's going to bring down the prices of our homes. So, this is our plea and 1 hope you'll do the right thing. Thank you. Chair King: Good afternoon. Commissioner Reyes: Why it's going to bring -- Vice Chair Carollo: I'm curious, why is it going to bring the value of your homes? Mr. Mehta: I didn't hear you. Vice Chair Carollo: I'm curious as to why will it bring the values of anybody's home. Mr. Mehta: I think a home listed, my home, 185 Shore Drive South, Coconut Grove, has a definitely better value than 185 Shore Drive South, Little Havana. Vice Chair Carollo: Oh. Commissioner Reyes: Oh. Mr. Mehta: I truly don't think your explanation -- I think it is insulting to all of us your expression. This is a known fact. We have researched it. We've spoken to many people. And the other mistake is none of you have taken -- bothered to explain to us your reasons. And all the reasons we find is all political betterment for you; it does nothing to the homeowners. Chair King: Thank you. Vice Chair Carollo: No, but -- Chair King: Thank you. Vice Chair Carollo: No, but Chair, one more question of the gentleman. It don't matter what district you're in, your address is still going to be your address and it's still going to be Bay Heights, not Little Havana. Mr. Mehta: It doesn't, it doesn't. That's not the complete -- City of Miami Page 9 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 Vice Chair Carollo: So, how can that affect you? We're still one city. Look, when 1 ran -- Mr. Mehta: My address will not be 185 Shore Drive South. Vice Chair Carollo: Yeah, it will still be the same address. Mr. Mehta: No, no. Commissioner Reyes: It's still going to be that. Mr. Mehta: At the moment it is 185 Shore Drive South, Coconut Grove. That will not remain that way. Vice Chair Carollo: And that will remain that way, sir. What is going to change that? Mr. Mehta: Not on the basis of all the information we have found. Vice Chair Carollo: Then -- Chair King: Okay. Vice Chair Carollo: -- you have gotten false information. Chair King: Thank you. We're going to move on. Thank you. Mr. Mehta: If my information is false, then the information of a lot of residents is false, which only means that you have not done your job to clarify it. Vice Chair Carollo: No sir. Chair King: Thank you. Mr. Mehta: Thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Vice Chair Carollo: So, it's all our fault, no matter what. Chair King: Good afternoon. Bradford Brown: Chair King, Honorable Commissioners, my name is Brad Brown and I'm the secretary of the South Dade Branch of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), which as our president told you last week, is responsible for Miami south of Flagler. Daniella Pierre: And good afternoon, Commission. Thank you so much. I am Daniela Pierre, the president of Miami -Dade Branch of the NAACP, and we stand in support with the community to keep the Grove together, and we also stand in support with the South Dade Branch of the NAACP. Mr. Brown: We have communicated with you four times now, and I don't want to take your -- much of your time, but to say that it really looks possible to be able to have a strong District 5 and keep the strength of the West Grove within one Grove, and we urge you to reach that conclusion today. Thank you. City of Miami Page 10 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 Chair King: Thank you. Vice Chair Carollo: I'm confused on something, Chair, if they could explain to me. Sir, ma'am, can you come back? I don't know if I'm confused on something or maybe you are. But let me stick this somewhere else where I can see people. Thank you. We'll get it to you before you go, Chair. I'll make sure nobody takes it. Are you thinking, or has it been suggested to you, that somehow in the latest plans that have been discussed, that the Black Grove was being diluted, divided? Is that what you're saying or thinking? Ms. Pierre: Go ahead. Mr. Brown: The West Grove has -- Vice Chair Carollo: The Black Grove. There are two different versions. See, when I was a little boy that my parents moved me from Chicago where I learned my politics from the Mayor Daley -- and I was one of his pets, yes -- I went and played football at Coral Gables High, because even though I lived in Miami, that's where I was supposed to go to, with Neal Colzie from the Grove, Ralph Ortega, and others. These guys, they all went to the NFL (National Football League). I wasn't as big as they were, even though I was, fast, so I took another route. They were still my friends for many years. And the Black Grove is what was known -- there was no such thing as the West Grove. The West Grove all of a sudden now is being used, and particularly in this issue, to by to cloudy -- cloud what the Black Grove is. So, let's go with what it was known for many years, the Black Grove. What -- are you suggesting that we are looking to divide the Black Grove. And I'm asking a fair question. Ms. Pierre: So, we're suggesting that you keep it together, as I mentioned across the board from all of the meetings that we have heard and from the input that we received Vice Chair Carollo: Can you speak in the mic, ma'am, so you can be heard better, if you could? Mr. Brown: My understanding is back in segregation, there was a -- basically a legal boundary that defined the Black Grove as it did so many areas in Dade County. Vice Chair Carollo: You're right. Mr. Brown: More recently, the City has defined an area called the West Grove, which basically includes much of the Black -- what was traditionally the Black Grove. Vice Chair Carollo: Well, the City hasn't come up with a lot of those, west, east, north, south. It's people in real estate mainly for their own purpose. Now, when the original plan was submitted by Mr. DeGrandy, there were a couple of streets that used to be part of the old Black Grove, but still there were some of the original Black families living there. Sadly, a lot of the streets now have the McMansions, and they're all transplants. So, what we did here from the dais, this Commission instructed Mr. DeGrandy to take those streets out and to only go with the other side on Bird that was never, never, never, never part of the Black Grove. We're living in 2022. We're not living in the days of segregation, of Jim Crow, that Blacks have to live in a certain area and they're forced to, they can't move from there. There ain't a single street probably in anywhere in Miami, or a single neighborhood, that doesn't have some percent of African -American Black people because we are not living in the days of segregation or Jim Crow. Therefore, I don't care what block you get in Miami, you're going to have X amount of people of color that live there. Now maybe they're not all going to be of Bahamian descent. They might not all be from Georgia or the City of Miami Page 11 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 Carolinas, like many African Americans moved from those places into Miami, including the Black Grove and Overtown and Liberty City. Maybe you're going to find some that are Black Haitians or Black Cubans or Black Puerto Ricans or Black Dominicans or Blacks from many other Hispanic countries. But nevertheless, they're Black and their DNA tells you that they're Black. So, we made sure that the traditional, the original Black Grove was kept intact. And sadly, those, for their own reasons and purpose, kept putting the lie that we had included it, but then they changed it. They weren't calling it the Black Grove anymore. Now it was the West Grove that it got changed. So, I want to assure you, both of you in particular -- because 1 think you're honorable people. 1 think you work hard and you believe in what you're trying to do -- that this Commission has kept the Black Grove together. And that the small triangle that it had put out for District 4 that only had, I believe, close to 1,600 people, yes, that had 114 that were of African -American descent. 1 don't know how many of those were Haitian or Hispanic African Americans, but that was not part of the Black Grove. And, in fact, if you go across the US I in that Latin area that District 2 had for decades, there are more people of African -American background in that piece than the 114 that are in that little sliver that now is called the West Grove. And why? Because of what I said. We're not living in the days of segregation. African Americans have a right, just like anyone, as free people, to move and live anywhere they want to. And that's why you're not going to find a single street in Miami that doesn't have some people of color. And I certainly, I think we would be in agreement that that's what we want, correct? Mr. Brown: Thank you, Mr. Commissioner. Vice Chair Carollo: Thank you, sir. Mr. Brown: And I appreciate your comments. However, the Black community in the Grove is a unique community of interest with historic roots. Vice Chair Carollo: I agree. Mr. Brown: And it has its churches -- Vice Chair Carollo: I agree. Mr. Brown: -- here in the community. Those for example, African Americans who let's say live in Pinecrest, they don't necessarily go to church in Pinecrest. They may go to church in Coral -- in Coconut Grove. Vice Chair Carollo: Because many, used to live in Coconut Grove -- Mr. Brown: Because there's a lot of our members -- Vice Chair Carollo: -- and they were moved out. Mr. Brown: -- who are in Coconut Grove, but there's a lot of our members outside of Coconut Grove that identify with Coconut Grove. There are members of the Carver Alumni Association, and they look very strongly to being active within the Grove. And the Grove is a unique community of interest that has suffered from destabilization as people have been forced to move away for various economic reasons that they can't maintain themselves in the Grove. And there have been significant efforts to try to build some effort for people of varying incomes to still live within the Grove. And that interest -- Vice Chair Carollo: And I wouldn't argue with that. I -- yeah. City of Miami Page 12 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 Mr. Brown: -- that community of interest is important to stay together and to -- and it gets a lot of its influence by being very active in the Coconut Grove neighborhood body. And then they influence a larger body and gain support that enables them to come before this Commission -- Chair King: Yes. Mr. Brown: -- and achieve that maintenance of that historic community. It's not the only one. We've got West Perrine, we've got Richmond Heights. Vice Chair Carollo: Sure. Mr. Brown: We're -- Vice Chair Carollo: South Miami Heights -- Mr. Brown: -- all scattered through the county. Vice Chair Carollo: -- before you get there. Mr. Brown: There are historic communities -- Vice Chair Carollo: Yeah. Mr. Brown: -- that many people who live in them and who lived in them as well as outside -- Vice Chair Carollo: Sure. Mr. Brown: -- want to have together. Vice Chair Carollo: Sure, but again, what I want to fully emphasise to you, that traditional African -American community made up of Bahamian Blacks and others that came from some of the southern states, it's been kept together. Not one inch of that community has been broken up, not one inch. Chair King: Thank you. Mr. Brown: Okay, thank you. Vice Chair Carollo: Thank you. Chair King: Sir? Alfredo Cardona: Madam Chair, Commissioners, good afternoon. My name is Alfredo Cardona. I've been here in the Grove since 2005, and I am at 3092 Lime Court. I strongly urge you to keep the Grove together. As I hear all of the people here, one of the most moving things is really the idea of community. Communities keep neighborhoods together. Successful neighborhoods make successful cities. Many cities in the US are trying to rebuild neighborhoods. I urge you to keep our neighborhood together. It makes a difference to me. It makes a difference to us. Thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Good afternoon. Peter McGrath: Hi, good afternoon. My name is Peter McGrath. I've lived in the Grove for three decades. We've raised sons here, grandsons, et cetera. I live at 3750 City of Miami Page 13 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 Kent Court, in Coconut Grove. I strongly am in favor of Ken Russell's plan, but 1'd also like to cede the balance of my time to Bertie. Ms. Bernard: Thank you so much. So, very quickly, thank you, Commissioner Carollo for asking that question because it's important for it to be addressed. So, let me just do that very quickly, high level in the time that we have. If you're asking why there's concern in terms of the impact to the Black community, I'd say there are three big things that we can take a look at visually that probably everyone here can attest to. So, the first among them is that there was a promise of a central business district to be placed on Grand Avenue. As well, the historic preservation of the Bahamian -style homes, and as you know, all you have to do is drive around and what you're beginning to see is an out price not only impacting property values which residents cannot pay but also the newer style architecture that you're starting to see which is changing the character of the neighborhood. And the last piece being that there was a promise of community -centered affordable housing programs which you know aren't happening. So, this -- the reason why it's concerning is there is no reason based on history that we should believe that a piece of that neighborhood going to a different district where the people who are Black homeowners are, that their interests will necessarily be represented. Vice Chair Carollo: But didn't you hear me? I said not an inch -- Ms. Bernard: Yes, and you asked the question -- Vice Chair Carollo: -- I said not an inch of that community is going to another district. Ms. Bernard: Right, but you asked the question -- Vice Chair Carollo: Not an inch. Ms. Bernard: Okay. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Ma'am, can you repeat your address? Vice Chair Carollo: You purposely want to confuse it to try to -- Ms. Bernard.. I don't want to purposely do anything. Vice Chair Carollo: -- you know, carry your narrative. You know, there's not an inch of that traditional -- Ms. Bernard: Is there an inch -- Vice Chair Carollo: -- Black community -- no. Ms. Bernard: -- of any of the three things that I've said that have been addressed? Vice Chair Carollo: Well, you're talking about something different, okay? Ms. Bernard: Okay. Vice Chair Carollo: That's got nothing to do with redistricting. What I am talking about is that the area, the sliver, on the other side of Bird to US 1, that is not, never has been, part of the Black Grove. Never, never. Chair King: Thank you. We're going to move forward. City of Miami Page 14 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 Vice Chair Carollo: Thank you. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Madam Chair, can we get --? I need the lady's name an address again. HelmantAlbrecht: Am Ion next? Chair King: Yes, you are. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Ma'am, can you repeat your name and address? Chair King: Todd can give it to you. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: What is it, Todd? Mr. Hannon: Tina -Gave Bernard. Ms. Bernard: Yes, thank you, sir. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Okay. What's the address? Mr. Hannon: 1871 Northwest South River Drive. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Okay. You live in the building -- Chair King: Sir -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: -- she lives right in the building next to mine. I live in 1861 Northwest South River Drive, so you 're my neighbor and I'm your commissioner. So, welcome. Chair King: Sir, go ahead. Mr. Albrecht: Commissioners, thank you -- Vice Chair Carollo: She know Menendez? Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Probably. Chair King: Go ahead, sir. Mr. Albrecht: Commissioners, thank you for holding this meeting. My name is Helmant Albrecht. I live at 3350 Southwest 27th Avenue. And I moved to the Coconut Grove in 2009. As Dave Barry, would say, I moved here from the United States. But I moved here for a reason. I checked out all the other parts of -- Vice Chair Carollo: I'm sorry. I'm sorry, we'll give you the extra time. As who said? Mr. Albrecht: Dave Barry. Vice Chair Carollo: Who? Mr. Albrecht: Dave Barry. Vice Chair Carollo: Oh, the comedian. City of Miami Page 15 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 Mr. Albrecht: That guy. Vice Chair Carollo: Okay, well, 1 thought you were going to say Carl Hiaasen, too. Mr. Albrecht: Bring some levity to the meeting. Vice Chair Carollo: And I was going to say make sure you spell his name right, also. Mr. Albrecht: Will do. Vice Chair Carollo: (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Mr. Albrecht: Dave Barry. But anyway, I've lived in the Grove since 2009 and 1 came here Jroa reason. I checked out all the parts of Miami and decided the Grove is the best community to live in. So, I want to keep it that way and I urge you to vote for keeping the Grove together. Let me make one point. I live in a high-rise building. None of the people that I talk to there support divvying up the Grove. None of our friends living in the Grove want the Grove to be divided up. So, it's not the will of the people and this is a democracy. So, I urge you, listen to the people, do not divide up the Grove. Vote for the Russell plan. Thank you very much. Chair King: Thank you. Good afternoon. Karen Ryan Young: Hello, my name is Karen Ryan Young. I've owned a property in Coconut Grove since 1967. And I'm very much in favor of Commissioner Russell's plan because obviously it would keep me in the Grove. 1 consider myself one of the Grovite types. And I love our trees. I love our historic buildings. And it makes me sad to, over the years, see how much has changed. The historic buildings are torn down. The most recent one was on Lincoln Avenue. The high-rises, every time I see a crane I want to cry because it's just more and more density, more and more traffic. But I still love the Grove. The bay hasn't changed much, at least on the surface. So, I urge you to keep the Grove intact. And by the way, the West Grove, I think maybe it's called the West Grove now because the prices have gone up. And so it sounds better to -- I live in the West Grove than I live in the Black Grove. Vice Chair Carollo: Can --? Thank you for being honest. I was just going to say that. Ms. Young: But 1 want -- Vice Chair Carollo: This is why the realtors came up with the West Grove, so they don't have to say Black because then for the new transplants they sell those big houses -- Ms. Young: But they were the one -- Vice Chair Carollo: -- they're afraid that they won't pay as much. Ms. Young: They were the first residents here in Miami before that Miami -- Vice Chair Carollo: And this is why -- yeah. Ms. Young: -- became a city. It was Coconut Grove and Ralph Monroe and all those people that came here by sailboat from the Bahamas. So, it's a part of the history and I hate to see it going away. But I want to say thank you, Commissioner Carollo, because I enjoy your pool at Jose Marti and I hope someday that the Virrick Park pool will become usable again because I like to swim. Anyway, thank you. City of Miami Page 16 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 Vice Chair Carollo: Thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Vice Chair Carollo: But can I say this to you? We approved, all of us up here, the monies for that pool. So, okay, all of us, even those that, you know, represent another district. Otherwise, Boy Wonder could not have done it by himself. Chair King: Good afternoon. Alexandra Escudero: Good afternoon. My name is Alexandra Escudero. I live on Bay Heights, 89 Bay Heights Drive. I'm here to oppose to the division of the Grove. I bought my house in 2002. My two kids were born in Mercy Hospital. My kids go to the schools in the Grove. We try to teach the kids to live in a community, to love their neighbors. And by dividing the Grove, you're doing totally the opposite that we're truing to teach our kids. I don 't think it's right, and I'm asking you to please do not divide the Grove. We do not divide families. Thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Good afternoon. Kathy Suarez: Hi, I'm Kathy Suarez. I live at 4035 Battersea Road in Coconut Grove. I'm for keeping the Grove together and do I understand that now the little bit of West Grove has been moved to US 1 and Virginia and Shipping and all of those streets are back in in District 2. is that -- is that -- is that -- did you all agree on that, Commissioner Russell? And that the back part by Wendy's and Day and Shipping all that comes back to your district. Vice Chair Carollo: Yeah. Ms. Suarez: Is that correct? (COMMENTS MADE OFF THE RECORD) Ms. Suarez: They haven't voted on it yet but that -- Chair King: That's one of the plans. Ms. Suarez: -- is that the will of the body? That's a plan? Chair King: That's a plan. Ms. Suarez: Okay, okay. So, with that being said, I'm all for keeping the Grove together, but there are people that have chosen to move and they've made money moving. They have the right to retire to Georgia if they so choose. But there's' also people that serve on some of the boards that have bought property for 10 and $20,000 and tore down old houses and built properties and sold them. And the pool has been closed for two summers. It's going to be three. A 7 or $8 million pool is not what the park manager asked for and that's not going to happen until everybody's gone that looks like the community and they're not going to be able to use the pool because they're not going to have that 33133 zip code. The other thing is is that the West Grove is redlined by the City's Commission's CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) map. It's got a red border on it. We couldn 't even be respectful enough to put it in blue or yellow. And we're building a hotel in single-family properties behind the Playhouse versus building it on Grand Avenue that looks like a war zone. Calle Ocho, even in its worst days, didn't look like Grand Avenue. Grand Avenue doesn't look grand. Put the hotel on Grand Avenue and let's build some single-family houses for some people that can afford to be homeowners that are legacy West Grovites. City of Miami Page 17 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 Chair King: Thank you. Thank you. Ms. Suarez: So -- Commissioner Reyes: Madam Chair, may I ask a question because, I mean, maybe I'm learning something. You claim that the zip code is going to change from 33133? Because that's not -- I mean, we don't place it. Ms. Suarez: No, no, no, no, that's not what I'm intimating at all. The people that have been displaced will not be able to use the new pool because they don't live in the 33133. Commissioner Reyes: Well, okay, but -- Ms. Suarez: They'll have to pay like a normal person -- Commissioner Reyes: Okay. Ms. Suarez: -- if that's even allowed unless it's not a community pool. That's not what I meant at all. I wasn 't referring to -- Commissioner Reyes: And 1 want to clam this also. Every single pool that is in one - - every one of our parks they are public and it doesn't matter what your zip code is, you can use it. Ms. Suarez: I understand, but I'm just saying that if you live in the community and you have like a discount, you can get pool passes and if you have kids and stuff, there are incentives if you actually live there because that's always been the case with Virrick pool and it's the only pool that's only open in the summer also. So, that's all l was saying. I wasn't inferring that they can't come there. Commissioner Reyes: Okay. Ms. Suarez: That's not what I meant at all. That it was that. Thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Commissioner Reyes: I just want to clarify that. Commissioner Russell: Madam Chair, brief clarification. I apologize. Chair King:: Okay. Commissioner Russell: The Virrick Park pool is groundbreaking next month. It'll be completed by next May. It will be open all year round. Thank you, Commissioners, for the funding. Chair King: Thank you. Thank you. Good afternoon, sir. Jihad Rashid: Good afternoon, Commission. My name is Jihad Rashid. I live at 2983 Washington Street. For the last 30 years, I've been in service to making Coconut Grove a better place to be, particularly -- Vice Chair Carollo: Only 30 years? I thought it was 40. Mr. Rashid: Well -- City of Miami Page 18 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 Vice Chair Carollo: 1 remember you longer than that. Mr. Rashid: 1 know. And we go back a long time. And it's really difficult to express myself at this stage of the game. This has been deliberated for some time now. And I mentioned in my last presentation about my civic lessons, about government for the people by the people. And I just want the Commission in itself to get along in the sandbox, because what I glean, and feel free to correct me, because respectfully, and we can respectfully disagree -- Vice Chair Carollo: Of course. Mr. Rashid: -- and I want to have -- maintain the same relationship. But at this point, 1 want to speak very strongly about the will of the people and government for the people by the people. I've heard feedback from the Commission about things that could benefit their district and issues between -- among themselves, playing in the sandbox well. And the voices of people have been loud and clear and firm. Ninety- nine percent of the time, we accept the will of the Commission, we advance you there, but keep in mind, government for the people, by the people. This community has said and mandated and urged you to just leave it alone. And then we have a commission that has come up with a plan that I understand that mollifies everybody's plans. And so, this is so at the heart of what we are and what we're being. I urge this Commission to do what we tell you to do. Do what we ask you to do. We advance you here not to be our monarchs, but to be our legislators. And if we can't get what we want here, then we have to go to the judicial branch to get what we should get from our legislators. Our legislators should hear our voices. Thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Thank you. Good afternoon. Elena Carpenter: Good afternoon. Elena Carpenter, 1660 South Bayshore Court, Coconut Grove, Florida. I wrote this letter to the editor for the Miami Herald, but apparently they didn't find our redistricting process to be as important as the fact that Lolita now on the front page does private performances. I'm just going to read you a couple paragraphs because at the end, you know, we want one Grove. But this is the important part. As a member of the original 1997 Blue Ribbon Panel that crafted Miami's first single -member districts, I learned the importance of active civic engagement in our city's fixture. Traditional redistricting criteria, as previously stated by our City's districting consultant, Mr. Miguel DeGrandy, include respecting natural man-made geographic boundaries, contiguity, compactness, maintaining the core of existing districts, and maintaining communities of interest together, such as traditional neighborhoods. That's what this is about. And I had the pleasure to serve in that 1997 Blue Ribbon Committee with Mr. DeGrandy as well. And thank you for appointing me to that committee, then mayor, and now Commissioner Carollo. Strong neighborhoods build strong cities. And redistricting is specifically not intended to break up established neighborhoods because you fracture any voice that the community may have to preserve its fabric. Please, Commissioners, do the right thing. We've come a long way. We really have. We're almost there. Just keep the Grove the Grove. Thank you for your time and your patience. Vice Chair Carollo: Elena -- Ms. Carpenter: Yes? Vice Chair Carollo: -- it's very good to see you again. It's been a long time. Ms. Carpenter: It's been a while. Vice Chair Carollo: Yeah, and you -- City of Miami Page 19 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 Ms. Carpenter: And 1 just wanted to give a little bit of background because some people say they've lived in the five -member -- single -member district for 50 or 60 years -- Vice Chair Carollo: Yeah, yeah. Ms. Carpenter: -- but that was your smart choice to establish that districting committee which gave us equality and equity in the commission. Vice Chair Carollo: And that's what I'm trying to keep based on our population makeup in the city. Ms. Carpenter: Thank you, sir. Vice Chair Carollo: But let me ask you a question. Ms. Carpenter: Oh, I'm sorry. Vice Chair Carollo: No, no, I apologize. Ms. Carpenter: Oh, please. I hope 1 can answer it. Vice Chair Carollo: Well, I don't know if you can because I -- you know, I'm getting up there in age and 1 forget. I only keep in the hard drive the real important things. Everything else somehow gets thrown out and 1 don 't even have to be hacked. Ms. Carpenter: You don 't what? Vice Chair Carollo: I don't even have to be hacked. I just throw it out unless it's really important for me. The -- back then in the committee that you were in, and Mr. DeGrandv was still around, if I remember correct. How did you come to the conclusion of having Little Havana, Shenandoah, Silver Bluff, Flagami, other areas being divided? They were one community, too. Ms. Carpenter: Are you really asking me -- Vice Chair Carollo: If you remember. Ms. Carpenter: -- if I remember -- Vice Chair Carollo: Well -- Ms. Carpenter: -- what the process was in 1997? Vice Chair Carollo: Yeah, but they were divided back then in different districts. Ms. Carpenter: But -- well, all of Miami was one district. Every Commissioner served at large. Vice Chair Carollo: Well, sure. Yeah, that's what 1-- yeah. Ms. Carpenter: So, in effect, we were a more united -- Vice Chair Carollo: I said after, after. Ms. Carpenter: -- Miami then than we are now. City of Miami Page 20 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 Vice Chair Carollo: Well, now you heard my statement. And maybe I made a mistake, you know, after all these years that I should have just -- Ms. Carpenter: Well, at the time -- Vice Chair Carollo: -- that I should just leave it -- Ms. Carpenter:-- you didn't have a choice. Vice Chair Carollo: -- citywide. Well, 1 absolutely did. Ms. Carpenter: We were sued. Vice Chair Carollo: No, no, that don't matter. The federal laws were clear at the time that you have to show that there was a consistency. And just because someone was not elected that happened to be of color doesn 't mean that there were grounds because maybe that individual, people didn't like him. So, you needed three elections in a row Commissioner Reyes: That's right. Vice Chair Carollo: -- before a suit could have gone against the City. Ms. Carpenter: Right. Vice Chair Carollo: Anybody could sue anybody. There's frivolous lawsuits against the City of Miami all the time. But that was the standard then. Ms. Carpenter: Right. Vice Chair Carollo: It's the standard now. Ms. Carpenter: However, you did -- Vice Chair Carollo: So, we didn't do that -- Ms. Carpenter: -- you did get five single -member districts out of that. Vice Chair Carollo: Well, that was the idea. Ms. Carpenter: And you left Coconut Grove together. So -- Vice Chair Carollo: Because -- because back then, if you remember, we could -- Ms. Carpenter: You're making this difficult, you know? Vice Chair Carollo: No, we could not have separated Coconut Grove and kept one Anglo district. In fact, what we had to do was what we're discussing today, to give Coconut Grove enough of a population, even though we were going from one end of the water all the way to the end of the city in the northeast. We had to cross across US 1 to give District 2, the Anglo District, more of a population to balance those populations. And this is why you and the committee recommended that Little Havana had to be broken up, Shenandoah, Silver Bluff, Flagami, and I could go on and on and on. And that's the only point that I'm trying to make. I thank you for your service in those years, for that, and many other things that you served the City in. City of Miami Page 21 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 Commissioner Reyes: Madam Chair. Ms. Carpenter: Thank you, sir. Vice Chair Carollo: Thank you, Elena. Commissioner Reyes: Ana -- Ana -- Ana-- Ana -- Ana -- Vice Chair Carollo: Nice seeing you again. Commissioner Reyes: The question -- (UNINTELLIGIBLE), wait. Ms. Carpenter: Am I still on the stand? Commissioner Reyes: The question -- the question -- Ms. Carpenter: This better be easy. Commissioner Reyes: Ana, the question is a valid question that I have heard all over, you see. It was good at the time. I mean, Shenandoah, fbr example, was established, Silver Bluff they were real established communities. There were neighborhoods that they had the same pride that every Coconut Grove -- and rightly so -- had at the time. Flagami, Little Havana -- Ms. Carpenter: Yes. Commissioner Reyes: -- and you were in that committee, and you agreed to divide those neighborhoods because it was needed. At the time, it was needed. As Commissioner Carollo explained, if it hadn't been like that, probably we wouldn't have Mr. Russell sitting here. Or probably, if we hadn't done it like that, Chairman King would not be here. It would be five Hispanics, because that's the way that the population moved, you see? But at the time, it was fine to divide Shenandoah, Silver Bluff Flagami. I mean, it was fine, you see, because we wanted to achieve what we want to achieve now. What we want to achieve now is to have, I mean, redistricting, this redistricting, in a way that we can guarantee that there is, I mean, there is the probabilities of electing an Anglo and an Afro-American are great, you see, so we can keep diversity in the Commission. And that's what I want everybody to think, you see. Ms. Carpenter: Well, that is the goal of creating districts that are balanced. Commissioner Reyes: And that was the goal, but at the time, the goal required, because if we had not -- if we had broken Coconut Grove up or any other of the so- called White neighborhoods, we wouldn't have people here. But Silver Bluff was broken, was divided, Shenandoah was divided, Flagami was divided, Little Havana was divided because it was needed. What I'm trying to tell you that now we are in a predicament that we have to do what we have to do, or what has to be done, in order to keep diversity. Ms. Carpenter: And I understand you do, that you are trying your best, and above all, you have listened to us again and again and again. But I might, but I just don't have that CPU (Central Processing Unit) data bank working properly, because it was 25 years ago. But I don't think we separated Little Havana. That may have happened in the two redistrictings since. Commissioner Reyes: Let me tell you this -- Ms. Carpenter: But I still -- City of Miami Page 22 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 Commissioner Reyes: -- my hard disk is kind of rusty but because of my age -- Ms. Carpenter: So is mine. Commissioner Reyes: -- but I still, once in a while, you see, it gets going like brand new, you see. And I do remember everything that happened from the first -- the first -- the first time that the districts were created, and the reason why, and how they were created, and all of that. But I just want you just to think about that, okay. I want everybody to think about that. You see, sometimes when we have a major goal, a goal that 1 think that is very important, that in our opinion, you see, it is very, very important for the City of Miami to be not Coconut Grove, not Little Havana, not Flagami, the City of Miami to be a community. Ms. Carpenter: Yeah. Commissioner Reyes: We need diversity here. Ms. Carpenter: And we have such great diversity in Coconut Grove. Commissioner Reyes: Oh yeah, well then -- then -- then -- Ms. Carpenter: Let us keep it. Commissioner Reyes: I mean, but we have -- you see, the City -- for the City to be the great city that we have, and for me to be proud of my city, I need to look at this and see diversity, here, even if I'm not there. But I need to see that every single group, major group is represented. Ms. Carpenter: Even Asians. Commissioner Reyes: And every major group has a voice. Ms. Carpenter: Even Asians. Commissioner Reyes: And that's what we're trying to perpetuate. That is my, point. We're trying to perpetuate that. Ms. Carpenter: And thank you. Thank you again for your time -- Chair King: Thank you. Ms. Carpenter: -- and for your consideration. Chair King: Good afternoon. Christina McKinnon: Good afternoon, members of the Commission, Madam Chair, City Attorney. My name is Attorney Christina McKinnon. I am a past president of the Black Lawyers of Miami -Dade County and a past chair of the Judicial Nominating Commission. Not here in that capacity, certainly. I am a long-time resident, born and raised in the West Grove, Coconut Grove. My family got there about three generations ago. My grandfather built his wooden two-story house for his eight kids on Williams Avenue. We all went to F.S. Tucker Elementary School. I grew up on Bird Avenue, I think it's part of the area that is supposed to go across now, US 1. We moved to 3593 Day Avenue and now we have a house over on 3601 Frow Avenue. Always in the Grove, a rich, diverse culture. Two attorneys coming from my parents in this community. It's very personal to me that our cohesive unit, and as you heard City of Miami Page 23 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 me say -- state that we've lived all throughout the North Grove and also West Grove is being broken up and our votes are being diffused, right, they are being diluted. So, my 84-year-old mother, who still lives there is an active member of her church, of her community, and I would, speaking on her behalf,' want the community to stay together, want the community to be adequately represented from its historical roots. I'm not sure if you are aware, but the name Coconut Grove was a province in Nassau, right, came from the Bahamian settlers that originally settled this area. So, it's not about race, it is about culture. Even the Little Havana and Shenandoah areas still have a representative of those populations. We ask that this cohesive unit -- Chair King: Thank you. Ms. McKinnon: -- be maintained as well. Chair King: Thank you. Commissioner Reyes: There are two representatives from Little Havana, Commissioner Carollo and myself, you see? We got -- Little Havana is still Little Havana, you see? But two representatives in Flagami, Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla and myself, you see? And Flagami has not been -- I mean, it is not -- doesn't belong to Opa Locka, doesn't belong to Hialeah. Flagami is still Miami. And when you -- I , whatever it is, and 1 don't know what's going to happen, but you're going to have two different commissioners in Coconut Grove. Next day when you wake up, your neighbor is going to be there. He's going to be in Coconut Grove, even if it is the next street and he's represented by somebody else. Ms. McKinnon: But respectfully, Commissioner -- Commissioner Reyes: And hold on a second. Ms. McKinnon: -- respectfully -- Commissioner Reyes: Hold on a second, ma'am. I haven't finished. Ms. McKinnon: Sure, go ahead. Commissioner Reyes: The church is going to be there. I heard somebody says there is not going to be more Milani, like if we were going to take Milam away. You see, what I'm truing to say it is by -- it's not the end of the world. You have three people. If you have three commissioners, you have three people that you can go and ask for things for your district, just like in Flagami, the people of Flagami, when we want to do something, they will go to Diaz de la Portilla and they come to me, you see? It is like that now in Shenandoah, we're building a brand-new pool that is going to be -- is a Olympic size and all that. Well, I got it because I have help from the commissioner from the other side, you see. And every single community meeting that we had, there were people from Shenandoah that lived on his side and people from Shenandoah that lived on my side, arguing and discussing what are the projects that we're going to do there. Ms. McKinnon: Understood and respectfully -- Commissioner Reyes: You see? Ms. McKinnon: -- Commissioner Reyes, when I lived on Bird Avenue, which would have eventually or per this proposed plan going into your district now, how would I or my parents at the time been able to connect with their community, vote as a cohesive block with the West Grove community and we have a separate commissioner, City of Miami Page 24 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 an entirely separate commissioner that doesn't know the interests of the community, does not have the numbers for that particular unit to cross US 1, how would it serve our people as a Bahamian culture, as a person with a certain heritage? Commissioner Reyes: What you're trying to say is that a Cuban that is coming to -- Ms. McKinnon: No, it's not about race. Commissioner Reyes: No, because I have been -- Ms. McKinnon: Because Cubans are of different races, as you're well aware. It's not about race, but it is about culture. Commissioner Reyes: Okay, okay, what I'm say -- what I'm trying to say -- Ms. McKinnon: It is about culture, sir. Commissioner Reyes: I know, I know about that culture. Just -- I mean, I have been in contact with that culture longer than you. Ms. McKinnon: Okay. Commissioner Reyes: Okay. I was the one -- Ms. McKinnon: Longer than my family. Commissioner Reyes: Let me tell you. Not longer than your family, but I had enjoyed that culture. As a matter offact, this Commissioner that you see here -- Ms. McKinnon: Okay. Commissioner Reyes: -- is the one that presented the resolution to bring Goombay back to Coconut Grove. Ms. McKinnon: Goombay is not all that Coconut Grove is. Commissioner Reyes: No, not saying but -- Ms. McKinnon: Okay, I understand that. Commissioner Reyes: But it represented Bahamian culture. Chair King: Commissioner Reyes. Commissioner Reyes: Okay. Chair King: Commissioner Reyes. Commissioner Reyes: You see, I mean, I -- Ms. McKinnon: But Commissioner Reyes -- Commissioner Reyes: -- but the position thatl took before -- Ms. McKinnon: -- respectfully, respectfully, how often and how many times have you walked, knocked on doors in the Black community, in West Grove to find out what the interests are? City of Miami Page 25 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 Commissioner Reyes: Let me tell you, let me tell you this. Applause. Ms. McKinnon: How many times? Commissioner Reyes: I have an answer. Hey, I have an answer. I have an answer. Chair King: Get them all out. Take them all out. Take them all out. Take them all out. Vice Chair Carollo: You see, you might not know this. Chair King: Commissioner Reyes, Commissioner Reyes. Ms. McKinnon: And I say this respectfully. Commissioner Reyes: No, no, respectfully, and I take it with respect, but I'm going to answer. First time that I ran was 1985. It was citywide. And then I ran three more times that it was citywide, and I knocked on those doors during that time, you see. And you remember, I mean, there were a lot of people in that area, and one thing that really bothers me the most (UNINTELLIGIBLE) what it is, when you drive through Grand Avenue, all those apartments -- apartment buildings that they used to be occupied by Afro-Americans, now they're boarded up, you see. They're boarded up. That really bothers me because -- Ms. McKinnon: Well, they were owned by slum lords first -- Commissioner Reyes: That's right. Chair King: Commissioner Reyes. Ms. McKinnon: Right. Commissioner Reyes: But we should have bought them. Ms. McKinnon: They were owned by slum lords. Commissioner Reyes: (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Chair King: Commissioner Reyes, Commissioner Reyes, if you would like to speak to Attorney McKinnon on the side, you can do that because our meeting is getting -- Commissioner Reyes: Okay, no, no, no. Chair King: It's gone off rails. Commissioner Reyes: I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Ms. McKinnon: Alright, thank you, Madam Chair. Chair King: Thank you, Attorney McKinnon. Applause. Chair King: Listen, please do not clap in here. It is within my right to have everyone removed from these chambers right now. I have given everyone leniency so that the City of Miami Page 26 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 commissioners could address the public, given them an opportunity to have a dialogue back and forth. I've been very quiet today. 1 haven't turned off the mics, but if you clap again, 1 will have every single one of you removed from here so we can finish this business. This is a very hot topic. No one is going to be happy at the end of this. No one. Because everrvone can't get what they want. It's just impossible. We are truing our best to be sensitive to the needs of the entire community and we have done so by having these meetings, six I believe we are at. So, if we can please move forward with public comments so we can get to the business of deciding how the city is going to look after this redistricting, please. Thank you. Ma'am. Rose Pujol: Yes, my name is Rose Pujol and 1 live, since 1985, across Kennedy Park, 2455 South Bayshore Drive. And I have to say, first of all, that each and every one of you commissioners, each and every one of you, I have felt you give us access. I -- that's my personal feeling. When we have needed to, we have gone to your offices, we have met with your staff, and I don't think that would change much. But if you look at when you individually, when each and every one of you travel, I think the parts of a city that are historic, for me, at least when I travel, I find that's the first place I want to see. And I like to get a feel for how that community relates to each other. And you see it. You see it in the businesses and you see how the neighborhoods are set up. And so, Commissioner Reyes, when you say your house is going to be in the same place it was tomorrow, yes it will be. But the dynamics of us reaching out to you is going to be a bit more complex. Commissioner Reyes: No. Ms. Pujol: And -- Chair King: Commissioner Reyes, please, please -- Ms. Pujol: -- and when you look at the people that come here, which I find also very interesting, I see a lot of faces that I know, but I also see some new faces. And I think it's important when you make this decision today that you think in terms not just of the maps, okav, but of Miami in five and ten years from now. Commissioner Reyes: I understand. Ms. Pujol: Thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Commissioner Reyes: I understand. Chair King: Sir? Commissioner Reyes: I was just clarifying, but I do understand. And I took my position, and it's not going to change. Joseph Brown: Good afternoon, Commissioners. I'm Councilman Joseph Brown from right here in the Grove. I have spoken to many of you individually -- Commissioner Reyes: Yes. Mr. Brown: -- and those who I haven't, I will speak to you individually. My question, I mean, the people have spoken, and it's clear, politics is about majorities and you will do what you will, whether it's one commissioner or three or five, the West Grove has been neglected far too long. City of Miami Page 27 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 Commissioner Reyes: Yeah. Mr. Brown: So, we all know that, right? My question to you all is about the CRA. And the CRA that stands now, with the redistricting, the way it was before, we were going to pull from some of the taxes and businesses from the side of the Grove that I believe will come to your district now, and that would bring monies back to the West Grove. With the redistricting, you know there's no real business revenue on the West Grove and Grand Avenue because it's been blighted. for decades. How will that affect it and what can we do? Which brings me to the second question, which is the BID (Business Improvement District). The West Grove already has enough problems. The BID stops at 32nd. The people from the West Grove, they eat in Center Grove, they shop in Center Grove, they pay taxes, and they do everything, but they don't get represented by the BID. That's a problem. We need to have it addressed. Secondly, the last thing I want to say in reference to -- I was going to talk about the pool. There are 60 children from the West Grove who have scholarships at the sailing club, but the scholarship really can't go into effect for liability issues until they know how to swim. And my children swam in the West Grove for one year at the pool at Vircick. I'm glad to hear it's here now, but those scholarships are being held up because the kids can't swim. Please, whether it's one, three, or all five of you, give some attention to the West Grove, please. Chair King: Thank you. Commissioner Reyes: I do understand. Chair King: Ma'am. Renee Schaefer: Renee Schaefer, 2571 Lincoln. My request is simple. Please keep us as one Grove, US 1 and the bay being the boundary. I appreciate all your time and efforts. I think of us as a large house with uncles, cousins from generations. To take a sliver is to lock the door and we have to go outside to find our parent. So, please keep us together and I appreciate all your time. Chair King: Good afternoon. David Collins: Madam Chair. Am Ion? Yes, I am. Okay. Commissioner Reyes: You are. Mr. Collins.: Commissioners, I want to thank you all individually for sitting through this entire important discussion again. I appreciate it. To my colleagues and neighbors in Coconut Grove, I have waited for years to see a gathering, in fact, three straight gatherings, in which nobody could say we showed up with pitchforks. All we showed up with here is a sense ofpassion, fairness, and quite frankly, Commissioners, a belief in the American dream that we're allowed to speak and affect our representatives. Commissioner Reyes, if I ever move from this district, I want to move to a district you're representing. Thank you. Commissioner Reyes: Thank you. Mr. Collins: Thank you also for facilitating these conversations. Commissioner Russell, you've been admirable, sir. In short, I'm not a lawyer, but I am concerned. The only reason I can find a portion of what is currently the Grove's district, according to the street, is that one of the incumbents on the Commission owns a house there and this would enable him to live there. I'm not going to say yes or no on that because the Florida State Constitution, I believe _you're familiar with this, sir, adopted in 2010 Section 21 of the State Constitution and it said that no incumbent through the City of Miami Page 28 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 process of redistricting can benefit directly. The only -- the only reason 1 can find for doing that is that occurrence; 31,000 people in downtown Miami increased in population, the Grove increased about 1,500. And now we're going to say, oh yeah, well let's take a little bit away from the Grove here. I remind you as representatives of the people that if the same logic -- Chair King: Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Collins: Okay, thank you. David Winker: Good after -- Chair King: Good afternoon. Mr. Winker: Good afternoon, David Winker. Democracy is a verb and what we're hearing today is democracy in action. Thank you for listening. The residents of Coconut Grove want to ensure their community stays one. They've made that clear. I live at 2222 Southwest 17th Street in Commissioner Reyes' district. And I'm a very happy constituent, but I would like to point out I live in Shenandoah, which is split roughly one-third into Commissioner Carollo 's district, one-third into Commissioner Reyes's district. And when we have a community meeting, the two of you can't show up at the same time even. Commissioner Reyes: That's true. Mr. Winker: You can't be there. It'd be a violation. Commissioner Reyes: That's true. Mr. Winker: So, I -- you know, I'm concerned that there are some real logistical problems and I would just humbly suggest that just because other communities have been broken up, you know, that that's not a -- that that doesn't mean that this community should be broken up. I think it's -- Vice Chair Carollo: David, if I could interrupt for a second and give him the extra seconds that I'm taking. As an attorney, you know well that we can call a meeting in the Sunshine and then we could meet. Commissioner Reyes: Yes, we do. Vice Chair Carollo: So, that's not a problem whatsoever. Mr. Winker: It's still just it's an extra step -- Vice Chair Carollo: Well, it's a -- Mr. Winker: -- and in this case -- Vice Chair Carollo: It's a minute. It's just calling a meeting in the Sunshine and two of us can meet, all of us can meet. Mr. Winker: But then every community meeting would have to be a Sunshine meeting. Vice Chair Carollo: And that's no problem with that if we know that we're going to show up, both of us. Commissioner Reyes: And there are people from the public. City of Miami Page 29 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 Mr. Winker: Yeah. And 1 think in here, 1 think it's almost unprecedented because there's going to be three commissioners, potentially three commissioners. So, you'd have to have a Sunshine meeting with three Commissioners every time there's a Village Council meeting or whatever, you know, is going on. So, I just throw it out there. But I think that -- I'll wrap it up with this. The law on redistricting requires that communities of interest be kept together. I don't think there's any doubt Coconut Grove is a community of interest. We just ask, plead that you consider these comments. I think it is telling that there hasn't been one resident in !bur meetings that has spoken in favor of this. I don't think that's in disrespect for Commissioner Reyes, Jroyou, Mr. Carollo -- for Commissioner Carollo. Chair King: Thank you. Mr. Winker: I think it's just they're happy with where they are. Chair King: Thank you. Mr. Winker: Thank you so much. Cecilia Kurland.: Good afternoon, Cecilia Kurland, 3132 Day Avenue. Thank you for your time. I just would like to request to keep Coconut Grove one, as one. As mentioned, there is more logistics and your schedules are pretty busy. And just to think who we need to speak every time that we need to save trees. Obviously, we want to have representation that considers and has our objectives as keeping, you know, a community that is highly -- what is this word? -- active defending the vegetation and we are a community recognized for that. Thank you for listening to us in the Grove and your own residents and I think your own residents also mentioned it that they would like to reunite again. I don't know how possible is to do that but I think we're at a point that maybe another option could be to reunite the communities that have been previously divided. And that's listening to your own constituents. Thank you for your time. Chair King: Thank you. Commissioner Reyes: Thank you. Chair King: Good afternoon. Elizabeth McGrath: Good afternoon. I'm Elizabeth McGrath and I live at 3750 Kent Court. I fully support Commissioner Russell's plan and please consider it. I'd like to give my time to Mel, the next speaker, and I submit that. Chair King: Mel, you have a minute and 42 seconds. Commissioner Reyes: Mel. Mel Meinhardt: Chairman King, Commissioners, wow. Chair King: No, she gave her time. Mr. Meinhardt: I'm sorry? Chair King: Go ahead, go ahead. Mr. Meinhardt: Wow, if this country in this crazy time has ever needed leaders, we always need leaders because we live in a crazy, loving, diverse -- City of Miami Page 30 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 Commissioner Reyes: Yes. Mr. Meinhardt: -- actively diverse community. A community that I love, because the only Palacio de Jugos that I'll go to is the one in Flagami. All the new ones, they don 't count, right? Commissioner Reyes: That's the best. Mr. Meinhardt: Right. When my son and 1 hang out at St. Peter's and Paul, it gives us very special memories because it's a special community. When 1 had the privilege during the pandemic of helping a scout troop up in the 5th District, who is really in hard times, that made me feel great. It made me great because we could teach the aspects of leadership that we were all trying to do, that we count on you today to represent others and to do the right thing. When we attended, through One Grove, all the meetings at each of the commissioners' town halls, there was one message that came out in each of yours, and that was, look out for our neighborhoods, reunite when possible our neighborhoods, and do the right thing. We know that leaders are presented with exceptional challenges. The challenge you have is to get and maintain the confidence of the people you represent. That's perhaps the most important thing you can do in a representative democracy. I ask -- Chair King: Now your two minutes. Mr. Meinhardt: -- that you do the lessons we teach the Scouts, that when there is ambiguity or uncertainty about a decision that they have to make, they don 't step up to the line to make that decision. They don't look for what the letter of the law is. They try to figure out what the right thing to do is, what the wrong thing to do is, and then they turn their backs on the wrong thing and they move forward because that's the way they get the people that they're with to follow them. Here's your call to action from each of your representatives, from each of your districts, from each of your constituents. They don 't get to see what you do, only you get to. Commissioner, thank you for leading the way in your decisions with the 4th District. Thank you for trying to put together reasoned approaches. Thank you for each of you that have been able to explain the reasons for your actions, explain them and hold them up to the light, hold them into the sunshine so that we can understand why you're doing the things you're doing, and how they benefit your stated goals of supporting us all in this city. Not for the past and the history that we protect, but for the future of this growing city and where you're going to have to bring it. Thank you, Madam Chair. Chair King: Thank you. Luisa Pena: Good afternoon. Chair King: Good afternoon. Ms. Pena: As you all probably remember from last time, I'm not much of a public speaker, but I am here on behalf of my family and my neighbors. I am pleading with you to avoid the impending dismemberment of our community. I understand rebalancing of populations is necessary, but I am a firm believer that no community should be broken up into two or three districts. And just because it's done -- been done in the past doesn't make it right. In fact, this should only be done as a last resort when no other options exist, which is not the case this time around. Commissioner Russell has presented a viable plan that keeps the Grove, an established community, intact as one district, and all while allowing for the rebalancing of the population as stipulated. In fact, Mr. Russell's proposed plan does a better job of rebalancing the population and with a lesser variation compared to the previously presented plans. It City of Miami Page 31 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 also unifies communities such as West Brickell. Furthermore, Mr. Russell's plan maintains a natural known boundaries, keeps the Grove intact and as one district and avoids voter confusion. So, my question is to Mr. Carollo and anybody else who may, want to answer this. With a better plan having been proposed, can you please elaborate why you continue to support the previous maps which break up communities like the Grove into various districts? And also speaking on Mr. Reyes' comment from earlier, having three separate commissioners may be good, but to be honest with you, I only see the problem. Having to request three separate meetings with three different commissioners in order to get anything passed will become three times tougher than if it were just one commissioner. Thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Mr. Hannon: Chair, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the speaker's name? Ms. Pena: I'm sorry? Mr. Hannon: Your name? Ms. Pena: Oh, my name is Luisa Pena. Thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Seeing no one else for public comment -- oh. Guillermo de la Paz: Good afternoon. Guillermo de la Paz, 3441 Charles Avenue. Commissioner Reyes, 1 hear someone asking you how many times you have walked on the West Grove and 1 drive all the way here. A couple of years back, Commissioner Reyes and Commissioner Carollo, they were champions for property rights. Many of you don't know, but the Code was about to change. A property was about 30 percent less to be able to build and to be able to sell. Both of them were champions defending that. And also they were champions defending the people from the West Grove when. Commissioner Russell tried to designate 55 homes to be historic designated homes. So, when I hear talking about one Grove, I -- we have to have an honest conversation. There are several Groves here. There's one Grove that started in 32nd where the pavement start new one side and old on the other one. And there's the other Grove that everybody likes to live and to enjoy. We don't have capital improvements in the West Grove. We still have shootings. We have drugs. We have no business on Grand Avenue. I wish, and I can only wish, that Grand Avenue would look like Little Havana. Thank you, guys. Chair King: Thank you. Having seen no one else for public comment, the public comment period is now closed. City of Miami Page 32 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 SP - SPECIAL MEETING SP.1 DISCUSSION ITEM 11673 Commissioners and Mayor A DISCUSSION ITEM FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONSIDERING AND TAKING ANY AND ALL ACTIONS RELATED TO THE REDISTRICTING OF CITY COMMISSION DISTRICTS, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE DRAFTING OF ANY RELATED MAPS AND BOUNDARIES. RESULT: DISCUSSED Note for the Record: For additional minutes referencing Item Number SP.1, please see "Public Comments for all Item(s). " Chair King: At this time, I will have the consultant present, and I don't see him. Does anybody know where the consultant is? Here, he's coming. And he's not coming. Does he know the meeting starts at 2:30? Commissioner Russell.: Paging Mr. DeGrandy in the men 's room. Paging Mr. DeGrandy from the men's room. Chair King: Mr. Cody, good afternoon. We are awaiting you and Mr. DeGrandy to provide your presentation. Welcome, Mr. DeGrandy. Thank you for showing up. We're going to have the -- before the presentation? Okay. While Mr. DeGrandy and Mr. Cody sets up, our Vice Chair is going to make a statement. Vice Chair Carollo: Thank you, Chair. Upon consideration and consultation, I am informed that I am obligated by Florida law to vote on pending matters unless I have an actual conflict. I do not have a conflict, nor am I aware of any real appearance of conflicts. Therefore, consistent with my responsibilities as the City of Miami Commissioner, I am participating in the redistricting legislation. Chair King: Thank you, Vice Chair. Mr. DeGrandy, are you ready to do your presentation? Thank you. You may proceed. (COMMENTS MADE OFF THE RECORD) Chair King: Sorry, that was my fault. Miguel DeGrandy: Just want to make sure that the PowerPoint -- hold on, we're having technical issues apparently. Okay. Go to slide two. I'm getting the beach ball of death. I don't know. It's not behaving. I'm getting the PowerPoint to work. There it is, slide two, okay. As I was saying, apart from the six public hearings, since our February 25th public hearing, you've had each conducted a community meeting in each of your districts to hear from your constituents. So, ,first, permit me to recap some of the discussion that occurred in the last two meetings and the directions that we were provided. At the February 25th meeting, we presented our revised plan. Next slide. The Commission voted 4 to 1 to make the revised plan shown on the video as the base plan for consideration of any additional changes and therefore we have used it as the template for any amendments. Now at the February 25th meeting, the Commission deferred final action and instructed us to meet again with each commissioner to address any changes you would like to make. As instructed, we met with each of you between February 25th and the March 11 th meeting. And at the March 11 th meeting, we also presented revisions to the base plan as were directed by City of Miami Page 33 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 Commissioner Russell and Commissioner King. Commissioners Russell and King advocated in favor of their revisions to the base plan and after the lunch break, Commissioner Reyes also requested an amendment to delete the area south of US 1 that had been moved to his district in the base plan. There was some discussion and debate and there were some votes taken, but there was no consensus on a particular plan. The Commission then moved to defer action on a final plan in order to consider additional changes. The Commission again directed us to meet with each Commissioner and I advised that I would he preparing individual plans for each Commissioner that wanted to present an option to the base plan. So, I'm now going to present those options for your consideration. Beginning with District 1, Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla advised that he was in support of the base plan without any modifications. Slide four. However, he advised he would not have an issue with moving the development called Flagler on the River back into D5 (District 5). This development, which is shown on the video, has 510 residents. Roughly 73 percent of the voting age population is Hispanic, 6.28 is Black, and 3.9 is non - Hispanic White. Now if this area was returned to D5, the overall deviation would be slightly below the 7.6 of the base plan at 7.58. However, it brings down the Black voting age population to 49.97. For District 2, Commissioner Russell's initial March 11 th proposal, which is shown on this slide, restored the two areas south of US 1 in the base plan back into D2 (District 2). These two areas are shown in red on the map that is on the screen and have approximately 2,987 residents in total. Now it also moved 6,980 residents from D2 to D3 (District 3). From south to north, this would include the area from where US 1 meets 1-95 using South Miami Avenue as the east boundary all the way to the river on the north. And that area, again, is shown in blue on the map that is on screen. But after the March ll th meeting, Commissioner Russell asked us to revise his proposed plan in order to decrease the amount of residents moved to D3 in his initial proposal. The revised plan still restores the area south of US 1 to D2. Again those areas are shown in red on the slide that is on screen. Additionally, it reduces the number of residents moved into D3 by approximately 2,300. The reduction results in lowering the overall deviation from 9.3 in his initial plan to 7.49 in his revised plan. The total amount of residents now moved into D3 from D2 in Commissioner Russell's revised plan is 4,670. From south to north, this would include the area from where US 1 meets 1-95, using South Miami Avenue again as the east boundary, all the way to Southwest 10th Street on the north. And that area is shown in blue on the map that's on screen. The demographics of those residents are as follows. Hispanic voting age population is 44.6 percent, Black voting age population is 5.82, and White non -Hispanic is approximately 39 percent. Now, finally, Commissioner Russell's plan accepts Commissioner King's proposed amendment to restore the area known as the Wharf back into D5. This area, which is shown in blue on this slide, has no population and therefore no impact on the overall deviation. For District 3, Commissioner Carollo chose not to propose an amendment to the base plan. For District 4, Commissioner Reyes' plan makes the following changes to the base plan. First, it accepts Commissioner King's proposed amendment to restore the Wharf to D5. It also restores the 1,597 residents that are south of US 1 back into D2, that area is shown in red on the map that's on the screen. Now this caused the deviation to slightly exceed the 10 percent threshold, but Commissioner Reyes' plan solves that issue by moving additional population into D3. From Malaga Avenue going north, Commissioner Reyes' plan adds an area from D2 to D3 that includes Bay Heights and continues north past Simpson Park to Southwest 13th Street, and that area is shown in blue. This movement of an additional 2,280 residents into D3 results in an overall deviation of 8.62. The Hispanic voting age of those residents is approximately 51 percent with approximately 3 percent Black voting age population and 39 percent non -Hispanic White. For District 5, Commissioner King requested that the Wharf be restored to her district. She did not direct any additional changes to the base plan. Now as I have told you all on several occasions, there are thousands of ways to draw a constitutional plan. We have reviewed and analyzed each one of the alternatives and we are of the opinion that all of them comply with the Constitution City of Miami Page 34 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 and the Voting Rights Act. However, if you decide to move the Flagler on the River development into D5, we would recommend additional tweaks to the plan to bring the Black voting age population back above 50 percent. Now as you recall, you had provided direction regarding the use of certain criteria in developing the plan. The criteria included maintaining the core and configuration of existing districts to the extent possible, moving areas based on voter cohesion, maintaining substantial equality of population, and maintaining traditional neighborhoods whole when feasible. We are of the opinion that the base plan substantially achieves those goals. Of course, you are the policy makers and it is within your authority to either modify the criteria or promote a plan which differs from that criteria. Now again, we brought our computers, we're prepared to make any additional changes to the plans if directed to do so. We will review any additional changes you request and advise whether they meet legal requirements. And with that, Commissioners, 1 look forward to your discussion and debate, as well as any additional direction you may wish to provide. Chair King: Thank you. [Later...] Chair King: Mr. DeGrandv, do you have anything else that you would like to say before we start discussion? Mr. DeGrandy: Yes, Commissioner, just to clear the record, 1 think I covered the issue of allegations of racism on the plan last time very thoroughly, but quite frankly, those allegations are false and inflammatory and offensive. Chair King: Thank you, Mr. DeGrandy. Mr. Cody, do you have anything? Stephen Cody: No, I'm just prepared in case you have questions -- Chair King: Right, okay. Mr. Cody: -- and you want to refer to the presentation. Chair King: So, the way we're going to proceed with the meeting is I'm going to go in the order that I've established. I'm going to go with my Vice Chair first and then in order of districts. We're going to try to keep our comments to less than 15 minutes, if possible. Vice Chair Carollo: I will. Chair King: Okay. Vice Chair Carollo: I will. I'll reserve most of my comment -- most of my time for rebuttal at the end. (COMMENTS MADE OFF THE RECORD) Vice Chair Carollo: There we go. Coconut Grove is an important part of the city of Miami. It's a beautiful part of the city of Miami. In fact, it's a part of the city of Miami that I've lived in the past for over three decades, if I remember correctly, beginning what year, `84, Elena? The population of Coconut Grove is about three and three quarters, three and three quarters percent of the population of the city of Miami. We're one city, whether it's Coconut Grove, whether it's any of our great neighborhoods in the Northeast, Liberty City, Little Haiti, Overtown, Downtown, Allapattah, Little Havana, Shenandoah, Silver Bluff Flagami, and I could go on and City of Miami Page 35 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 on. As 1 stated before, 1 respect the opinions of everyone that's come here even though some of the opinions 1 think they're -- been misinformed. And I've tried to correct them as far and particularly as the area of the traditional Black Grove and what is being claimed that we've done that we are not doing. What it's been amazing fir me to hear it's like, when I'm hearing one individual challenging Commissioner Reyes, and in essence, he's challenging all of us, that we can 't represent, he was telling Commissioner Reyes, Coconut Grove. We don't understand the people of Coconut Grove. Well, I was elected the first time at 24 years old, and reelected, and then elected three times to four year terms citywide, where I represented Coconut Grove and every other part of the city. Twice I was elected mayor of the city, again citywide, to represent all of the city, including Coconut Grove. And 1 never heard ever then what I'm hearing today from some that I couldn't represent Coconut Grove or this part of the city or the other part of the city. You want to talk about walking? Yes, I can tell you that I have walked Coconut Grove and 1 have walked the Black Grove, what some want to call now the West Grove so they could hopefully make more money in real estate in the McMansions. I've never seen many of the people that are here today complain about all those McMansions being built when African Americans that were some of the traditional families in Coconut Grove were being moved out. Some sold because the property taxes were so high that they had no other reason but to sell. And that's sad that that would happen in your own city, that you're, you know, after you're older, you're having to sell your home because of property taxes after you've had it all paid for. It's not supposed to be that way. But that has happened. In the past, I've heard people that have come here that have even brought up the Arts Festival. Can you imagine, he said, that we have the Arts Festival and one part is in one district and the other part's in the other, you would have thought he was talking about the border in Ukraine or Russia. So what? It's still Coconut Grove. It's still the city of Miami. And that doesn't change anything whatsoever. We've done things on both sides of Little Havana, Commissioner Reyes, and there's been no problem in doing it. The best one that I heard today, and Mr. Clerk, make sure you give me that guy's name and what he does and what hospital he's in. I want to make sure I never get him if I have an emergency. The guy in green -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: The doctor. Vice Chair Carollo: -- that he says that his property values are going to go down in Bay Heights because the address is going to be Little Havana. Well, in essence, he told me what he thinks of all of us, but I'd like to see what his neighbors think of him too, you know. Maybe they think of him the same thing he thinks of us, Cubans, or other Hispanics. But, you know, that's life. Like Maurice Ferre used to tell me, laughingly, when he would see something like that, he'd say, `Joe, that's life in the tropics," and we would laugh. But look, there's nothing wrong and it's natural for people in a neighborhood to want to see whatever area be kept together. It's natural. So, I'm not surprised that, you know, some of you are here and I'm not asking for that. You know, it probably would be unnatural if you felt differently. But we have tried throughout the decades to keep as many of the communities together as we could to meet the goal of redistricting. And I've heard so much of Downtown Miami. Why don't you go to Downtown where all the growth is happening? That's exactly what we did. Commissioner King, in this redistricting, is taking the bulk of Downtown. The only reason she doesn't take the rest is we need to keep a sliver of Biscayne Boulevard so that the northeast -- the part of the northeast that's left can be connected with Downtown and Coconut Grove and Brickell, et cetera. The reason we're having to do this is because the growth we've had, and we have to keep one district that is going to have a majority of African Americans. We're going to have to keep one district that you could get an Anglo, whether they're an Anglo that's Japanese or an Anglo that's Russian, Ukrainian, Italian, Polish, English, French. They can get elected. And the city of Miami still has a population that is at least 70 percent, maybe more, I don't know, maybe DeGrandy could clarify that, that's City of Miami Page 36 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 Hispanic. And we have to keep three districts that are going to be majority Hispanic, hut since Hispanics come in all types, colors, creeds, races, religions, not all think alike, not all act alike, we're trying -- and based on the federal guidelines, we're truing to keep those Hispanic majority districts within those guidelines with people that are closer to each other, so that three Hispanics would be elected in those districts, too. And this is why we're going through that process. I, Madam Chair, did not give Mr. DeGrandy -- I just listened to what he had to say. I did not give him any suggestions from me. But I will tell you that what I will be prepared to vote on is the last plan that he gave. That will include the Wharf in District 5 because that doesn't impact on the population at all. And I think you and Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla both elegantly presented your points of view and now it's clear why it happened before. Now, if that is not acceptable, then I'm willing to present another plan that, frankly, 1 think will be the one that will have the least deviations of any and will not leave District 2 inflated into the future. Because even this last plan is leaving more people in District 2 than we should. But we did it trying to be gracious to Mr. Russell, hearing the people that were here. That's why we made sure we would leave the Black Grove intact and moved the sliver to District 4 all the way to Bird, so it would go from Bird to US 1. The reason that the other part of the North Grove ended up like that, Mr. DeGrandy has explained it several times already. Commissioner Russell objected to Bay Heights being put into it like he originally had it, I think he originally had it up to, I think, Simpson Park. And Mr. DeGrandy came back on his own initiative and changed it based on populations. 1 mean, if they even want to cut it differently where Morris Lane goes into District 4, hey, I got no problem. None whatsoever. In fact, and I meant that before, once, you know, that is, and that, you know, brings me up to ask you another question, Commissioner. Once you get done with whatever arrangement, which I still didn't understand you had when you sold your home nine months ago, to move out, I'll give you a good deal on a home in Coconut Grove. It's got more toilets and bathrooms than you wanted. You can rent it cheap, none of the 16,000 market rate that I'm told that it could go for. But, you know, all the attacks and the baloney at me, that hasn't stopped since I've gotten here. And you know what gets those people that attack me upset is they can't beat me. They can't beat me. So, it gets them more upset. And I don't shut up, because I'm not a punching bag, and I'm not afraid for anybody to dig into me. But, for instance, if I was to turn this around, like some are trying to say, I don't know, nobody knows, where you're planning to rent to move to. Because obviously, this arrangement you have can't keep going on and on and on, and the property, the empty lot that you have, you stated you don't have the money, you're hoping, I don't know, maybe manna from heaven will fall that you could build, so you're looking for a place to rent. How do we know where that place to rent, whether you have found it already and it's one of the areas that maps show that might have gone to District 4 or District 3, and it's going to get you out of your district then? I'm not saying that's the case, but I'm saying that that's certainly a possibility. And I'm not saying anything that you don't have a right to be heard and vote on this because of that. Am I? I'm not. But that possibility is there. We don't know what's in your mind today or will be in your mind next week or next month. Anyway, I've used less than 15 minutes and I'll come back. Chair King: You have 30 seconds left. Vice Chair Carollo: Well, 30 seconds of rebuttal. Chair King: Commissioner, would you like to say something? Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I think the arguments on both sides have been made ad nauseam. I think we now have six and potentially seven plans that Mr. DeGrandy presented, I believe, five. Mr. Carollo has another plan. So, I'm going to defer my time for now until we actually have a motion and a second to have a debate about one particular plan. I'm pretty sure I know how City of Miami Page 37 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 I'm going to vote. I've studied all the plans. 1 had a conversation about 15 minutes before this meeting started with Mr. DeGrandy, one of many. The last one we had, I told him I had no problem with the Wharf being in your district. 1 would accept that. I obviously could not tell you that because we're in the Sunshine, but now I can tell you publicly. I have no problem if you want the Wharf you want economic development opportunity for your district, and I understand that. Because I want the same thing, I want the same thing for my district. So, I respect that, and in the spirit of collegiality, I would like for you to have the Wharf and I'll support a plan that includes that. My inclination, so you know, because I would like to be very open, is to support the basic plan -- the base plan, the first plan that was presented to us, with an amendment that includes the Wharf in your district. And I had some other conversations with Mr. DeGrandy that would balance that district out a little bit, that he thinks that he can tweak to get to a certain place where you can have, and your district can be represented by an African American. So, I would like to reserve the rest of my time, which is a lot, for a debate on a motion. So, I've only spent about two minutes, less than two minutes until it's a debate on a motion and a second. We actually have something to discuss, a debate, and to vote on. Chair King: Okay. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I'd also like to express my disappointment with people that walked out of this room. We allowed you to applaud and applaud again, and when people disagree, you do not need to be disagreeable. You can disagree in a democracy. We have our points of view. We have our reasons for what we're doing. We have no choice but to do this. We're constitutionally mandated to do it. And Mr. DeGrandy was offended by the accusations of racism. And I can't even go into all the details because I think Mr. Carollo did it already. But there's a lot more to do and talk about, about accusations, about splitting communities that we can refute back and forth. But we're not here to have a debate with the public. We're here to listen to the public. And we're here to talk amongst ourselves and to decide. Until that time comes, I'll reserve the rest of my time, which is about 12 minutes and 52 seconds. Thank you. Chair King: Thank you. Commissioner Russell? Commissioner Russell: Thank you, Chair. Commissioner, Thelma Gibson still calls it the Black Grove to this day. And for me, the shame isn't in removing the word black from Black Grove, but from removing Black people from Black Grove. The population is a fraction of what it was just a few years ago. And I've seen it diminish even under my watch. You drive down Grand Avenue, it's been decimated by demolition and eviction. And the only thing that's holding this community, together is this community. And when I say this community, I don't mean West Grove, Black Grove. I mean Coconut Grove because everyone in here is here for the whole Grove. They're not saying just save my section of the Grove. They're saying let us keep it together so we can continue to fight together. And they're here fighting today. I didn't bring them here. I didn't coach them what to say and I actually don't agree with a lot of the things that were said. But they're here. They have my back because they know that this is -- that I'm having their back. But I regret that they call it Ken Russell's plan, because it's not. This is our plan as a Commission to vote on together, based on the consultants' initial draft and the changes that we're all recommending. And all of our changes are not so far from each other, but somehow at the last meeting, we became divergent into four separate plans, being four different presentations, and it pits us against each other, which it shouldn't -- it shouldn't have to be. Commissioner Carollo, I believe you do have the right to vote on this. I've never made a judgment about your ability to vote, and that is your decision. That is not jbr us as a body, or our attorney, or any body of ethics to decide. But I do not believe that you voting on a district that changes the boundary of your address in Morris Lane, I do not believe City of Miami Page 38 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 that that gives you a financial advantage or a conflict of any sort. What you do after that is what could affect that. But this vote is not a conflict. But I've never, not on this dais, nor behind your back, made those accusations. Plenty of people have come to me, asked me to talk about it. People have actually, in community meetings, asked me about will the value of their homes change. I've said, absolutely not. This will not change your tax base. This will not change the value of your home, the perception of your home, the real estate market listing of your home. When have you ever seen a market listing show what district you live in? So, it's not about all that. And my bone isn't with you. And like I said, I regret a little that it became a back and forth debate with each resident because that affects our decisions up here and it shouldn't. We should listen to our residents and we discuss as the elected body to make that decision. So, here's my request and my hope for the body to come because I think we're not too far off The changes to the draft that I've recommended meet all the criteria that we set out as a body, and maybe even better than the other drafts. Does it maintain the existing core? Well, the draft that was Residents are being taken out of the Grove. That's a huge effect on elections and they have voter cohesion here that I'm trying to protect. Substantial equality of population. My draft actually equalizes my district to the others better than any of the drafts so far. The last draft still left me overpopulated. My draft takes me almost to par zero with the average. And finally, maintaining traditional neighborhoods. There's no argument here that Coconut Grove is a traditional neighborhood. The 33133 zip code delineates right where it shows. The NCD delineates right where it shows. Everyone who lives in Natoma and Bay Heights all vote for the Coconut Grove Village Council members. The sign for "You are entering Coconut Grove" is north of Bay Heights. I would very much argue that Bay Heights is a strong part of the Grove. They're the only ones that want to get rid of the peacocks. But other than that, they are like-minded with everyone in the Grove. Vice Chair Carollo: They don't have peacocks in Bay Heights. Commissioner Russell: Bay Heights is the highest population of peacocks in the entire Coconut Grove area and -- Vice Chair Carollo: If they did, they're not there anymore. Commissioner Russell: Let me finish, please. The ask I have is a combination of the draft I presented and the draft that Commissioner King has presented with any tweaks that other Commissioners would like to add, because I know it may have affected the boundary between D3 and D4 as I made some of my changes. I'm not sure, I didn't request those changes, but okay, if it didn't, then those are stabilized. But I believe that the one block move within the West Brickell area, the current residents west of that line and east of that line are quite similar both in density, demographic, et cetera. And it would take very little to equalize up there. Whereas taking from the Grove is a huge chunk of the neighborhood that really affects. So, I'm not saying we have a right to it. I'm not saying your plans are wrong. I'm just asking. Let's help keep this neighborhood together that they care so much about, that they elected me to represent, to stand up for and give this proposal. So, nay motion, when its the right time to make it, would be a hybrid of Commissioner King's proposal, my proposal, and any other amendments that any Commissioners would like to request. Thank you. Chair King: Thank you, Commissioner Russell. Commissioner Reyes? Commissioner Reyes: Yes. Thank you, and I want to thank you all for coming and expressing yourself because this is how democracy works. And thanks God that we live in a country that we can disagree and agree to disagree. You see, and that is what makes this the best country in the whole world. I mean, there's no doubt about it. At last meeting, I felt strongly the feelings, and my feelings also. I said, I don't want to be City of Miami Page 39 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 where I'm not wanted. And 1 also said, well, you know, there is a great concern that the Grove -- that the West Grove is going to be divided and the Black Grove is going to suffer. And I asked Mr. DeGrandy that that sliver that was assigned to District 4, which is very odd, by the way, hut that be taken out. And I stand by that request. And as I remember the first -- the first proposal that you had, it took District 3 all the way to over Bay Heights and on the west. That was your first proposal had that. Mr. Russell complained about it. He didn't want Bay Heights to be included in there, in that proposal. And now you are proposing that as an alternative because of me because what I am requesting. And I still stand on my request, you see, to that little sliver that was given to me from Coconut Grove, you see, which is across US 1, Bird Avenue, and all the way to 27th Avenue, which is -- has 114 Afro -A mericans, and many people complain about that and everything. I believe that it would be better, and it will ease a lot of minds, if it is taken out and you find other alternatives. And 1 will support that, you see. And that's what I said before. I stand today in the same position, you see, okay. And I'm trying to not to affect the other districts negatively. And I hope it doesn't require that decision to affect the -- our main objective, which is to maintain diversity in this dais, you see, having all the city represented. And I want to see what you're going to bring. And I'm ready to vote on something that makes sense. Okay, and that's it. Chair King: Thank you, Commissioner Reyes. Now, my comments are clearly to have the portion of my district that was taken out replaced. You've done that. Commissioner Russell, the proposal that was made by Commissioner Reyes that is not amenable to you, that gives me back the Wharf and Commissioner Reyes gives back the part of the Grove that was given to his district that's not sufficient? Commissioner Russell: I appreciate Commissioner Reyes giving back that portion, but I'm not sure why he's advocating for the other portion. It doesn't seem to affect him or his district in any way. So, my hope is that we can maintain US 1 as the natural boundary between Districts 2, 3, and 4. Commissioner Reyes: I don't see the need for that. I think that -- and Mr. DeGrandy explained it real well, you see, that that is necessary in order to maintain the integrity of the adversity and the growth in the city government. And also, that was your first proposal. It did include that. Commissioner Russell: I wasn't finished, I apologize. Commissioner Reyes: Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Commissioner Russell: But since you mentioned it, Mr. DeGrandy, Commissioner Reyes said that according to you it's necessary to take out that portion of the North Grove. Could you please express to the dais what you said to me during our briefing? Mr. DeGrandy: If you take out the 1,597 individuals that we had put into D4, you have to put population into D3. Commissioner Russell: Yeah. Mr. DeGrandy: You all have different proposals as to how you accomplish that, but in order to get it within 10 percent deviation, I cannot put one more resident into Commissioner King's district. I've already put 10,500, and going further east would dilute the Black majority in that district. So, how you do it is up to you. Commissioner Russell: Thank you. So, for the record, it is not necessary to take a portion of the Grove, but it is necessary to increase the population of D3 for normalization of the districts. City of Miami Page 40 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 Mr. DeGrandy: Yes. Commissioner Russell: Thank you. Mr. DeGrandy: Yes. You have to, one way or another, go south or east, as the case may be, as it moves up, of 95. You have to cross 95 to put population into D3, whether you do it up further north, which is your proposal, you do it further south, which is his proposal, or somewhere in between, but you have to put population from D2 into D3 if you're taking that portion out. Commissioner Russell: Thank you. Madam Chair, to finally answer your question, if any Commissioner can give me a good reason why it should come from the Grove, then 1 will consider. But 1 have not yet heard a good reason. Every reason I've heard has been debunked by the facts that are available to us in terms of the demographics in West Brickell, the demographics in the North Grove, the numbers of normalization. My plan actually achieves our goal that we set out. It meets all of our criteria. So, my question is, why the Grove? Why break up the Grove if we don't have to? If we had to, I absolutely agree with you, we must. But I don't believe we have to, and I haven't heard a good reason yet why we must. And for lack of that good reason, I have to vote against anything that breaks up the Grove. Chair King: Understood. Okay, so now we have all the plans, we've seen everything I think we all know where our position is, so somebody give me a motion. Commissioner Russell: Motion. Chair King: Commissioner Russell? Vice Chair Carollo: I have to clear -- if I could, before we ask for a motion -- something here that's not clear, and it needs to be cleared. (COMMENTS MADE OFF THE RECORD) Chair King: The mics are very old. Vice Chair Carollo: Chair, I need to clear something that has passed and has not been cleared. When Commissioner Reyes says that he doesn't want the 1,597 individuals that live in the sliver from Bird Road to US 1, that doesn't mean that Mr. DeGrandy now has to put that same amount into District 3. No. It means, because of the deviation now, that that number is much greater. He's got to put closer to 3,000 people into D3. So, you put 3,000 -- 1,400 before approximately -- now, you've got -- you know, you're getting closer to four and a half -- 4,500 approximately, a little below that. And here's the problem. That Commissioner Reyes' district, D4, even with that sliver of 1,600 additional people, to be exact, 1,597, it's still the most Hispanic district out of the three Hispanic districts in the City. So, what he does in that deviation, he puts District 3 into the future -- I'm term limited out. I just got elected. I don't have to run again nor can I run again. But it would put District 3 into the future in possible jeopardy, and Commissioner Russell knows that too, in bringing in a transplant from another part of the country, and because they speak a little Spanish, and they smile all the time, they feel they can sneak in. Or they give a chance to another transplant that tried this time around against me and crashed. And this district now is going to be skewered where it's not going to be clear on the kind of person that could get elected from it, you know. So, I think I've cleared that area. It's not that you're switching 1,600 votes from one district to the other. It's more than that. It's abnost double that you have to put in now on top of the 1,400 that were there already. Now, Silver Bluff, Shenandoah, Little Havana, in District 3, they're homes. City of Miami Page 41 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 The most similar cohesive area that is left that we could go, whether to Coconut Grove or Brickell, those are the only two that are left, that is more cohesive with District 3, is the Grove or parts of the Grove. When you go into West Brickell, it's not cohesive anymore. It changes quite a bit more. Not to mention if you look just at West Brickell, the numbers also change. And this is why, Commissioner Russell, I know you forgot, I've explained it before, Mr. DeGrandy talked about it. While legally we could go with either one, I will strongly object to West Brickell going into District 3 -- Commissioner Reyes: Me too. Vice Chair Carollo: -- because it is only going to hurt the future of the foundation, the concept of why, when 1 was mayor, I pushed districts. And why I'm one of these guys who supposedly can't represent Coconut Grove or the West Grove or the Black Grove or whatever names you want to use now, South Grove, North Grove, East Grove, depending on what the realtors can make more money with these days. This is why when there was no African American left in this Commission and something happened that we had the opening, it was Thelma Gibson herself that you remember came up here when she saw me that I came back and she told the story. I was this guy that doesn't know anything about the Grove or African Americans in the West Grove that's represented them in the past five times citywide getting elected. She told this Commission how I went and got her by the hand and I brought her to this City Hall so that 1 could convince the rest of my colleagues to elect her and sit her up here until the next election. And this is why it's been so hurtful hearing some of these arguments. I can understand the arguments. Look, we want to be one neighborhood. We want to stay together. That's normal, like I said. But all this other stuff that was totally uncalled for. It's wrong, and it's pure demagoguery, and these are the kind of people that hurt Coconut Grove, that hurt Miami, that hurt America. You know, if you're going to fight, fight with truth. We might not like it, but go with the facts. But don't create lies. Don't create lies to try to get one up and confuse people. You know, I don't know of this -- I guess he was a doctor, I don't know what he is. He had a green outfit. I think he said what he was, so we'll find out later, but said that we were going to cause property values to go down, because we were going to have the Little Havana. And even after I explained to him that was not so, he still wants to put the blame on us. Well, we didn't do enough of a good job in explaining it. Holy cow. So, anyway, I hope -- I know that it's not going to be enough for you, and I understand, but I'm explaining to you the reasons why. Look, I'm term limited. I could play politics here, not give a hoot for the future or anybody, let you guys, you know, do whatever in the future. I'll be in Shangri-La, and don't tell me where, because I don't want to screw it up. Shangri-La, like other places have. You'll see me once in a while. Commissioner Reyes: You won't give me your address? Vice Chair Carollo: No, but I'll have more than the two toilets that he wants, so I'm afraid that, you know, he might want to rent over there. Chair King: Okay. Vice Chair Carollo: But those are the reasons that I've taken the position that I have. I do not want to change the District 3 voting patterns, the types of people that are there with different people. I don't want to do that to District 4, nor to District 1. Just like I want to be able to leave District 2 where they could still elect a guy like you, if they want to; in District 5, that will be a majority African American district. Commissioner Russell: Thank you. City of Miami Page 42 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 NA.1 11751 City Commission NA - NON -AGENDA ITEM(S) RESOLUTION A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH ATTACHMENT(S), PROVIDING THE NEW JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARIES OF THE CITY COMMISSION DISTRICTS FOLLOWING THE RESULTS OF THE 2020 UNITED STATES CENSUS; OFFICIALLY DELINEATING THE BOUNDARIES OF EACH DISTRICT AS SET FORTH IN "EXHIBIT 1," ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED; MAKING FINDINGS; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-22-0131 MOTION TO: Adopt RESULT: ADOPTED MOVER: Alex Diaz de Ia Portilla, Commissioner SECONDER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner AYES: King, Carollo, Diaz de Ia Portilla NAYS: Russell, Reyes Note for the Record: A motion was made by Commissioner Russell, seconded by Chairwoman King, and FAILED by the following vote: AYES: Commissioner Russell; NAYS: Commissioners Diaz de la Portilla, Carollo, Reyes and King; to adopt a combination of Commissioners Russell's and King's version of the draft redistricting plan. Commissioner Russell: I'd like to make a motion. Chair King: Commissioner Russell. Commissioner Russell: Thank you. So, my motion -- and if you noticed the map that was proffered today by Commissioner -- Mr. DeGrandy does not take the entire western edge of West Brickell and send it to District 3. After our last meeting, he had an epiphany, and in our discussion in our meeting, he realised he could take it block by block just to normalize enough of the population. But one thing he clearly stated, and correct me if I'm incorrect, there is basically no difference between the demographic blend, Hispanic, White, Black, from the North Grove to that section along West Brickell. The idea that it's whether they're towers or single family, West Brickell already has towers that are in your district. And this is a one block shift. Vice Chair Carollo: Very few. Commissioner Russell: Theoretically -- Vice Chair Carollo: It's a two block area. Commissioner Russell: It's true, it's very few. Chair King: Okay, Commissioner Russell. Commissioner Russell: And so my motion is -- Commissioner Reyes: And the future is not good. City of Miami Page 43 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 Commissioner Russell: -- to adopt my version of the map with only -- it doesn't include Brickell City Centre, for example. It uses Miami Avenue. Vice Chair Carollo: Of course, you want that still there in your district. Commissioner Russell: I'm okay either way, whichever portion, as long as it just meets the needs of the map. It wasn't my request to do it that way. But it only grabs enough to be as like your district in demographic, normalize the populations better than any other draft, and it does not make a difference between the North Grove and that piece of West Brickell to your voter base. And so, if there's a reason not to do it, it goes beyond those reasons. And I can't help that. So, that's my motion. Chair King: Let's get the motion on the table. Commissioner Russell: The motion is -- Chair King: What is your motion? Commissioner Russell: -- a combination of my draft and your draft, giving your section back to the Wharf north of the river. Everything else is DeGrandy's original draft and south of the river is my draft. Chair King: Do I have a second? Now, we were faced with this before, 1 -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I have a motion. Chair King: -- can -- well, we got a motion on the -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I move that we adopt Mr. DeGrandy's -- Chair King: Wait, wait. Commissioner Russell: She's waiting for a second. Chair King: We still have a -- we have -- we got to deal with -- we have to -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Oh, I thought we didn't have a second. Chair King: I'm going to make a statement. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Oh, okay, I'm sorry. Chair King: I can make a motion for the second, but in reading the tea leaves, Commissioner Russell, I'm going to make the motion for the second. All in favor? Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: No, ma'am, you have to have debate, it doesn't work -- this has to be -- no, this is not like that. Chair King: Well, do you want to have some --? You want some more debate? I mean Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Of course, well, yeah, because it's important to point out, and I think Commissioner Carollo hit the nail on the head, the same way that he fought back in 1997 to make sure this commission has an African American representative and a White representative to have a diverse commission and a diverse city, what Mr. Russell's plan does, down the line, not in 2022, but in 2026 or '27, is City of Miami Page 44 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 disintegrate that Hispanic district, District 3. Because the same, 1 would venture to say, and then we would have a minority Hispanic commission in a majority Hispanic city. How is that democracy? How does that work? If we have at -large districts, then all five would be Hispanic Americans. And that would not be fair. So, District 3, by moving it east -- it's not iny district. By the way, my district is in the middle. I can't go north, because if I go north, I jeopardize the African American seat. So, I'm in a good place. I'm right in the middle. But I look at the future, and I look that iny district will remain the same, whoever replaces me, that Commissioner Reyes' district will remain a Hispanic American seat, but Commissioner Carollo's district, whoever replaces him, is jeopardized as to having an Hispanic American Commissioner. And that's wrong. There's no one here, me and you Commissioner Russell, that can argue that this Commissioner should be majority non -Hispanic. The same way that we fought for you, Madam Chair, to be there, the same way we fought for you to be there, you have to fight for the majority of the city. And Commission District 3 will be compromised severely, and I think Mr. DeGrandy can attest to what will happen, because I would venture to say, I would guess, I think it's a pretty educated guess, that if Mr. DeGrandv's original plan would have gone to Brickell, that Brickellites would be here instead of Grovites. We don't want to be part of Little Havana because no one here can argue that Brickell and those high-rise buildings where all the transplants are coming to have anything in common with East Little Havana. And if you guys have ever been to East Little Havana -- I'm sure you've been to Brickell -- but if you haven't been, go to East Little Havana and see the difference. How is that cohesiveness? How are those communities of interest? You're shifting the balance of power in a Hispanic district to the east, you're jeopardizing its future. And that's why it's wrong, Madam Chair. And that's why it deserves debate. Because it's not about me and it's not about Commissioner Carollo or Reyes or Russell or you. It's about this commission, the future of this commission, the future of this city. We're able to make good decisions here because we have diversity, because we have you, we have Commissioner Russell, and we have generational differences. And we come from different economic backgrounds, different parts of the city. These things work. It may not be pretty all the time. You know, making sausage is not pretty all the time either, but it tastes delicious. It may not be pretty, but it's important to have these different groups representing the rest of the city. I'm going to vote against it. If you want to vote for it, you vote for it. But I'm telling you, this vote jeopardizes the Hispanic American seat. And that's as discriminatory as anything else we can do up here. And I cannot do that and ever support that. Vice Chair Carollo: Madam Chair, just a couple more minutes, briefly. Commissioner Russell -- (COMMENTS MADE OFF THE RECORD) Vice Chair Carollo: Commissioner Russell, you're running for the U.S. Senate. Commissioner Russell: Here we go. Vice Chair Carollo: Prior to that, you were running for Congress. I think part of the problem that we have in our government that half the people we have here don't like the jobs they have and they want to leave us. But you're supposed to leave your position by, I think, January of next year. You're supposed to resign at a certain time, I don't know if it's July or August. Do you have a time, City Clerk? Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): June 3rd. Vice Chair Carollo: June 3rd. Now, while I don't believe that you're going to resign, let's say. for the sake of -- City of Miami Page 45 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 Commissioner Russell: Madam Chair, just like my house, this is irrelevant to this discussion. Vice Chair Carollo: No, no, this is relevant to this conversation. Because if you resign, like you're supposed to, and you lose your primary, then you would have packed District 3 with the kind of voters that you think would be amicable to you, and then you can move into District 3, and then you can run again for the Commission when I'm not around. Commissioner Russell: I wish I had the political genius that you have to think of these things. Vice Chair Carollo: No, no, no, no, no. Chair King: Okay, okay. Vice Chair Carollo: Look, I've seen enough that I know that you're not as dumb as you try to pretend you are. Chair King: Okay, okay. Let's move along. We have a motion and a second. Do we have any more discussion? Commissioner Reyes? Commissioner Reyes: I want to clam what is the motion, and also, 1 totally oppose moving District 3 east. Totally, totally oppose that. Commissioner Russell: Why? Commissioner Reyes: Moving -- I mean, getting population from -- Commissioner Russell: He's wrong. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla's statement is wrong. Chair King: Commissioner Russell. Commissioner Russell: It does not dilute the Hispanic vote. Commissioner Reyes: No, I said I'm totally opposed. Chair King: Commissioner Russell. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Let's ask our expert. Chair King: Commissioner -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Because the last time I checked -- Commissioner Reyes: Hold on a second. Chair King: Hold -- hold on. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: -- Commissioner Russell doesn't have a law degree. Chair King: Where is the City Manager? Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: He does. City of Miami Page 46 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 Chair King: Where's the City Manager? Commissioner Russell: I'd like to hear that too. Chair King: Hold on. Hold on. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Let's ask him. Commissioner Reyes: I have -- Chair King: Hold on, hold on. Commissioner Reyes: Listen to me. Chair King: Listen, listen. Commissioner Reyes has the floor. Guys, we can only speak one at a time. Where is the Manager? When will I get the thing so I can cut everybody's mic off? So, Commissioner Reyes, go ahead. Commissioner Reyes: That's right. I am totally opposed -- that means that I don't agree with getting population from the east of District 3 and moving it into District 3. I've thought, because Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla here made a statement which is true. You see, you have to know what is the population, the movement, the tendency of the population, how it is moving. And the tendency is to come from Brickell going east, okay? And so, the only way that we can, I mean, from District 3 -- District 2, that we can get population to District 3, it is south of District 3, that's it, okay. And that's why 1 am --1 did agree with, which was your first suggestion to move -- I mean, from what it is now, move it east to Bay Heights and all of this, which is, by the way, close to 52 percent Hispanic, okay. Chair King: Okay. So, we have a motion. Commissioner Russell: Madam Chair, we -- at least two Commissioners here have asked for Mr. DeGrandy to address this inconsistency because that is affecting Commissioner Reyes' vote, it's clearly affecting Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla's vote, and I appreciate your second, but it only means something if you and I together try to convince a third. Chair King: Mr. DeGrandy, can you -- Vice Chair Carollo: Chair? Chair King: -- can you address the discrepancy? Vice Chair Carollo: I have to bring this up. You know, this is almost irrelevant, whatever answer he gives you, because as I stated before, the problem, if you take the 1,597 in that sliver, in what you now call the West Grove, away from District 4, that means you've got to pack even more, close to 3,000 people, in addition to the 1,400 in District 3. So, you throw it (UNINTELLIGIBLE) completely so -- Chair King: I understand, but two Commissioners asked for Mr. DeGrandy to answer a question, and I'm trying to be fair, so let Mr. DeGrandy answer the question. Vice Chair Carollo: But -- yeah, but he's going to have to answer it then in all from what you have that we did in the last plan all the way into the West Brickell to accomplish the additional votes, ifyou're not going to put any, in District 4. City of Miami Page 47 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 Mr. DeGrandy: To answer the question, and I'll tell you what I have told you in previous meetings, the reason 1 did not go east when 1 was doing District 3 is because I found the population to be dissimilar. It was approximately 40-some percent Hispanic, going into a district that's approximately 88 percent Hispanic. Now, what I did in the base plan was take small areas of population south of US 1 when I was authorized specifically by resolution of this Commission to go south of US 1. I put initially in my initial plan to go to Commissioner Reyes 's point, I had gone Bay Heights and up to Simpson Park. That was about 1,300 people. When there was questions about whether we should put Bay Heights in or not, I took it out and then went south, further down from Palatka Avenue, which is the wall of Bay Heights, down to take the equivalent amount of population that I had taken out when I did Bay Heights up to Simpson Park, approximately 1,300 and something individuals. Now, in any of the plans, is District 3 still a majority Hispanic district? The answer is yes. Is it a stronger Hispanic district under the base plan? Absolutely. Vice Chair Carollo: Can you stay up there for a second? Commissioner Dial de la Portilla: No, don't leave. Vice Chair Carollo: If I could ask him another question on that. Chair King: Wait, Commissioner Russell has -- Commissioner Russell: Thank you. Chair King: 1 just saw his hand first, not out of anything. Vice Chair Carollo: No, no, no, that's fine. (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Commissioner Russell: Mr. DeGrandy, you mentioned that the Brickell portion was 40 percent Hispanic, it would be going into an 80 percent Hispanic District 3. What about the Natoma and Bay Heights areas? What is their Hispanic population? Mr. DeGrandy: The -- for example, the movement done by Commissioner Reyes, which is -- Vice Chair Carollo: Simpson Park. Commissioner Russell: No, no, no, not -- because -- what Commissioner Carollo's argument about Commissioner Reyes giving up that portion in the West Grove, the Bird Avenue portion, is now nullified because Commissioner Reyes has offered that and nobody's challenging that part. So, we do have to find the additional number. The only question is whether that number comes from the North Grove or the West Brickell area. So, my question to you is, what is the Hispanic population percentage of the North Grove? Mr. DeGrandy: Of the North Grove? I don 't have -- Commissioner Russell: Whether you take it Natoma or whether you take it Bay Heights, what is that percentage? Mr. DeGrandy: I don't have that available. Commissioner Russell: I need that percentage because you're telling me it's 40 in West Brickell. If it is 35 in Natoma, then the argument goes back to my side that it is better for District 3 to take a piece of West Brickell than Bay Heights. However, if it's City of Miami Page 48 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 the flip and it's a 50 percent Hispanic in Bay Heights, then maybe Commissioner Carollo 's argument has more merit, so 1 need that number. Mr. DeGrandy: The -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Well -- Mr. DeGrandy: -- to answer your question, other than you give me an area and I'll -- Commissioner Russell: I did. Mr. DeGrandy: -- go to the computer, Commissioner Reyes' proposal, which takes Bay Heights and goes up slightly past Simpson Park, is 51 percent Hispanic. Commissioner Reyes: That's right. Mr. DeGrandy: So, it is more Hispanic than moving straight east into Brickell. Vice Chair Carollo: Yeah. Mr. DeGrandy: Now, again, that is additional population going into D3. The population that 1 brought into D3 was roughly 1,300 people. The population that is coming into D3 from Commissioner Reyes' plan is more than that, and from yours is more than that also. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Madam Chair, may 1? Chair King: Sure, please. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Thank you. Mr. DeGrandv, let's extrapolate a little bit. When you went through the Brickell area, I'm sure you looked at Commissioner Russell's -- well., first of all, how many redistricting plans have you done over the decades? Mr. DeGrandy: Too many to remember. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Okay, so -- Mr. DeGrandy: I've done congressional, I've done state, I've done house, I've done school board, I've done municipal, I've done City of Miami twice already. This is my third time. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: So, you could say you're an expert on redistricting. Mr. DeGrandy: Some people would say that, yeah. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Right, and I'm sure you did your due diligence, your hard work to come up with a base plan, the initial plan. Mr. DeGrandy: Correct. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: And I'm sure you went through all those census tracts and you went through the whole process and you said, this is the best way to do it. And along the way, you probably looked, I would guess, and you tell me if I'm wrong, you probably looked at some buildings in the West Brickell area that are already there. You probably looked at those populations and what constitutes those populations. City of Miami Page 49 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 Mr. DeGrandy: Yes. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: And you probably found, I would guess, tell the if I'm wrong, that those buildings that are now inhabited are predominantly Anglo. Most people that moved from New York down here and are predominantly, for lack of a better, you know, expression, not similar like voters or similar voters to East Little Havana voters. Is that correct? Mr. DeGrandy: I wouldn't say predominantly Anglo. I would say about almost even money between Hispanic and Anglo. And 1 can't testify as to the demographics of who's moving down, but it is markedly different than the population in District 3. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: And as a result, you decided that the best move would be to go south and not to go east because there are more people in Bay Heights that are more similar to the people that live behind Casola's Pizza, for example, right, than to the people that live in Brickell and East Little Havana. Mr. DeGrandy: That's correct. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Right? Okay. So, you made, based on your experience and your knowledge, and your decades of experience, you made a decision to go south. We have a commissioner, with all due respect, who's never done redistricting, who's fighting for his community as he should, as we would fight for ours, as we fight for ours. As we also, I wasn't here, but Commissioner Carollo was here, how we also sacrificed communities for the greater good. So, they decided back then, he decided back then, and the commission back then, that the greater good, a greater Miami, a united Miami, there's no City of Flagami, there 's no City of Allapattah, there's no City of Coconut Grove. So, the greater good prevails, or should. Logic, right? And so he decided there was a greater good for Miami, right, to create single -member districts and have an African American and have a White on our City Commission. And you decided doing this, the best thing to do is to find -- and you can extrapolate what's going to happen to Miami, what's happening to Miami, how Miami's changing, and where the change is occurring. So, when you have a high rise of 62 stories in downtown Miami, and you see who's moved into those high-rise that have already gone up, what's going to happen when we do the next redistricting or the next election or the one after that one before the next redistricting? Those community, City Commission three will be severely compromised. And we're going to have to come back here and have a debate. I may not be here, I may, or a lawsuit or whatever it takes to say or even pass a resolution, an ordinance that makes it at large. Because if you don't care about the great -- if some people here, and I'm saying everyone, doesn't care about the greater Miami, are we going to do it then? It's our responsibility. Commissioner Carollo, when he was Mayor Carollo, decided -- I'm finished -- decided that it was the right thing to do for the greater Miami, for the greater good of Miami. And he broke up Hispanic neighborhood after Hispanic neighborhood, because he had to, for the greater good. Yeah, we've had a number of people here that are arguing for their community, and I respect that. And you should. But I'm here for Miami, even though I represent a district. I care about all of Miami. And Commissioner Carollo cares about the future of Miami and the future of District 3, more importantly, which will impact the future of Miami. So, you went south because you thought it was a fair thing to do, the right thing to do, and you also, because you have experience, you said, hey, I'm going to extrapolate what can happen down the line. Let's say 10 years, we're stuck with this unless we sue, for 10 years, you said to yourself hey, you know what, it makes sense to go south. And you didn 't only go south in City Commission 3, you went south in City Commission 4. You knew that that's where you had to go, not east. And that's why I'm not inclined to support this, because it's wrong. It's wrong for our city, Madam Chair, and you, of all City of Miami Page 50 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 people, should understand that. It's wrong. It's wrong when we -- when others fight for other communities in this city, to now turn around and jeopardize a Hispanic American seat down the line. Chair King: Thank you. Commissioner, hold on one second. Commissioner Reyes: No, I just want to ask -- Chair King: Commissioner Reyes, one second. May we take a five-minute recess? Commissioner Reyes: Break? Yes, ma'am. I have to go -- Chair King: 1 think all of us need to. Commissioner Reyes: I have to go too. Vice Chair Carollo: Yeah, sure. Commissioner Reyes: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE). [Later...] Chair King: Meeting is back in order. Is that order or in session? Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I think you got it. Chair King: I believe we had a motion and a second. Is there any other further discussion? Are we ready to vote on this motion? The motion is Commissioner Russell's motion. Can you -- Commissioner Russell: Yes. Chair King: -- repeat your motion, please? Commissioner Russell: Yes, and the only thing I was waiting on, if Mr. DeGrandy could possibly give it to me, is the Hispanic demographic of the Natoma or Bay Heights areas. Because Commissioner Reyes' district -- Commissioner Reyes' proposal includes that entire section along South Miami Avenue. And so I don't know -- that's in mine as well. So, the only differentiating factor is that section of Bay Heights or Natoma Manors. I need to know what the Hispanic demographic is. (COMMENTS MADE OFF THE RECORD) Chair King: Hold on, hold on, hold on a second. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I'm ready to vote. Mr. DeGrandy: Commissioner, when you say -- Commissioner Russell: Okay, then we're voting -- Chair King: Hold on, wait, wait. Commissioner Russell: -- with incomplete information. Chair King: Wait, hold on, hold on, hold on. City of Miami Page 51 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Can I call the question? Chair King: Hold on, hold on, hold on. Vice Chair, you were saying something? Oh, this is off You were saying something, Vice Chair? Vice Chair Carollo: Yeah, if we 're going to get into more questions with Mr. DeGrandv -- (COMMENTS MADE OFF THE RECORD) Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: No, microphone. Vice Chair Carollo: If we're going to get into more questions with Mr. DeGrandy, I had the floor before you asked for the five-minute recess. (INAUDIBLE). Chair King: Sorry. Vice Chair Carollo: (INAUDIBLE). Let's vote on this, you know. Ken, you have a habit than when you see that, you know, the horse won't go to the water. You want to keep whipping and whipping and whipping, still ain't going to drink the water. Commissioner Russell: Just looking for truth. Vice Chair Carollo: Okay. So, well, that's what I've been doing when I've been asking when you're moving out of the sweetheart deal (INAUDIBLE). Commissioner Russell: I'm moving into your house. Vice Chair Carollo: Well -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I'll call the question. Vice Chair Carollo: -- sit with me tonight. I'll cut you a heck of a deal instead of 16,000, $8,000. How about that? And you got five bathrooms. Isn't that the reason that you said you sold it? Chair King: Okay. Vice Chair Carollo: If you needed a second toilet, you get five with mine. Commissioner Russell: I'm not as rich as you. Chair King: Okay. We are going to -- there's a call to question. Mr. DeGrandy, do you have the information readily at hand? Mr. DeGrandy: No, ma'am. Commissioner Russell: Okay. Mr. DeGrandy: I can get the information. I don't have it readily at hand, no. Chair King: Okay. We're going to call the question. All in favor? Commissioner Russell: Aye. Chair King: All against? City of Miami Page 52 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: No. Vice Chair Carollo: No. Commissioner Reyes: No. Chair King: Motion fails. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I'd like to make a motion, Madam Chair. Chair King: Wait a second. Motion fails, 4-1. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I'd like to make a motion. Chair King: Go ahead. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Thank you. I move that we adopt the DeGrandy base plan with the following exceptions. We accept Commissioner Reyes' desire to have the Grove returned back to the Grove. We respect your desire to have the Wharf in your district. With those changes and any tweaks that you may need to do to adjust variations along the way, that's my motion. Commissioner Reyes: I second it. Chair King: There's a motion and a second. Any discussion on the item? Mr. DeGrandy: Let me -- Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): Chair? Mr. DeGrandy: I need to tell you if the motion is bringing the Wharf that has no population doesn't affect my deviation. If we are taking out the 1,597, it disbalances the plan. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: From District 4. Mr. DeGrandy: Right, it disbalances the plan. It exceeds the 10 percent overall deviation. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: That we return the Grove to District 2, from the District 4 portion of it. Vice Chair Carollo: But then the problem you have is that District 3 is going to be fully imbalanced. Chair King: So, let's -- Vice Chair Carollo: So I've got to take -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: No, District -- Vice Chair Carollo: -- double the amount almost. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: But District 3 remains as in the original plan. Vice Chair Carollo: It can't. City of Miami Page 53 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 Mr. DeGrandy: No, it cannot. Vice Chair Carollo: That's the problem. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: We cannot move it. Mr. DeGrandy: That is -- Vice Chair Carollo: That's what I was explaining before. Mr. DeGrandy: That is why, in Commissioner Reyes' plan, we had to move an additional 2,280 people into District 3 to balance the population. Vice Chair Carollo: It's actually more than that. Commissioner Reyes: Why do you have -- why do you have --? Chair King: Hold on, hold on. Through the Chair. Let's do this through the Chair. Commissioner Reyes: I mean, through the Chair; through -- Chair King: Because Vice Chair was speaking. Commissioner Reyes: Okay. Chair King: Let's do this through the Chair so it's orderly and -- Commissioner Reyes: Through the Chair. Why if there's only 1,500 -- 1,400 people or 600, whatever, you have to move 2,000 to 600? Mr. DeGrandy: That's a good question. Commissioner Reyes: You see. Mr. DeGrandy: The current deviation -- overall deviation in my base plan has District 2 at 5.46 and then the lowest district was 2.14. That gave me a 7.6 overall deviation. If you take the 1,597 out of your plan -- your district becomes the low mark at 3.9, but I'm putting two additional percentages into District 2. So, now I'm at 11- something percent. To get it down below, I need to put actually more population into District 3 than just the 1,597 because my parameters of who was the low and who was the high, the high remains the same, remains District 2, but at two percentage points higher. And yours dropped to close to 4 percent. Before yours was not the low mark, now yours is. So, it disbalances the plan to a greater degree than just the 1,597 because you're kind of doubling the impact. You're taking 1,597 out of yours, which makes your deviation much lower. You're adding that 1,597 to what's already the high deviation. So, I have to put almost, you know -- Commissioner Reyes: That's not what I understood when I told you to take it out. That's not what I understood. I thought that you would take only those 1,500 and you would find them along the line that -- Mr. DeGrandy: And we did. We took Bay Heights and we went all the way past Simpson Park to get you down below the 10 percent. Vice Chair Carollo: (INAUDIBLE) West Brickell. Commissioner Reyes: No, you went to West Brickell. City of Miami Page 54 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 Vice Chair Carollo: And 1,800, votes came from West Brickell. Mr. DeGrandy: Yeah, Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: And those are -- you can 't go anywhere else? Mr. DeGrandy: But that's -- that's -- that's the thing. Commissioner Reyes: You can't go anywhere else. Chair King: Through the Chair, through the Chair, because I don't want all of us talking to him at one time -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Okay. Chair King: -- and then it's lost in translation. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Okay. If you can 't solve -- can I can I? Chair King:: Yes. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: If you can't solve it that way -- and I don't know if you're amenable to this, Madam Chair, or not -- we can just go back to the base plan. We go back to the base plan and we incorporate the Wharf into yours and we leave the base plan as originally presented to us as is. Chair King: If that is the will of the body, if there's a motion for that, I think we have a motion and a second on the floor. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I'll make that motion. Chair King: Let's -- but wait. Commissioner Reyes: No, you have to return -- Chair King: We've got to dispose of the notion that's on the floor now. Commissioner Reyes: Retreat the motion. Chair King.: So, let's -- Commissioner Reyes: Retreat the first motion. Chair King: -- dispose of the motion on the floor now. There's a motion and a second. All in favor? Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Aye. Mr. Hannon: Chair? Commissioner Russell: What was the motion? Mr. Hannon: So, the motion -- (COMMENTS MADE OFF THE RECORD) Mr. DeGrandy: Madam Chair? City of Miami Page 55 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 Chair King: Yes. Mr. DeGrandy: I need to put on the record. Chair King: Hold on. Hold on. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Oh, you're disposing of the original -- no. Chair King: The Clerk has his hand up. I'm doing something wrong. Mr. Hannon: No, no, no. So, yes, there was a motion made by Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla, seconded by Commissioner Reyes. You'll withdraw that motion? Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I withdrew. Chair King: Oh, he's withdrawing the motion. Mr. Hannon: Exactly. Chair King: Okay, he's withdrawing -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: I withdrew the motion. Chair King: -- the motion. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: And filed a new -- and proposed a new motion -- Chair King: Okay. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: -- that takes it back to its original plan, incorporating the Wharf into District 5. Chair King: Is there a second? Commissioner Russell: Wait, wait. The original base plan -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Yes. Commissioner Russell: -- which would take Commissioner Reyes's piece back out of District 2 -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Yes. Commissioner Russell: -- from the West Grove, everyone that was thanking you all today will take back that thank you because that West Grove piece is going back to D4. Is that --? Commissioner Reyes: I understand what the motion is. Commissioner Russell: I didn't. I'm just trying to get it under -- get it clear. Vice Chair Carollo: Don't play this -- Commissioner Russell: I want it to be clear because I wasn't clear. Vice Chair Carollo: -- pressure power play on Commissioner Reyes. City of Miami Page 56 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 Commissioner Reyes: No, no, nobody can play me. Nobody can play me. Vice Chair Carollo: Because he did not understand before that by taking 1,600 out, he was going to have to be putting some 3,000 into District 3. Chair King: Okay, so we have a motion, we have a second. Vice Chair Carollo: So, actually, by him doing that, more of the Grove was going to be taken away than by going with the original plan that Mr. DeGrandv made, if he adjusted it -- Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Correct. Vice Chair Carollo: -- when this Commission heard the original one that he presented. Chair King: Okay. My mic is off. Alrighty. So, there's a motion and a second. Any further discussion? Unidentified Speaker: What is the motion? Chair King: All in favor? Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Aye. Vice Chair Carollo: Aye. Commissioner Reyes: No. Chair King: Commissioner Reyes, no? Commissioner Reyes: No. Chair King: Do you understand what the motion is? Commissioner Reyes: Yes, but I still think that -- Chair King: No, we can't hear you. Commissioner Reyes: No, I stand with my proposal and I think that probably something can be done. And that's it. You can vote yes. And we are out of here. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Yep. Commissioner Reyes: Three votes only. Chair King: I know. I understand the three votes, but the concession that you were giving for the Grove and now you won't have that. Commissioner Diaz de la Portilla: Majority rules. Commissioner Reyes: What do you mean concession to the Grove? Chair King: With you giving your portion to the Grove, that's not what's on the table right now. Commissioner Reyes: What is on the table is -- City of Miami Page 57 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 Chair King: The original plan. Commissioner Reyes: The original plan and takes that concession that I was giving to the Grove, it takes it out. Chair King: Yes. Vice Chair Carollo: But wait a minute, what concession to the Grove? Commissioner Reyes: No, no concession, no. Vice Chair Carollo: You're taking 1,600 from your district, but you're taking another 1,800 from the Grove. Commissioner Reyes: Yeah. Vice Chair Carollo: So, what are you doing to the Grove? You're taking more from the Grove. Commissioner Reyes: I'm not taking any -- Vice Chair Carollo: You are taking more from the Grove. Commissioner Reyes: Hold on, hold on. You don't have to raise your voice at me, okay, hold on a second, okay. Chair King: Okay, right. Let's not raise our voice. Commissioner Reyes: No, don't you raise your voice at me, okay. Chair King: Okay. Commissioner Reyes: What I'm saying is this, what I'm saying is this. What I said before, you see, that I did not want to represent that area, okay? That now -- that was 1,500. And Commissioner Carollo, is what you were saying, and without raising your voice, it is that by me doing that, okay, it makes it worse for the Grove. And it's true because now you have to get -- but since I gave my word, I'm not going to go back on it. That's the plan, okay. Chair King: Alright. So, the motion's on the floor. There was -- aye. All against? Commissioner Russell: No. Chair King: All against? Commissioner Reyes: Against. Chair King: 3-2. Mr. Hannon: Yes, ma'am, 3-2 with Commissioner Russell and Commissioner Reyes voting no. Chair King: We still have -- that will conclude this redistricting meeting. Mr. DeGrandy: Ma'am, before you conclude, just let me -- City of Miami Page 58 Printed on 06/04/2024 City Commission Meeting Minutes March 24, 2022 ADJOURNMENT Chair King: 1 just concluded. Mr. DeGrandy: -- explain what we would propose to do now is we will finalize that plan. We will create a report based on that plan, and we will bring that back to your City Attorney. So, I would guess she would want to put it in the form of a resolution so that it could be formally adopted by this Commission and then become the redistricting plan. Chair King: Okay. Well, we still -- Victoria Mendez (City Attorney): So -- right. It's just -- it's a procedural thing. You just made a vote. We're going to draft the resolution. You will give us the maps as attachments. You don't have to come back. Chair King: And then we have to vote for it as a final plan. Vice Chair Carollo: Isn't this what we were doing today? Commissioner Russell: I thought that was it. Chair King: Well, they said -- Ms. Mendez: We don't need to -- we don't need to come back anymore. Chair King: Oh. Ms. Mendez: You've made your vote. He was just -- it was just procedural on how -- logistics. Chair King: Okay. Ms. Mendez: We got it. They just voted. We draft the resolution based on their vote. You give us the attachments and it becomes a finalized -- they finally voted. Unidentified Speaker: No additional vote. Ms. Mendez: No additional vote needed. Chair King: Okay. The meeting adjourned at 5: 55 p.m. City of Miami Page 59 Printed on 06/04/2024