HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC 2025-09-25 MinutesCity of Miami
City Hall
3500 Pan American Drive
Miami, FL 33133
www.miamigov.com
Meeting Minutes
Thursday, September 25, 2025
9:00 AM
City Commission Meeting
City Hall
City Commission
Francis X. Suarez, Mayor
Christine King, Chair, District Five
Joe Carollo, Vice Chair, District Three
Miguel Angel Gabela, Commissioner, District One
Damian Pardo, Commissioner, District Two
Ralph "Rafael" Rosado, Commissioner, District Four
Arthur Noriega, V, City Manager
George K. Wysong III, City Attorney
Todd B. Hannon, City Clerk
City Commission
Meeting Minutes September 25, 2025
9:00 AM INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Present: Chairwoman King, Vice Chair Carollo, Commissioner Gabela, Commissioner
Pardo and Commissioner Rosado
On the 25th day of September 2025, the City Commission of the City of Miami, Florida, met
at its regular meeting place in City Hall, 3500 Pan American Drive, Miami, Florida, in
regular session. The Commission Meeting was called to order by Chairwoman King at 9:40
a.m., recessed at 12:18 p.m., reconvened at 4:04 p.m., recessed at 4:07 p.m., reconvened at
5:51 p.m., and adjourned at 7:10 p.m.
Note for the Record: Commissioner Rosado entered the Commission chambers at 9:41 a.m.,
and Vice Chair Carollo entered the Commission chambers at 10:04 a.m.
ALSO PRESENT:
Arthur Noriega, V, City Manager
George K. Wysong III, City Attorney
Todd B. Hannon, City Clerk
Chair King: And at this time, we are going to begin the meeting with prayer. We are honored
today, a leader of the Universal Society of Hinduism -- how do you say --?
(COMMENTS MADE OFF THE RECORD)
Chair King: Rajan Led -- Zed.
Rajan Zed: I shall be reading from ancient Hindu scriptures, some as old as 1500 BCE (Before
Common Era) in Sanskrit, then interpreted in English.
Invocation delivered.
Pledge of Allegiance delivered.
City ofMiami
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Meeting Minutes
September 25, 2025
PR - PRESENTATIONS AND PROCLAMATIONS
PR.1 PROTOCOL ITEM
18255
Honoree
World Alzheimer's Awareness
Month
Presenter
Mayor and
Commissioners
Protocol Item
Proclamation
Jorge's Pharmacy
Mayor and
Commissioners
Proclamation
State of Florida Badia Senior
Meals Program
Mayor and
Commissioners
Check Presentation
RESULT:
PRESENTED
Chair King: Welcome to the City of Miami Commission Meeting for September
25th, 2025. We are going to begin our meeting by recognizing some special folks
and/or organizations who have contributed to the City of Miami and we would
like to honor them for their service. I'm going to begin with my colleague,
Commissioner Miguel Angel Gabela.
Presentations made.
1) Mayor Suarez and Commissioners presented a Proclamation to proclaim the
month of September as World Alzheimer's Awareness Month, an annual
international campaign held in September to raise awareness about Alzheimer's
disease, which is a progressive neurodegenerative brain disorder, tragically robs
individuals of their memories and leads to progressive mental and physical
impairments. 7.2 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease,
including an estimated 500,000 under age 65 living with younger -onset
Alzheimer's disease; included in this number are an estimated 580,000
individuals in the State of Florida of which an estimated 76,000 reside in Miami -
Dade County. Miami -Dade County has the number one prevalence for
Alzheimer's in the entire country, with over 16% of the 65 and over population
living with Alzheimer's and in 2025 in the United States, nearly 12 million
caregivers provided an estimated 18 billion hours of unpaid care valued at more
than 413 billion dollars. In Florida, over 870,000 caregivers provided over 1.4
billion hours of unpaid care valued at an estimated twenty-nine billion dollars.
Alzheimer's disease is one of the most expensive diseases in the United States and
in 2025 the direct costs to American society of caring for those with Alzheimer's
disease will total an estimated 413 billion dollars; and the human cost of
Alzheimer's disease is immeasurable and in recognition of the individuals,
families, friends, and caregivers dealing with Alzheimer's disease, the
researchers who are seeking a cause or cure. Elected Officials paused in their
deliberations of governance to stand together to raise awareness, show support,
and honor those affected by Alzheimer's and recognize the efforts of the
Alzheimer's Association to raise funds and promote awareness to fight
Alzheimer's disease and related disorders, thereby improving the quality of
human life for those living with Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers and
thereby proclaiming the month of September as "World Alzheimer's Awareness
Month" in the City of Miami.
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Meeting Minutes September 25, 2025
ORDER OF THE DAY
2) Mayor Suarez and Commissioners presented a Proclamation to recognize
Jorge's Pharmacy which was founded on June 8, 1973 by Jorge Monteagudo, a
Cuban immigrant whose vision was to create a pharmacy where no patient in
need would be turned away, Jorge's Pharmacy became a beacon of hope and
kindness in Miami. The pharmacy's history is rooted in its dedication to the
community, operating for over 50 years and maintaining a focus on local
service. Jorge's Pharmacy has stood as a cornerstone of the South Florida
community, providing trusted medical care, compassion, and support to countless
residents. Under Jorge's leadership, the pharmacy became known not just for its
expertise but for its generosity, with Jorge personally paying for prescriptions
when patients could not afford them, reflecting his belief that medicine is about
service, dignity, and compassion. Jorge's Pharmacy extended its impact far
beyond its counters, supporting organizations such as the American Cancer
Society, Shriners Children's Hospital, St. Jude Children's Hospital, and La Liga
Contra el Cancer; while donating food, toys, and turkeys to families throughout
Miami during the holidays. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jorge and his team
exemplified the spirit of community, care by donating masks to University of
Miami Sylvester Cancer Center and offering comfort, encouragement, and
personal care to patients in need. Through the vision and commitment of its
founder, Jorge's Pharmacy has become a lasting symbol of what can be achieved
through perseverance, generosity, and a deep dedication to others. Elected
Officials paused in their deliberations of governance to recognize the
achievements, and steadfast dedication of Jorge Monteagudo and for making
Jorge's Pharmacy a family -owned business that continues to operate, accepting
most major insurances, Medicaid and Medicare, while keeping Monteagudo's
legacy alive by continuing to serve the City ofMiami.
3) Mayor Suarez and Commissioners received a check from the State of Florida for
the Badia Senior Meals Program on behalf of State Senator Ileana Garcia and
State Representative Alex Rizo. The check, in the amount of one million dollars,
will assist with providing daily nutritious hot meals for seniors in the City of
Miami. Elected Officials paused in their deliberations of governance to accept
this check and thanked the State of Florida elected officials for assisting in the
betterment of the quality of life of residents living in the City of Miami.
Chair King: At this time -- thank you so much. At this time, Mr. City Attorney,
would you please read your statement?
George Wysong (City Attorney): Yes, Madam Chair. Thank you. Good morning.
Detailed information -- George Wysong, City Attorney, City of Miami. Detailed
information about the processes, order of business, rules of procedure, and
scheduling or rescheduling of City Commission meetings can be found in Chapter
2, Article 2 of the City Code, a copy of which is available online at
www.municode.com. Any person who is a lobbyist pursuant to Chapter 2, Article
6 of the City Code must register with the City Clerk and comply with related 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 and 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
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City Commission
Meeting Minutes September 25, 2025
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. Any documents offered to the
City Commission that have not been provided seven days before the meeting as
part of the agenda materials will be entered into the record at the City
Commission's discretion in accordance with Section 2-33(1) and (g) of the City
Code. The agenda and 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. The meeting of the Miami City Commission is a limited
public forum. 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 unless modified by the chair. Public comment will begin at
approximately 10 a.m. and remain open until public comment is closed by the
chairperson. Any person making offensive remarks or becomes unruly in the
Commission Chambers will be barred from further attending city commission
meetings and may be subject to arrest. No clapping, applauding, heckling, or
verbal outbursts in support or opposition to a speaker or his or her remarks shall
be permitted. No signs or placards shall be allowed in the Commission
Chambers. Persons exiting the Commission Chambers shall do so quietly.
Members of the public wishing to address the body may do so by submitting
written comments via the online comment -- online comment form. Please visit
www.miamigov.com/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 officials or staff and city administration throughout the day so that the
elected officials may 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 or staff and city
administration up until the chairperson closes public comment. Public comment
may also he provided here live at City Hall, located at 3500 Pan American Drive,
Miami, Florida, 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, before the City Commission takes action on such a
proposition. When addressing the City Commission, the member of the public
must first state their name, their address, and what item will be spoken about.
Any person 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 staff, City staff and
the City Attorney's' Office on items on the agenda today. Anyone wishing a
verbatim record of any item considered at this meeting may request it at the
Office of Communications or view it online at www.miamigov.com. For Planning
and Zoning, PZ items shall proceed according to Section 7.1.4 of the Miami 21
Zoning Ordinance. Parties for any PZ items, including any applicant, appellant,
appellee, City staff and any person recognized by the decision -making body as a
qualified intervener, as well as the applicant's' representatives and any experts
testifying on behalf of the applicant, appellant, or appellee may be physically
present at City Hall to be sworn in by oath or affirmation by the City Clerk. The
members of the City Commission shall disclose any ex-parte communications to
remove the presumption of prejudice pursuant to Florida Statute 286.0115 and
Section 7.1.4.5 of the Miami 21 Zoning Ordinance. The order of presentation
shall be as set forth in Miami 21 and in the City Code. Staff will briefly present
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City Commission
Meeting Minutes September 25, 2025
each item to be heard. The applicant will present its application or request to the
City Commission. If the applicant agrees with the staff recommendation, the City
Commission may proceed to its deliberation and decision. The applicant may
also waive the right to an evidentiary hearing on the record. For appeals, the
appellant will present its appeal to the City Commission, followed by the
appellee. Staff will be allowed to make any recommendation they may have.
Please silence all cell phones and other noise -making devices. This meeting can
be viewed live on Miami TV, the City's Facebook page, the City's Twitter page,
the City's YouTube channel, and Comcast Channel 77. The broadcast will also
have closed captioning. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Chair King: Thank you, Mr. City Attorney. Mr. City Clerk, would you please read
your statement?
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): Thank you, Chair. The procedures for individuals
who are providing testimony to be sworn in for Planning and Zoning items and
any quasi-judicial items under today's City Commission agenda will be as
follows: The members of the City staff or any other individuals required to be
sworn in who are currently present at City Hall will be sworn in by me, the City
Clerk, immediately after I finish explaining these procedures. Those individuals
who are appearing remotely may be sworn in now or at any time prior to the
individual providing testimony for Planning and Zoning items and/or quasi-
judicial items. Commissioners, are you comfortable with all the notice provisions
set forth in these uniform rules and procedures we have established for this
meeting?
Chair King: Yes.
Mr. Hannon: And, Chair, may I administer the oath for the Planning and Zoning
items?
Chair King: Please.
Mr. Hannon: Thank you, Chair. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. If you will
be speaking on any of today's Planning and Zoning items, the PZ items, may
please have you stand and raise your right hand?
The City Clerk administered oath required under City Code Section 62-1 to those
persons giving testimony on zoning items.
Mr. Hannon: Thank you, Chair.
Chair King: Thank you, Mr. City Clerk. Mr. City Manager, are there any items
on this agenda that will be withdrawn or deferred at this time?
Arthur Noriega (City Manager): Good morning, Madam Chair, Commissioners,
Mr. City Attorney, Mr. City Clerk. At this time, the Administration would like to
defer and/or withdraw the following items: CA.2, to be indefinitely deferred;
PH.2, to be deferred to October 23rd; RE.1, to be withdrawn; RE.3, to be
deferred to the October 9th meeting; RE.9, to be indefinitely deferred; DI.1, to be
deferred to October 23rd; DI.3, to be withdrawn; DI.4, to be withdrawn; PZ.1, to
be deferred to October 23rd; PZ.4, to be indefinitely deferred; and PZ.5, to be
indefinitely deferred. That concludes the items.
Vice Chair Carollo: Madam Chair, (INAUDIBLE) go through it one more time.
(INAUDIBLE).
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Mr. Noriega: CA.2, to be indefinitely deferred; PH.2, to be deferred to October
23rd; RE.1, to be withdrawn; RE.3, to be deferred to October 9th; RE.9, to be
indefinitely deferred; DL1, to be deferred to October 23rd; D1.3, to be
withdrawn; DL4, to be withdrawn; PZ.1, to be deferred to October 23rd; PZ.4, to
be indefinitely deferred; and PZ.5, to be indefinitely deferred.
Chair King: Gentlemen, are there any items on this agenda that you would like to
have withdrawn or deferred? Commissioner Pardo? Commissioner Gabela?
Commissioner Gabela: For discussion or --
Chair King: No --
Commissioner Gabela: -- deferred?
Chair King: -- just for withdrawn or deferred.
Commissioner Gabela: Not right now.
Chair King: Vice Chair?
Vice Chair Carollo: (INAUDIBLE).
Mr. Hannon: Thank you, Chair. For the record, Commissioner Rosado will be
co -sponsoring RE.16, SR.1, and SR.3. Additionally, there are two pocket items.
The first pocket item is a resolution adding the Carrie P. Meeks Senior Center
and Cultural Center to the list of early voting sites to be used for the November
4th general election, and if required, December 9th runoff election. The other
pocket item is a resolution waiving the private property limitation for special
events, Reserve Padel special event.
Chair King: Thank you. 1 believe, Commissioner Rosado, I was checking with
you to see if you had any items that you would like to withdraw or defer.
Commissioner Rosado: I do not.
Chair King: May I have a motion to set the agenda?
Commissioner Gabela: Motion.
Chair King: I have a motion and a second. All in favor?
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Chair King: Motion carries.
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Meeting Minutes September 25, 2025
PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ALL ITEM(S)
18257 DISCUSSION ITEM
Office of the City
Clerk
PUBLIC COMMENTS SUBMITTED ONLINE BY MEMBERS OF THE
PUBLIC FOR THE SEPTEMBER 25, 2025, CITY COMMISSION
MEETING
RESULT: PRESENTED
Chair King: At this point, I am going to open the floor for public comment. You may
speak on any item that is here, any item on the agenda that is before us today. Please
limit the lines to five. I believe our Fire Department is walking up already to advise.
And when you -- when you come up, please state your name and the item for which
you are speaking. Good morning, Elvis. How are you today?
Elvis Cruz: Good morning. Elvis Cruz, 631 Northeast 57th Street. PH.3, the Olympia
Theater, will today go down in Miami history as the day you enabled more of the
City's dysfiinctionality or the day you did the right thing? Over my 45 years of civic
activism, I've learned that the City of Miami loves to do things for its own comfort
and convenience, even if it causes the public's discomfort and inconvenience. The
City's default position is inaction, and for 50 years, the City has done the wrong
thing. They tell us that they are incapable of restoring and maintaining the Olympia,
yet a charter school can? Are they smarter than us? We have a capital budget of
$1.7 billion. We have TDRs (Transfer of Development Rights), and we can get
historic preservation grants. Yet somehow, a school can afford the restoration, but
we can't? Of course, we can. You just got to hire the capable people. We should be
setting an example for all our residents to maintain their property. Commissioner
Pardo and all of you, this is your chance to be the hero, to change the City's long,
horrible habit of deferred maintenance, which is really a euphemism for demolition
by neglect, which the City did with the Miami Baseball Stadium, the Orange Bowl,
and the Miami Marine Stadium. Imagine if a child told their parents, mom, dad, I'm
not good at math, so you shouldn't make me take algebra. You should preserve and
protect this precious asset instead ()Peeing it as a liability to be disposed of. What
do you want your legacy to be? Commissioners, as Winston Churchill said, it is not
enough that we do our best. Sometimes, we have to do what's required. Please do the
right thing. Don't sell the Olympia Theater. Please restore it. Lastly, for item CA.5,
please do not accept the big billboard. Please have it demolished. Thank you.
Chair King: Thank you. Just a note, please do not address any of the commissioners
individually by their names. Side note. Thank you.
Mr. Cruz: I'm sorry, I apologize. I didn 't realize that that was a no -no. Thank you.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
John Dolson: John Dolson, 4205 Lennox Drive, Coconut Grove, Florida. It's too
easy to stand up here and be cynical about the Olympia Theater deal. It's far too
easy. People here have -- you know, we've got plenty of reason to be cynical in the
past about many decisions that have been made. That's just a given. But this is a
good deal. This is $50 million of private money going in with a vested interest by a
school to restore that theater and bring it back to life. We don't need Coconut Grove
Playhouse 2. We need solutions, not complaints. The City has shown over and over
and over it doesn't have the will, the manpower, or the capability to run a theater.
It's a good deal. Make it happen today. On the PAMM (Peres Art Museum Miami)
City of Miami
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City Commission
Meeting Minutes September 25, 2025
billboard, I totally agree. That's a monstrosity. Now, we just heard about this a
couple days ago. Didn't even realize this solution was coming. Our commissioner for
District 1 did not know. District 2 did not know that this deal was in place. Please
put that off long enough to let the residents of our district look at that deal, talk it
over; and decide if it's a good one for the City of Miami. Thanks a lot. Let's not be
cynical today. Let's do the right thing.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Ken Russell: Good morning, Chair, Commissioners. Ken Russell, 3142 Ohio Street,
Little Bahamas of Coconut Grove. 1 completely agree with Mr. Dolson, with Elvis
Cruz about the Olympia Theater on PH.3. Please do not sell it. Let's keep our jewel
and asset.
Chair King: Commissioner?
Mr. Russell: But I'm here to --
Chair King: It was one for and one against. It was one against --
Mr. Russell: My mistake.
Chair King: -- one for.
Mr. Russell: I apologize.
Chair King: Okay.
Mr. Russell: I agree with Elvis Cruz that we should keep it. But actually, I'm here to
speak to you about SR.2, the definition of a homestead property in order to preserve
affordability. I agree with that wholeheartedly and I applaud that. I'd like to see us
go a little further. There is an ordinance that you can pass in the next month that will
change senior citizens homestead definitions for the next year and for here to come.
By opting into an existing state program under statute, all seniors who qualify who
are homesteaded can double the homestead exemption from $50,000 to $100,000.
And this is for vulnerable homesteaded seniors, not for the wealthy. And for those
who have owned their home for more than 25 years, you can eliminate their taxes in
the City altogether by simply opting in by ordinance next month, presenting that to
the County by December 1st, and your seniors will be really helped. This does not
have a major impact, less than $2 million on the City budget overall, but it could
help probably 3 to 4,000 seniors who have owned their homes. And their taxes have
tripled over the last 2.5 years that they've owned that home, but they're on fixed
income. So, I've passed around a draft ordinance, the Clerk has it as well, but of
course, your capable attorneys can put it together if there's a willing sponsor. This is
one of those types of things that you could easily get universal sponsorship on
because there's no downside. Thank you for your consideration.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Debbie Dolson: Good morning. Debbie Dolson, 4205 Lennox Drive, Coconut Grove.
I'd like to speak about the Olympia Theater. The City has a lot of jobs, a lot of
responsibilities, but managing and operating a theater is not one of them. It's failed
as a steward of the Olympia Theater, and it's time to pass it on to an organization
that will restore it, make it available to educate our children, and make it available
to the public. Does the City have the funds or the will to restore or save this theater?
No. If they did, we wouldn't be here. So, vote yes on PH.3. CA.5, the PAMM
billboard. State Representative Vicki Lopez stood right here in this hall recently and
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spoke to the City Commission and informed you that this sign exceeds the state of
Florida size regulations. It's too big. It's illegal. Are you willing to violate state laws
and set a precedent for other districts, maybe even your own district, to have an
oversized billboard? Because once this starts, it's going to spread. Downtown
residents and District 2 Commissioner Pardo need to be included in the settlement
discussions. So, please defer CA.5 until all stakeholders have been heard, community
meetings have been held, because the residents deserve a seat at the table. Thank
you.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
James Franklin: Good morning. My name is James Franklin, 12705 Southwest 114th
Avenue. And I'm here to speak to RE.15, the storm resolution. I was a hurricane
forecaster at NHC (National Hurricane Center) for almost 20 years, and a person
who flew with research missions for 17 years before that. And the resolution refers to
proposed NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) budget cuts,
and I think it's important that people in harm's way from hurricanes stand up for the
work that NOAA has done. Hurricane forecast errors have been cut -- track errors --
in half over the last 25 years, and the intensity errors by a third. And much of that
improvement was due to NOAA research. If the President's budget for NOAA goes
into effect, NOAA research will be shut down.
(COMMENTS MADE OFF THE RECORD)
Mr. Franklin: NOAA research will be shut down, and that will bring most of those
improvements to a halt starting pretty immediately. NOAA research flights with the
Doppler radar would be shut down. By next year, certain important tools for the
Hurricane Center would become unavailable. So, I'm pleased to see this resolution,
and I hope the Commissioners will support it. Thank you.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Andy Parrish: Good morning. Andy Parrish, 3940 Main Highway. I'm completely
opposed to these giant billboards going in downtown, even though I live in the
Grove. I know almost all the neighbors who are immediately near that where those
billboards are going to be are opposed to it. I've been coining down here for 40
years. There's only one commissioner here who will go unnamed who probably
remembers me from corning down all those years. But the big change in the
commission district is the amount of respect you give each other. It used to be when I
came down here, the commissioner whose district something was, was given not
absolute respect, but his desires and wishes were deeply respected by his colleagues.
And I don't think that always happens here. It's more like who gangs up against
who. So, that change, I'm going to make some predictions, which I've never done
when I come down here. First of all, I think there's going to be a ballot referendum
passed, StrongerMiami.org, which is going to be passed because we've already half
of the signatures needed to get it passed on the ballot for next year. It's going to
provide nine commission districts, and I think that will pass overwhelmingly. Then
each of you will need four additional votes to have your way, which means you'll
have to negotiate with each other respectfully. So, I continue to predict when this
comes back on these billboards, if you pass this agreement today to settle this, it will
come back before you and it will require four additional commission votes to support
the district commissioner, but I predict it will get all nine. And Mr. City Attorney,
when they vote all nine to repeal what you do today, if you pass these billboards, I
strongly suggest in the settlement agreement, you put that the, when it's canceled,
that the billboard companies cannot appeal it, cannot get fees, cannot get
cancellation payments. Put all that in the agreement so when this comes back and
you guys vote it down, all nine of you, it will be undone. Thank you.
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Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Rick Madan: Good morning Commissioners. Rick Madan, I reside at 2900
Northeast 7th Avenue. I want to quickly voice my support for a few important items
on the agenda today. RE.5, it's a great step towards greater accountability with the
independent inspector general. RE.9, I think, was deferred, so I'll skip that one. I
also support RE.16, the water taxi expansion, a great initiative that I hope includes
an Edgewater stop to help our community with the traffic, so thank you for that.
However, I'm here primarily to speak about the settlement with Perez Art Museum
over its illegal billboard, CA.5. You know, this issue is more about than just a
billboard. It's about whether our city laws apply to everyone equally. This
settlement, which would allow a sign twice the legal size to remain, would set a
dangerous precedent. It sends a message that a powerful organization can simply
pay a fee to bypass our ordinances, undermining the very laws that are in place to
protect our community's quality of life. The community has not had the time to weigh
in on this. We deserve to be a part of the decision. As commissioners, you've all
championed preserving our waterfront. How can you vote in favor of a settlement
that allows an illegal sign to continue lighting our city? With elections coming up in
November, let's be clear that this vote will be a test of your commitment to
transparency and holding the line on illegal development. The community is
watching, and we will remember how you vote on this issue. I urge you to defer this
item and give the public a chance to be heard. Thank you.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Sandy Moise: Good morning, Commissioners. My name is Sandy Moise, 5910
Northeast Sixth Court, Miami. I'm here today urging you to either vote no on PH.3
or defer it. This item proposes to give away our historic and iconic Olympia Theater
to SLAM! (Sports Leadership and Management) Foundation for just $10 via a shady
no -hid arrangement made behind closed doors. From the beginning, this deal has
raised more questions than answers, and the closer we look, the worse it gets. City
officials have acted more like paid lobbyists than public servants, appearing on
podcasts and social media to spin a narrative that simply doesn't hold up.
Meanwhile, we, the residents, the true stakeholders, have been left in the dark and
left behind. In May, we were told repairs to the Olvmpia would cost $30 million.
Now, with no receipts, no engineering report, and no transparency, we're suddenly
told the cost has ballooned to $77 million. The City's own appraisal of the property,
even iif one exists, has been yet to be made public. And the contract, it's filled with
vague promises and loopholes, including no concrete plan for who will manage the
Olympia Theater, what types of programming will be offered, or how the public will
be meaningfully able to access it for 180 days out of the year. Let's talk about the
Flagler District BID (Business Improvement District), which agreed to support the
deal, but only if SLAM! pays them up to $1 million a year. If that kind of money is
available, why isn't the City keeping ownership of the theater and collecting that
million dollars in revenue each year to benefit all taxpayers? And what about the
Gusman heirs? How much are they or their foundation being paid through the
settlement? And who's paying the settlement? Is it us taxpayers again? What
happens to the public deed restrictions? Who receives the TDR development rights?
And how will regular public school students, not just SLAM! charter school kids,
ever benefit from access to this historic cultural space? We're not any closer to
answers or accountability than we were in July. What we are closer to is giving
away one of Miami's greatest public treasures in a backroom deal that does not
reflect the will or the best interests of the people. Don't discard the Olympia.
Discard the officials who neglected and betrayed it. Our cultural soul deserves --
Chair King: Thank you.
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Ms. Moise: -- better than a backroom giveaway.
Chair King: Thank you.
Ms. Moise: Thank you.
Chair King: Good morning.
Marcos Lourier: Good morning, Chairwoman. Good morning, Commissioners. I'm
here to talk about three topics. Number one is CA.5. 1 think most of the people
already articulated it's too big, too bright, illegal. I really encourage you guys to
defer this, because it's nonsense. Number two is RE.5. About a month ago,
Commissioner Pardo had a workshop, Partnering for Progress, and I have a chance
to speak with Antonio G. Diaz. And I took a note of what he said. It's about
eliminating corruption. It's about creating a culture of accountability where the
rules apply to everyone, with no exception. So, I strongly support this RE.5. And last
but not least, I would like to congratulate the water taxi stop. I think it will help in
many fronts, especially in Edgewater. Not only traffic, but security. So, I really
support your motion. Thank you. Good day.
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): Chair, my apologies. Can I have the speaker's name
for the record, sir?
Mr. Lourier: My name is Marcos Lourier. I said it at the beginning.
Mr. Hannon: Thank you, sir.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Franklin Sirmans: Good morning, Madam Chair. Good morning, Commissioners.
My name is Franklin Sirmans. I'm the director of the Perez Art Museum Miami,
1103 Biscayne Boulevard. I'm here in support of the proposed settlement regarding
the PAMM sign. PAMM is more than a museum. It is a public square for ideas, a
classroom without walls, and a gathering place that brings Miami together. The sign
acts as a beacon as well as our digital canvas, allowing us to project, among other
things, art for our community to enjoy. The sign revenue is not a luxury, it is
essential. Without it, PAMM cannot maintain the free access and outreach programs
that make it truly the people's museum. In each of your districts, here are the
numbers of children reached just during the 2024-25 school year alone by our
vibrant youth programs, not including our MDCPS (Miami -Dade County Public
Schools) PAMM student pass and free second Saturdays. District 1, 1,717. District 2,
1,252. District 3, 1,406. District 4, 1,399. District 5, 2,889. Every free program for a
child from the three- to .five -year -olds at our PAMM Storytime to the leaders of
tomorrow who are heading off to college for the PAMM Teen Arts Council sparks
curiosity that may one day turn into a career, an innovative entrepreneurial
business, or a work of art that defines Miami on the world stage. We often speak of
infrastructure in terms of roads and bridges, but cultural infrastructure is equally
essential to a thriving city. Art is a cornerstone of sustainable development. It is
what makes Miami not only livable, but lovable. And it is certainly one of the
economic drivers of our growing downtown community. Our partnership with the
City has always been strong. Please let today end with an agreement to move
forward together. We are better together. Miami deserves a healthy art museum for
all to enjoy. Thank you.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
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Helena Maria Lim: Good morning, Mrs. King. My name is Helena Maria Lim, and
I'm an executive member of the DNA (Downtown Neighbors Alliance), but 1 will be
speaking on my own capacity. I live at 253 Northwest 2nd Street, Apartment 4008.
My, husband and myself moved in 2021 permanently from Manhattan, New York to
Miami. And we bought an apartment on Biscayne Boulevard, a high -end downtown
residential neighborhood overlooking Bayside Park and the Bay. I am appalled and
very saddened with the sudden and increasingly appearance of enormous billboards
that are slowly polluting our once beautiful, clear skyline. I sincerely trust that the
commissioners and relevant City officials will take heed of the concerns by residents
and halt the sale of downtown airspace before it is too late. Downtown Miami is a
residential area. It's not touristic Times Square. As for the Olympic Theater, please
save it and keep this historic building for cultural use. Thank you for the opportunity
to address this forum.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning again.
Alex Rizo: Good morning. Good morning again, Madam Chair, Mr. Vice Chair,
Commissioners and Mr. Manager. State Representative Alex Rizo, 601 West 43rd
Place, Hialeah, Florida. I'm here to speak in support of PH 3, the Olympia Theater.
As a state representative, I have the responsibility of hearing, proffering bills, voting
on things. But the other thing that we must do as state representatives, the only
constitutional duty that we have is to pass a balanced budget. And many times, we're
faced with very difficult decisions. Those decisions are what is wanted, what is
needed, and you juxtapose that with how much money there is to meet all of those
needs and wants. Every municipality in the state of Florida will soon, possibly and
probably, be dealing with budget, I'm not going to say shortfalls, but tighter budgets
because citizens in the state of Florida want property tax reform. And as you know,
that hits municipalities. I believe that that will pass. That is a stark reality. I believe
that is corning. And that's something that every single person on this dais needs to
take into consideration. The largest section of our budget is health care. The second
largest is education. Way, way, way, way, way down the list is cultural preservation.
And it's not that we don't want to do it. Again, wants versus needs and dealing with
our citizens. I think this is a wonderful opportunity to not only preserve the Olympia,
but also restore it. And I think that we should pass it and all support it. Everyone
should support it. And I certainly commit to supporting it in any capacity that I can.
Thank you.
Chair King: Thank you.
Cristina Palomo: Good morning, Commissioners.
Chair King: Good morning.
Ms. Palomo: I'm Cristina Palomo. I reside at 244 Biscayne Boulevard, and I'm here
in strong opposition to CA.5. So, I know most of you have listened over the last few
years to many residents express the opposition to the billboard at the PAMM and
raise serious concerns over its impact on their views and general character of the
neighborhood. I myself have worked with many investors and tenants in the buildings
across from it, and I can tell you I haven't run across anyone who doesn't consider it
an eyesore to be bombarded with the visual pollution of bright advertisements within
their living space. If you agree to this settlement, it opens the door to more signs,
bigger and brighter, and allowing them will be a betrayal to the residents who spent
years trying to protect the aesthetic integrity of our neighborhood and the natural
landscape of our parks that visitors from all over the world enjoy. But even if none of
this is important to you, there is still an even more concerning aspect to this
proposed settlement, which is that it sets a precedent to just negotiate away a non-
conforming use or structure in exchange for money. This sends a horrible message
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that entitles those who are capable of making large sum payments to rewrite the
rules so that they don't apply to them. And they can do so avoiding to comply with
proper permitting and code. When on the other hand, a typical resident spends years
jumping through hoops to navigate permitting and code just to open a small
business. I'm one of those. This commission should be very cognizant that this type
of message does not resonate in any way with the voters in the City of Miami. And I
ask you to please take this into consideration and thank you for your time.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Beatriz Morris: Good morning, Commissioners. My name is Beatriz Morris and 1'rn
in support of PH.3. I am the principal of Mater Preparatory Academy. Our school
serves families in Little Havana, Allapattah, as well as those who work in the
courthouse and Jackson Hospital. We are part of the heart of Miami, supporting
children whose parents keep this city running every day. Our students and families
are committed to education. And as their elementary principal, one of the questions I
get over and over is, where will my students go for middle/high? Right now, that
answer is unanswered. Our students and families are committed to education. They
want security and safety. And what better than the Olympia Project? This project
provides much needed solution to a high school where our students will continue
their education in a high, inspiring, performing, historical setting. This opportunity
is more than bricks and mortar. This is about stability and family continuing their
education. On behalf of our school, our parents, I want to support and thank you for
your leadership in identjing a team that our city -- that we can agree will be
successful in delivering our vision. I thank you and on behalf of the families, support
this and an effort I deeply gratitude for the commitment you are showing to our
students and families. Thank you.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Monester Lee Kinsler: Good morning, everyone in their respective places, especially
the commissioners that have been supportive. My name is Monester Lee Kinsler,
MLK for short. I am the founder of A Leap of Faith Foundation. I'm here on behalf
of the PH.3, the Olympia Theater, which we know cis the Gusman Theater. The
Gusman Theater is what inspired me to be the artist that I am today. I have over 15
scripts. When I saw that on the news, I was appalled because as a writer and a
producer; I have to pay big money, to rent a venue to help the community. I come
with arts from the health aspect, from the criminal aspect, and from all the aspects
we deal with in our community. I deal with social activists and social justice causes
through arts. Why do I have to pay so much for a venue just to bring awareness to
our community? And how is it that people who are not going to do nothing but
prostitute me, because 1 have to pay them, but they cannot keep that building going. 1
have 15 scripts can keep y 'all buildings going all throughout Dade County for years.
How is it that the developers get the access to prostitute my community? So, I would
love for y'all to pay attention to who we giving these buildings to, for what? Why
would you need a theater and you can't even produce nothing? You going to have to
put people in there to do it. So, I'm asking, why can't A Leap of Faith Foundation
have the building so we can take crime and homelessness off the street through the
artistic measure? Thank you.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Joseph Ruiz: Good morning, Madam Chair, members of the Commission. Joe Ruiz
with offices at 396 Alhambra Circle. I'm here on behalf of the applicant for items
PZ.2 and PZ.3. These are for rezoning of future land use map change for the
properties located at 175 Northeast 55th Street and 184 Northeast 56th Street. I'm
proud to say that we worked closely with the community on these applications,
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including the Little Haiti Revitalization Trust. And to that end, 1'd like to submit a
letter of support from the Trust into the record. 1'd also like to submit a voluntarily
proffered covenant into the record and also respectfully ask that when this item
comes up that we modif,'v the rezoning request from T5-O to T5-L, which came at the
request of the Trust. Thank you all very much.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Katrina Morris: Morning. Katrina Morris, 4130 Lybyer Avenue, Coconut Grove,
Florida, 33133. 1 would like to know which is true because they can't all be true. As
reported in the Coconut Grove Spotlight when discussing the extra 300 police
officers Miami -Dade will need in the future, City of Miami Police Chief Manny
Morales stated during the June Commission meeting, "Our officers are doing well,
but I'm looking at the City and how we're growing. It's not that there is a need now,
but there is a need to prepare for what Miami is to become. " He said that according
to the department projections, Miami will see an increase of about 7,000 dwelling
units over the next few years. The cost for these police officers to serve the future
residents of Miami that don't exist and that is not necessary as we're sitting is $161
million. At the same time, we're told that the cost to restore the Olympia and provide
fbr cultural programming is too much. And there isn't enough of a demand for a
historical venue. Are you saying that the future inhabitants of those 7,000 dwelling
units will all be criminals and uninterested in live shows? The other thing we're told
is that SLAM! team can run the theater profitably, despite being a school and not a
cultural programming organization, with Miami Dade College running the
programming, which is very vague. Which is it? Can the venue not support public
programming, or can it be run profitably as a public venue? Which is it? Finally, I
have not heard a reason why the City of Miami should exercise a quitclaim deed and
surrender the deed to SLAM!. If the theater is not to be sold or altered in use later,
and that all SLAM! is looking for is revenue from its use and programming, why not
do the standard 99-year lease with the same restrictions as noted in Exhibit C for the
purchase and sale agreement? I don't understand why we're giving it to them. You
are really had lawyers. 1 would fire you all.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Analisa Duran: Good morning. I'm Analisa Duran, 1101 Biscayne Boulevard,
Miami, Florida 33132. I'm here as a representative of the Philip and Patricia Frost
Museum of Science as the Senior Director of Science Education in opposition of
CA.5. Frost Science strongly opposes the continued operation of the illegal LED
(Light Emitting Diode) sign at PAMM. For over a year, this commercial installation
has undermined the integrity of Maurice A. Ferro Park, formerly Museum Park,
creating a distracting and commercialized environment that conflicts with the
cultural and educational mission of our institutions. The sign 's scale and brightness
compromise the visitor experience and disrupt nighttime programming and the
museum's wildlife through light pollution. The park was envisioned as a civic space
for education, science, and culture, and this sign erodes that vision while setting a
troubling precedent for the future of our shared public spaces. Thank you.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Saif Hamideh: Good morning. Saif Hamideh, 5600 Biscayne Boulevard. I'm here to
urge the City to accept the settlement with PAl1Vl so the great folks at PAMM can
move on and get to -- get to the work that they're doing. Now every single day in
Spain there are more people visiting Spain than there are who live in Spain and
that's because centuries ago they made an investment in art and architecture and
that beauty built a culture and a community and that's what we're doing here in
Miami today. But, unfortunately, we do not have the funds from both the state and
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private patronage to build a world -class museum the way it needs to be built. I've
traveled across the United States, I've worked with several public art programs in
New York, Chicago, LA (Los Angeles), even Cleveland, Ohio, and I've seen larger
budgets for the arts and culture than here in Miami. And so, what the team has done
is gone out and found a creative way to face two major headwinds and try to build a
program in the face of adversity. I would urge you to accept this so Franklin Sirmans
and team can go back to doing what they're doing, which is opening a flagship
institution for the community to learn about art and to beautify our city and to bring
people from all over the world to the cultural capital, Miami, Florida. Thank you.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Giselle Bernal: Good morning, Commissioners. My name is Giselle Bernal,
principal of Mater Academy at Corpus Christi in Allapattah, speaking on PH.3. I
serve more than 800 K-8 families, families who work hard, who struggle, who count
on us every day. Alongside the parish priest, Father Menendez, we do all we ean. But
the question I hear from parents again and again is this, where will my child go for
high school? And the truth is, I don't have an exact answer. They need options, and
the Olympia Theater project gives us that. It's not just about restoring a building.
It's about giving our children the high school they need, right here in their city, in a
space that fills them with pride. I thank you today, and I'm asking all of you to listen
to the voices of the families that I represent. They deserve stability and hope for their
children 's future. On behalf of our students, teachers, and parents, I urge you to
make this happen. We thank you for your leadership. Our Allapattah community is
counting on you. Thank you.
Chair King: Good morning.
Michelle Pestana: Good morning, Commissioners. My name is Michelle Pistana,
980 MacArthur Causeway on behalf of Miami Children's Museum Charter
Elementary School. I am the proud principal of Miami Children's Museum Charter
School, located within Miami Children's Museum. Our school has a truly unique
location off of the MacArthur Causeway, just minutes away from downtown Miami.
From this vantage point, we serve hundreds of families from the inner core of our
city, many, of whom live and work in the heart of Miami. Every day, I see the
commitment of our parents and students to education, and I hear their concerns of
what comes next. The question is, where will our students go? Today my answer to
them is uncertain. The Olympia Theater project offers the clear practical solution
our families need. It will provide a needed pathway close to home in a setting that
reflects the energy and creativity of both our students and the City of Miami. On
behalf of our teachers, students, and families, I want to thank you for your vision in
identifying a team in our city that we can all agree will be successful delivering your
vision for this great facility. On behalf of our families, we stand in full support of this
effort, and we are deeply grateful for the commitment you are making to our children
and their future. Thank you.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Diliana Alexander: Good morning, Madam Chair. Good morning, Commissioners.
My name is Diliana Alexander, and I'm the co-founder and executive director of
FilmGate Miami, Florida's premier media nonprofit organization. For over 13
years, we have supported independent filmmakers, immersive creators, and
educators in our region, making sure Miami's creative economy has a strong and
innovative future. I speak today in support of PH3 and SLAM! 's purchase of the
Olympia Theater. As a downtown resident, commercial property owner and a leader
of a nonprofit that has collaborated with schools, students, and community partners,
I know how vital the Olympia is to our cultural fabric. SLAM! has promised to this
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community to preserve and restore the Olympia Theater, to keep its doors open for
cultural programming and community use, to provide students real opportunities in
the arts and media performances right here in downtown Miami -- well, right there --
and to partner with other non -profits like ours so the Olympia is not just a school
asset, but a living hub for creativity and education. So, if you bake that into the
contract, and SLAM! is committed and accountable, they will ensure the Olympia
does not fall into further disrepair, and becomes -- and it's not a closed and empty
shell. Instead, it will be restored, activated, and shared, a place where residents,
students, artists, and visitors can gather to celebrate Miami's culture. And we saw
how activated it was last weekend with Marcello Hernandez and the Netflix special.
That was -- it was amazing to see this youthful energy on Flagler Street. We would
like to see this every day, not just once in a while. So, on behalf of FilmGate Miami
and our members, I urge you to approve this transfer. Let's give the Olympia
Theater a future as vibrant as its past. A future --
Chair King: Thank you. Thank you.
Ms. Alexander: Thank you so much.
Chair King: Good morning.
Eileen Hernandez: Good morning. My name is Eileen Hernandez, and I am the
principal of Mater Academy Kiwanis in Little Havana, 998 Southwest 1st Street,
Miami, Florida, 33130. And I'm here in honor of PH.3 for the Olympia Theater. Our
school is located in East Little Havana, just a few blocks away from downtown
Miami. Mater Kiwanis was founded as a partnership between Mater Academy and
the Kiwanis Club of Little Havana. And together, we have been able to serve families
in this historic neighborhood with a high -quality public education. We serve many, of
your most needy families. They are hardworking and deeply committed to their
children's success. The Olympia Theater project will help provide the high school
our families most desperately need, something that is close to home, in a safe and
inspiring space that honors Miami's history while preparing our children for the
future. This opportunity is more than just restoring a building. It's about creating
continuity for our families, stability for our students, and hope for the next
generation. On behalf of the Mater Kiwanis community, I want to thank you for your
leadership in identifying a team in our city that we can all agree will be successful in
delivering your vision Jroa greater facility. We stand in strong support for this
proposal, and we are gratefid for your commitment to the children and families in
the Little Havana area. Thank you very much for your time.
Jenayra Rodriguez: Good morning, Commissioners. My name is Jenny Rodriguez,
and I'm here on behalf -- excuse me -- of Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of
Science in downtown Miami. For years, Frost Science has been a cultural anchor in
District 2, welcoming millions of visitors for learning, discovery, and exploration.
The oversized LED billboard installed by Perez Art Museum and Orange Barrel
Media undermines that vision this campus was built on. This billboard overwhelms
our public space, takes away from the natural beauty of the waterfront, and disrupts
the immersive environment our institution have worked so hard to create. We ask
you to please not rush into a settlement on item CA.5, 18137. Approving it would set
a precedent that puts short-term advertising ahead of Miami's long-term cultural
vitality. This campus was meant to be a place for children, families, and residents to
experience the arts and science and not a platform for third party ads. On behalf of
Frost Science, I respectfully urge you to protect the integrity of our campus and keep
the focus on culture, education, and community. Thank you very much.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
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Sheila Caleo: Good morning. Good morning, Commissioners. 1 am Sheila Caleo, the
proud principal of Mater Grove Academy, located inside of the Boys and Girls Club
campus in Coconut Grove, 2805 Southwest 32nd Avenue. Mater Grove Academy was
founded in 2011 in a partnership with the Boys and Girls Club, and this year we
proudly celebrate our 15th year of educating students together. Together, we serve
1,200 students, kindergarten through eighth grade, in our shared campus. And just
as the Boys and Girls Club has nurtured young people through sports and after -
school programs, the Olympia Theater will nurture them through arts, culture, and
creativity, representing the next chapter for our students as a high school. The
Olympia will give our families a high -quality option and a top-notch education in a
setting that is both historic and inspiring. And most importantly, it will provide our
students the opportunity to pursue a high -quality high school education through the
arts. The Olympia ensures continuity for our students while keeping the talent and
energy right here in our community. We are very proud to support this effort, and we
thank you for your support. We are deeply grateful for your commitment to the future
of our students and our city. Thank you.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Bill Teck: Good morning, Commissioners. Thank you for this forum. My, name is Bill
Teck. I'm here to speak on PH.3, the Olympia Theater. I'm a lifelong Miami
resident, born and raised, and I'm here to speak to you as a filmmaker and also
someone who grew up attending different concerts and films and festivals at the
Olympia Theater. It's very close to my heart. I even remember the late film critic Bill
Cosford hosting some screenings that were outside of the festival. It's very important
to stress the relevance of preserving the Olympia as a movie palace, which is what it
was built for. I'm a working filmmaker, attend festivals all the time. My latest film is
-- was just nominated for a Grammy for Best Music Film. And this is important that
we have this culture in Miami and that we preserve it. It was built for that. It's
important to continue having it as a venue for Miami's Film Festival. And I know the
SLAM! team can make that happen. I've followed them since before day one. My son
attended and graduated from the schools that SLAM! is affiliated with, and I've seen
firsthand the enthusiasm, the grace, the care, and the sense of serving the community
that these organizations bring. I also know the individuals who lead this group of
schools. I agree that you've identified one of the few organizations in our city that
you can rest assured will be successful in delivering your vision for this great
building. Thank you.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Luca Sabatini: Good morning. My name is Luca Sabatini. I'm a 15-year-old -- 15-
year resident of the city of Miami. I'm here to talk in favor of PH.3. I'm also a
touring professional in the arts and entertainment. And, you know, based on the
work I do throughout the country, actually, it seems to me that the theaters that are
thriving and are successful and can keep up with the demand are the ones that have
been privatized and have fallen in the hands of institutions and groups of people that
really care. You know, it seems that the City of Miami has made it clear that at the
moment, as the state senator said, it's about needs and wants. It's not that you don't
want, we don't blame you for that perhaps, but at the moment it's not an urgent
need. But it is an urgent need for the community. I think that to have a space that can
be what a theater is supposed to be, which is a place of fruition for the arts, is very
important. It seems to me that the agenda that the SLAM! group has put together is
very, intentional, does address many good initiatives from education to restoration,
not just for the sake of beautifying a historical theater, but for the sake of putting it
to good use once again. I think that it's really a no-brainer to pass this PH.3
situation, and I'm deeply in favor of it, and I know all of the young professionals in
the city are in favor of it as well. Thank you.
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Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Olga Camarena: Good morning, Madam Chair and Commissioners. My name is
Olga Camarena. I'm here to speak in support of the PH.3. I have the honor to be the
principal of Mater International Academy at San Roberto Belarmino Campus, 3405
Northwest 27th Avenue. Our school serves families in Little Havana and Allapattah.
My, parents desperately needs a high school. Every day they ask me where my child
will go for high school. Right now, the answer is uncertain. The Olympia Theater
project provides the solution. It offers our students a receiving high school close to
home in a safe, inspiring, and historic setting. This opportunity is about far more
than restoring a landmark. It is about continuity for families, stability for children,
and a stronger community JroMiami. On behalf of our school, I thank you all for
your leadership in identfing a team in our city that we can all agree will be
successful delivering your vision for this great facility. In support of hundreds of
families at our school, we thank you for this effort. We are deeply grateful for the
commitment you are showing to our students and our community. Also, my godson,
Marcello Hernandel, just performed multiple sold -out shows at the Olympia Theater
this past weekend. As his godmother, thank you again for making sure this theater
continues to serve Miami. I'm 100 percent confident that the team you've selected
will not only deliver on your vision, but will also _fix the air conditioning once for all.
Thank you very much.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Zohair Sultan: Good morning, Commissioners. My name is Z. Sultan. I'm the vice
president of the DNA, Downtown Neighbors Alliance, as well as a resident at the
Paramount. I'm here to speak on two issues, one being the PAMM Orange Barrel
Media billboard, and the second being the DDA (Downtown Development Authority)
bylaw changes. On the first topic, downtown residents have fought the 10-story
billboard at the Perez Art Museum for over a year. You repealed the 2023 law that
enabled outside signs and direct illegal action. Thank you. Now there's a proposal to
settle with PAMM Orange Barrel Media for $500, 000 per year. That's not really
accountability. It's a pay to play precedent for breaking the rules and negotiating
after the fact. The sign went live despite an ongoing dispute and repeal of the
enabling law. Residents are calling it a digital blight. The proposed settlement would
keep the jumbo sign operating with conditions instead of restoring the status quo.
This rewards noncompliance and invites copycats. Commissioners, I ask you to
reject the settlement, pursue the case to judgment, and enforce our zoning and lease
terms with no special carve outs. When rules are enforced, we protect residents, our
waterfront parks, and the City's credibility. The second of which is going to be the
DDA bylaw changes. We ask that you center resident voices. The board has 15 seats
on the DDA. The draft floating number of residents to only three seats is insufficient.
Downtown is no longer just offices. It's tens of thousands of residents paying into the
district and living with the consequences of everyday decisions. We ask that the
board reflects the community it serves, ensure expired terms are filled on time,
nominations are transparent, and compliance with the ownership designation rules
is verified at appointment. In closing, we ask that residents aren't asking for special
treatment, we're asking for equal treatment. Enforce the rules on the billboards,
don't monetize non-compliance, and modernize DDA representation so residents
finally have a voice. Thank you for your time.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Kevin Mynait: Good morning. I am not David Letterman. My name is Kevin Mynait.
I live at 7950 Northeast Bayshore Court. I'm also the Senior Director of Production
and Artistic Operations at Florida Grand Opera, and I'm here today in support of
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PH.3 and the use of the Olympia Theater. Florida Grand Opera has a long and
storied history in the state of Florida. We're the oldest performing arts organization
in the state. We are also the seventh or ninth oldest performing arts opera company,
sorry, in the United States. We believe there is great synergy between education, arts
education, historic preservation, and the work that we do. We believe -- we serve
over 42,000 children yearly through our education programs, through our final
dress performances in Miami -Dade County, and we are strongly in support of this
move with SLAM! and the preservation of the Olympic [sic] Theater. We look
forward to the opportunities that this building will provide. Florida Grand Opera in
its original days as Greater Mianii Opera Association performed at the Olympia.
And we look forward to being back there working with SLAM! in education capacity.
Thank you very much.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Alexander Cordovas: Good morning. My name is Alexander Cordovas, 400
Northwest 1st Avenue. I come here today as a downtown resident urging you to
support the proposal for PH.3. If you attended the last meeting, I spoke about how
the changes happening in downtown have had a positive effect on my life and that of
the community. And the Olympia Theater's restoration is no different. It's not just
about saving a building; it's an investment in our city's cultural and economic
future. We've seen how the restorations on Flagler have brought back life into our
community. The addition of the SLAM! next door further strengthens this vision. As a
Mater Academy alum, I see firsthand the positive effects of high performing charter
schools in our community. I'm a direct benefit. Students already spill into downtown
businesses daily, and the synergy between the school and the theater will only
deepen that connection. I've seen what SLAM! can do, shaping the next generation
to be engaged citizens with pride in their school, pride in the Olympia, and in their
city. I have faith in this restoration, and I have faith in that restoration will ensure
the Olympia Theater will once again become a cultural anchor for us all. Thank you.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Denise Galves Turros: Good morning. Denise Galvez, resident of the City. I know a
lot of people here that are speaking are not residents of the City. I happen to have a
small business and be a resident of the City. So, I'm going to try to speak in
generality since there's so many items. First of all, I find it really hypocritical that
we're talking about handing over the Olympia Theater because of money, while in
the same exact agenda, we're talking about giving away millions for legal
settlements and the purchases of properties in Little Havana with no plans as to what
is going to be done with these properties. When I walk the neighborhoods, the
number one thing 1 get is they're sick of the waste, they're sick of the corruption and
affordability. And 1 -- it's really, really disheartening to see the City misspend our
hard-earned tax money on things like buying properties in Little Havana that's on
the agenda with zero plans as to what's going to happen to that property. I could tell
you the Ciy's done that before and that's -- that property is now empty and blighted
and full of homeless. So, I'm asking you to please vote no on that purchase in Little
Havana. I'm also asking you to please set a precedent here. When it comes to the
legal fees of commissioners, okay, who commit all sorts of alleged crimes, if they are
not exonerated by a court and a jury, we should not be paying their legal fees. They
want to take it up with the State who accused them, they can take it up with the State,
but we should not be paying their legal fees. And for those other commissioners who
are not sitting here today, who were found guilty of a federal judgment, they should
be responsible for those fees as well. We should claw back that money and use it for
affordable housing with an actual plan in partnership with public and private
institutions, not the City. Thank you.
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Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Caterina Haddad: Hi, my name is Caterina Haddad, 212 North Miami Avenue. I'm
here to support the plans for the Olympia Theater. I'm a senior marketing manager
for Club Space and Three Points. I work a lot in cultural programming, grassroots
and national. I live and work in downtown, and I've been deeply involved in the
community since 2017. Downtown has always been my hub. My work is rooted in
building bridges between artists and audiences, grassroots creativity in major
institutions, Miami's legacy and its future. That's why I support this plan. The
Olympia is more than a building; it's a landmark in our city's story with enormous
untapped potential to become a cultural hub again. The plan proposed honors its
history while reimagining its future as an accessible and sustainable home Jrothe
arts. The idea of another piece of downtown breathing a new life excites me as
somebody who has watched it slowly come back to life in the past few years. The
commitment to collaboration with local operators also excites me with the possibility
for Miami's local voices to be heard, shaping programming that is diverse,
innovative, and inclusive. The Olympia can be a stage where international names
perform, but also where local producers, educators, and creatives like us share our
work and connect with our community in meaningful ways. So, I'm here to support
the plan. Thank you.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Millie Sanchez: Good morning, Commissioners. Millie Sanchez, 1717 North
Bayshore Drive. I'm one of the )(blinders of SLAM!, and I currently serve as the chief
administrative officer for the organization. I think that everyone here can agree on
one thing, and that you've heard, the Olympia is an iconic landmark that must be
preserved. SLAM! has stepped up to do just that with a commitment to, at minimum,
$50 million for the renovation and preservation of the theater. That is the level of
investment necessary to restore and preserve this landmark. Our proposal saves the
Olympia Theater, which you have heard from many to do just that. It saves the City
and its taxpayers from hearing that cost. And, you know, one very important factor in
all this is that the Gusman family, the benefactor, the original benefactor; the family
supports this plan. As you have heard at multiple meetings, and I see that Mr. Barket
is here, so you may hear that again today, it resolves their litigation and honors
Maurice Gusman's vision that the Olympia remain a cultural institution open to the
people of Miami. Under this proposal, the theater stays a theater; the public
continues to enjoy the venue, and the adjoining tower becomes a hub for education,
culture, and the arts. We've been working hand -in -hand with community groups
representing the arts and civic partners to bring this vision to life. Many of them
came out to speak today, so I thank them as well. Today, you have the power to
secure the future of Olympia. A yes on PH.3 preserves this historic landmark, it ends
the litigation, and it advances the revitalization of our city's downtown corridor.
SLAM! has been serving this community for almost 15 years. We care about our city
and about our community. And as your partner, we will continue to be good public
stewards. We are fully capable and committed to delivering on this vision. With your
support, we can make that vision a reality today. Thank you. And as a resident of
District 2 and a stakeholder, I trust that you will do what is right for our city.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Sasha Torres: Good morning. My name is Sasha Torres, 2007 Southwest 8th Street. I
have been in culture and arts almost my entire life. I think this is a unique
opportunity with an excellent group in SLAM! that's going to provide the support to
make the Olympia what it deserves to be. It's languished. It's just been too long, and
we need a group that's going to go in there, get the job done, and get it done right.
So, I'm just here to lend my support. Thank you.
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Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Stanley Young: Good morning, Chairwoman and Commissioners and staff. Chaplain
Stanley Young of Freedom Prison and Jail Ministry', assisting those inmates that are
coming out our prisons and jails to get their life started out right. I'm here to speak
about a -- what I do in the community. Igo into all of Miami and share --
Chair King: Excuse me. Chaplain, can you --?
Mr. Young: RE.2.
Chair King: RE.2.
Mr. Young: RE.2. I was going to get to -- this community sticks out out of all the
communities I go to that I go to to pass out Narcan. I go to talk to the community, try
to get those who need the help and assistance that they need. But this community
needs your help. I mean, there's a lot of drugs, a lot of alcohol in this community
that needs your attention. We need to continue. You're doing a great job in help
bringing up some of our communities, but we need to continue. We need to continue
to fund and help these unsung heroes that goes into the community that helps bring
up the -- our community so our community can house good people living in some
adequate housing. So, continue your work, continue funding some of these
organizations that are doing that kind of work because that's the kind of work that I
dedicated my life to, to helping that brother, that sister to get up off the streets out of
the, you know, out of drugs and out of things that's really bringing them down. But it
takes you to revitalize our community, to bring our community up. There's still a lot
of old properties that really needs to be torn down and have some new properties
built. That's not an easy task, I understand, but it is a doable task. Thank you. God
bless.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Raissa Fernandez: Good morning. My name is Raissa Fernandez, 992 Northwest 5th
Street. Commissioners, thank you for the opportunity to speak on PH.3. I urge you to
vote no on this proposed agreement for the Olympia Theater. This building is one of
the City of Miami's most cultural treasures. What is before is not a true investment
in restoration and community need and it also doesn't mean the urgent need of our
residents. We don't have to look further for inspiration. Miami Senior High, where 1
and many others in our community have deep roots, was beautifully restored through
the leadership of public -- Miami -Dade Public Schools, alongside preservation
partners and non-profit organizations. That effort proved that what is possible when
we commit to preserving our history while lifting the people who live here. Olympia
deserves the same. We hear today many of Mater Academy's faculty and staff about
their students. Yes, these families deserve safe and stable schools that they can thrive
in. But many of those very students live in low-income neighborhoods in our city
where many have been -- where many of those teachers have not been here to
advocate for housing, parks, programming that support the children's health and
safety in their community. If we truly want to help them, then the Olympia Theater
should be restored and converted into something that addresses those needs directly
and maintain the cultural heritage of the theater, like affordable work housing for
the families and maybe some of those students that go to those schools. The Olympia
Theater belongs to the people of Miami. Just like Miami Senior High was preserved
for future generations, so too should the Olympia Theater be. Please reject this
agreement and instead invest in a plan that honors our history while meeting the
needs of our residents. Thank you.
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Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Charles Gibson: Good morning, Madam Chair, board members. My name is Charles
Gibson, and I'm speaking on behalf of PH.3 in support of it. I'm a longtime resident,
been here my whole life, but I am here as a -- as a -- to ask for the Commission to
support this item. I'm the founder and current board chair of Gibson Charter School.
We serve the Overtown area. We have a K-5 school there. We've been there for
approximately, about 10 years at this point, and it's always a question of where are
my kids going to go next. With the Olympia project, we have an opportunity, you all
have an opportunity, to have another step for some of our kids who want to get into
that type of program. One of the things is that the, as you all know, Gusman Center,
it needs work. It needs support. There have been many opportunities, many different
private entities who've come to try to enhance the project, but every time they see the
sticker bill, there's a back out. It's been very difficult. It's been going on for years.
And finally, we have an opportunity to preserve this beautiful example of Miami. I
know many of you, if you all grew up in this area, you 've probably been there for one
reason or another. And I think it's time that we move forward. We should not be
holding up projects with phantom ideas without any real pocketbooks. The SLAM!
Foundation has the money, they have the wherewithal, and they have the operational
experience to make this work. I urge all of ,you commissioners to vote yes, and let's
move.forward. Thank you.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Terrell Fritz: Good morning, Madam Chair and City Commissioners. Terrell Fritz,
111 East Flagler Street, director of the Flagler Business Improvement District, here
to voice the BID 's enthusiastic support for item PH.3 regarding the Olympia
Theater. We are encouraged that the substitute resolution now reflects commitments
we have advocated, Including that SLAM! shall aim for an annual minimum budget
of $750,000 to $1 million towards theater operations and cultural programming.
And recognizing that SLAM! made commitments to the Flagler BID Board do not
oppose zoning amendments that allow compatible entertainment, nightlife, and food
and beverage uses. These provisions help ensure that the Olympia thrives not only as
a future educational asset, which we assume it will be, but also preserves its status
as a cultural, civic, and economic anchor for the downtown community. We do,
however, have one outstanding concern. Clause 8 of the quitclaim deed is ambiguous
and could be interpreted to allow conveyance of the Olympia to another party
without Commission approval, as long as the use remains for educational and civic
uses. The decision to convey the Olympia to SLAM! has been built on trust of the
organizations and individuals the community has just met. We're confident the City
would not unreasonably withhold future approval and we respectfully ask that this
be amended to safeguard public oversight of the historic theater by requiring
Commission approval. Thank you for your leadership in this exciting endeavor.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Robert Deresz: Good morning. Nice to see you. I guess I'm talking to three of you.
That's more than I normally see. Bob Deresz, 200 Southeast 15th Road, 33129,
District 2. Been here since 1970, a Grovite half the time. Please don't disregard the
Olympia Theater, Gusman Theater. Vote no and issue a fair and transparent RFP
(Request for Proposals). Which -- what bothers me, you know, people don't have a
good memory. Twenty, twenty-five years ago, we put tens of millions of dollars in
that theater, but people forget. So, what's going to happen 20 years from now? Are
they going to put in another 50, or actually, because of inflation, $75 million to
continue to maintain it? Why don't we have a reserve like we do in condominiums,
you know, and make sure they pay something every year so that they don't -- you
know, there isn't any default. Which brings to the fact, look, who will wave that
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magic wand, that's all of a sudden leases and RFPs are 75 years and 99 years. 99
years. It's like we're paying on Watson Island or Parrot Jungle. Oh, and this
reminds me, I think about how, you know, 50 years, 60 -- 40 years ago, or 30 years
ago, we're all sitting here talking about Parrot Jungle, you know, and giving that
away over on Watson Island, and then it turned into 30 years of them not paying any
of their rent at all, and to try to find out how those people, how much they were
paying themselves and their lawyers every year. You could not find that out. And
then it turns into, it was Parrot Jungle, and today we sold it, right? All you have to
do is put in a ballot that we're going to increase our taxes, and all these voters that
don't know anything will vote yes. And we lost that, along with the other property.
The Parrot -- that Parrot Jungle --
Chair King: Thank you.
Mr. Deresz: -- that property on Watson Island, a million --
Chair King: Thank you.
Mr. Deresz: Thank you. I wish --
Chair King: Thank you.
Mr. Deresz: -- I had more time.
Chair King: Sorry.
Mr. Deresz: Thank you very much.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Mike Llorente: Good morning, Madam Chair, Commissioners. Mike Llorente, LSN
(Local State National) Law, 3800 Northeast 1st Avenue, representing Frost Science.
The agreement authorizing the PAMM sign, quote, "violates the City Charter
because it was executed without approval by a majority of voters at a ballot
referendum. A ballot referendum was required here." Those are not my words.
That's the City Attorney's Office in court pleadings. The PAMM sign is not in
compliance with state law, despite PAMM's arguments to the contrary, and
jeopardizes significant federal highway funding for the state. Quote, `1 believe that
statewide enforcement issues would arise if PAMM's interpretation were to hold,
potentially impacting the department's federal funding per the 1972 FHWA (Federal
Highway Administration) FDOT (Florida Department of Transportation)
agreement. " Not my words. That's an FDOT attorney who also prepared a draft
letter threatening to issue to PAMM a notice of violation of illegally erected sign.
Then we have the FHWA, the ultimate jurisdiction, authority with jurisdiction.
They've been knocking on FDOT's door all year trying to get someone to explain
how this sign does not violate state and federal law. An FHWA official warned
FDOT that the advertisements on the PAMM sign, quote, "could disqualify the sign
from a waiver under the outdoor advertising regulations." The PAMM sign,
Commissioners, is a 10-story illuminated red flag. It violates the City Charter, it
violates state law, it violates federal law, and it jeopardizes hundreds of millions in
state highway funding. Item CA.5 invites you to ignore these red flags and to become
a partner in the business venture, notwithstanding the law, notwithstanding strident
opposition from the community, including the Frost. Item R5 -- CA.5 is a bad idea.
Chair King: Thank you.
Mr. Llorente: Please vote no. Thank you.
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Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Mark Rosenblum: Good morning. My name is Mark Rosenblum, COO (Chief
Operating Officer), Perez Art Museum, Miami, PAMM, 1103 Biscayne Boulevard,
Miami 33132. I'm here to speak in support of the proposed settlement regarding the
PAMM sign. I'd like to start with a salute to this leadership group. Thank you for
your continued support of the arts, for allowing our flagship institution to become a
leader in our field, educating our communities, promoting the Miami name all over
the globe. This does not happen with just the hard work of our skilled local
workforce and our world -class facility. It takes significant annual operating fiends to
deliver. Yes, we clearly punch above our weight. We are motivated to be the best
because that's what Miami deserves. You understood this when you approved the
ordinance allowing us to start the process. You understood this when you issued a
building permit to begin construction. And you understood this when you allowed us
to turn the sign on more than a year ago. So, today, I again thank you for
understanding. It is time to agree on a settlement to allow us to move forward. Arts
funding is in danger at every level of the government. Museums like ours are forced
to lean on creative ideas and the private sector. Please don't penalize us for finding
non-traditional sources of funding. I remind you all, we employ over 250 people in
this community. Our free programs and educational initiatives reach over 25,000
children and elders each year, crossing all your districts. In a sea of lighted signs,
buildings, and bridges in downtown Miami, our sign is one with an important
purpose. PAMM has proven itselfa responsible steward of this sign and these funds,
leveraging them to deliver value to our residents and our economy. If we diminish
the arts, we diminish Miami. If we sustain them, we strengthen both our economy
and our souls. Thank you.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Andy Alfonso: Good morning, Madam Chair, Commissioners. My name is Andy
Alfonso speaking in support of PH.3. I stand here as a very, very proud graduate of
Mater Academy Charter High and Performing Arts Academy. That title is one of the
great honors of my life, and I carry it with me everywhere that I go. The
organizations and the people who are leading this proposal have proven themselves
as good and faithful stewards, not only in my life, but in the lives of thousands of
students, of families, and graduates across the schools. I speak not only as an
alumnus, but also as someone who deeply cares for and has passion Jrothe arts,
from dancing, classical ballet, to working alongside arts and cultural groups. There
is real enthusiasm in the arts community for what this plan represents, the
innovation and the creativity that it will bring to our city. I asked myself, if I were
sitting at this dais today, what would 1 want to hear to guide my decision, and know
that 1 was making the best choice for our city. There have been many, many plans
and discussions about the past, but as we stand here today, in the present, looking at
this proposal before us, and also casting future -- vision for the future of Miami, the
question stands, is this the right path forward? And are these the right organizations,
the right people to make it happen? And my answer to that is unequivocally, without
any doubt or reservation, yes. Having worked across education, government, media,
and entertainment, I am confident that the proposed plan represents the best interest
of the City. I believe that God's providence often shows itself in these moments. The
right people, positioned in the right place, at the right time, and that's what I see
here. I think it most certainly includes each of you. Thank you for your
consideration.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
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Kim Guilarte Gil: Hi, good morning. Good morning, Commissioners. My name is
Kim Gilarte Gil, and 1 am here in support of PH.3. Thirty years ago, 1 had the
privilege of serving as the founding principal of Mater Academy. Today, 1 serve as
chief operating officer of the Mater Academy network with schools across our
nation, but headquartered right here in our city. What began as a small effort rooted
in Centro Mater in Little Havana has grown into a network that now serves tens of
thousands of students across the nation. Over the decades, Mater has remained
committed to its mission of providing high -quality public education, particularly to
the families of Miami who first inspired our work. The SLAM! Network was
originally nested inside Mater Academy and eventually became a separate and
independent network. Today, Mater and SLAM! continue to collaborate closely,
sharing the same vision for students and communities. Here in the City of Miami,
Mater Academy directly serves over 8,000 families. Several of the principals from
those schools are here with us today. They have shared with you their urgent need
for receiving a high school and Olympia Theater project provides that solution. This
opportunity will ensure that our students have a pathway to continue their education
in their own city, close to home, in a historic and inspiring setting. On behalf of
Mater Academy, I want to thank you for your leadership in safeguarding the
Olympia's future and in identifying a team in our city that we can all agree will be
successful delivering your vision for this great facility. We are happy to stand with
you, and we are grateful for your commitment to the children and families we serve.
Thank you.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Amanda Milian: Good morning, Commissioners. My name is Amanda Milian, and
I'm here to speak on behalf of PH.3. I am beyond honored to stand here today as an
alumna of SLAM, the inaugural student station general manager of SLAM! Radio,
the first and only student -run national radio station in the country, and now as a
proud employee of SLAM!. My journey in the halls of SLAM! and our Sirius XM
studio is a testament to the incredible opportunities SLAM! provides, and I'm here to
ensure the next generation gets the same shot that 1 did. When 1 was a student at
SLAM!, I discovered my passion for radio and production through hands-on
experiences that opened my eyes to what was possible. Because of SLAM!'s
commitment to fostering creativity and skills, I now work with our students every day
at SLAM! Radio, living out my dream. But I did not go back just to share my story. I
returned to SLAM! because I believe in paying it forward. All students deserve the
same access to arts and media that transformed my life. That's why I am so excited
about the Olympia project. This initiative will bring more arts access to our entire
community, amplifying what SLAM! does best, preparing kids for their future
careers. It's about giving every student the tools to tell their story, to find their voice,
and to build a path to success, whether that's in radio, production, or in any field
that they dream of. The Olympia project isn't just about art, it's about opportunity.
It's about ensuring that every kid and artist in our city has a chance to shine just like
I did. Together, we're not just shaping the future of our community, we're
empowering the next generation to lead it. I hope you support this project as it will
open doors for so many more students just like I once was. Let's keep the arts alive
and our students thriving.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Tony Mesa: Good morning, Madam Chair and Commissioners. My name is Tony
Mesa, and I serve as the chair and president of SLAM!, and I'm here to speak in
support of PH.3. During this process, I have learned how the Olympia is like a big
puzzle. And to solve that puzzle, someone has to have all the pieces. Unfortunately,
over the years, no one has been able to bring all the pieces to the City to solve it.
There's always been a piece missing, often many pieces, until now. SLAM! is
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uniquely positioned and has all the pieces to solve the Olympia puzzle. The financial
piece, a $50 million plus commitment to restore and preserve it, a commitment that
ensures zero cost, not one penny, to the City and its taxpayers. The capacity piece.
SLAM! is a reliable, responsible nonprofit with a proven record, strong, valuable
partners, and a mission that aligns with this plan. The purpose piece. Maurice
Gusman's vision of the Olympia being a cultural institution for public use with a
civic purpose will not only be preserved, but it will be amplified with the plan's use
of the adjoining tower as an educational and cultural hub. The Gusman family
supports this plan, so much so they will end their litigation if approved. These are
the pieces to the Olympia puzzle. SLAM! is very fortunate to have them. No one else
does. With your support, we want to use them to save the Olympia. The 100-year
anniversary of the Olympia Theater is next year. I think it's fitting that all of this is
happening on its eve. And while none of us can be at the second 100-year
anniversary and all the anniversaries thereafter, a yes vote today ensures that others
will. We hope to have the privilege to make this commitment, bear this responsibility,
and honor Mr. Gusman's vision. We thank you for your vision and for your
consideration in making that possible. Thank you.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Larry Milian: Good morning, Commissioners. My name is Larry Milian, and I am
the proud national director of SLAM! Radio, the nation only student -led radio
station on Sirius XM I'm here today speaking in favor of PH.3 to give you a little bit
of my perspective. Every day our students are learning how to produce live radio
shows, interviewing national figures, and creating original programming that
reaches listeners across the country and across the globe. It is proof of what young
adults can achieve when they're given the tools, the mentorship, and the platform to
lead. Imagine our students gravitate to gaining knowledge, doing research, and
speaking their opinions, their truths. They understand the show must go on, just like
in life, and they answer the call every day. Their work ethic is only surpassed by
their passion to learn and to exercise their First Amendment rights. The Olympia
Theater project gives us the chance to expand that impact in the most amazing way.
Inside the restored building, we plan to launch a radio cafe, a space that will give
Flagler Street the life, the performances, conversations, and live programming it
deserves. Artists, community members, and our students will all have access to this
space, creating a unique hub where ideas and creativity flow freely. It will be a place
where young broadcasters sit alongside established artists, where the community
and the classroom meet, and where future professionals take their first steps.
Through SLAM! Radio, we've already built partnerships with major organizations
and leaders in the arts and the media. We've proven that Miami students can
compete and succeed on a national stage. Now with the Olympia Theater as our
home base, we can bring that same level of energy downtown, changing not just the
landscape of Flagler, but the cultural footprint of the City as a whole. This is more
than just restoring a theater. This is for our students, for our neighborhood, and for
Miami 's future of the arts. I ask you to support so we can continue building this
vision together. God bless you. God bless the city of Miami, and God bless the
United States of America. Thank you.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Douglas Rodriguez: Good morning. Douglas Rodriguez, 230 Southwest 17th Road,
currently the principal at Mater Brickell Academy and Miami Tech on the campus of
Miami Dade Community College, Wolfson Campus. I'm also currently involved in
the pre planning for the Olympia project and have had the opportunity to look at the
space and what the potential is to create the most dynamic and robust performing
arts program in the country. And I want this Commission to think about the
dichotomy of what I'm saying. We're talking about the most technologically
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advanced school and performing arts program in the country, sitting adjacent to a
100-year-old theater. And I think back to two weeks ago when I went to a
performance in that theater as 1 sat outside looking at the building and getting ready
to go inside and see this amazing performance in this incredibly historic and
wonderful theater. It dawned on me the theater is made of brick and concrete. That's
not what makes that theater special. What makes that theater special is the fact that
there are connections that we make historically throughout our lives and events that
have taken place in that theater that have an impact on us. I want you to think about
the next hundred years, the 200 students a year that will graduate from that theater
and will walk across that stage as part of the Olympia Project, making 20,000 new
students who create a love and a connection for that theater. If we're looking at the
future of the theater, it's more than just about the next 10 years. It's about the next
hundred, long after we're gone. I've had the opportunity to serve this county as
principal in many schools throughout every corner of the county, from Miami
Central High School, Ronald Reagan Doral High School, Miami Springs High
School, Mater Biscayne Academy, Doral Academy, all of those. I've had my imprint
on those schools and the educational programs, and I can assure this Commission
that we will deliver on delivering a quality program. Thank you.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Armando Ruiz: Good morning, Commissioners. My name is Armando Ruiz. I am a
student of SLAM! Miami as well as the lead student host of SLAM! Radio. I am
speaking in support of item PH3, restoring the Olympia Theater. Before anything, I
would like to speak about the importance of choices. Sometimes a singular choice
can lead to a whole future which was unimaginable at the time. When I was given the
choice to join SLAM! Radio, my response was, "Umm, sure," because I was
hesitant. You know, the class was called digital audio production. I had no idea what
that meant. And I had never done anything in communications before. Now here I
am, speaking in front of the commissioners of the City of Miami, speaking for that
same program, all because I made a choice to say yes. I mean, how many students
can say that? How many students can say that they have spoken to and interviewed
Pitbull, Gente de Zona, Grammy Award winning producers, professional sports
players, politicians, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera? That's a pretty good resume, all
because I said yes that day. I wouldn 't have had that choice, that opportunity,
without SLAM! Radio. And because of SLAM! Radio, I've grown in maturity,
confidence, and a lot of experiences. I'm sure you can imagine how eye-opening and
uniquely exciting something like this is. Now imagine what can be done by
expanding a curriculum like this to the scale of. a theater. That is why it is so
important to support the preservation of the Olympia Theater, to support education
that prepares us for careers, and for making sure Miami students have opportunities
to succeed.
Chair King: Thank you.
Mr. Ruiz: Please choose to say yes to PH.3. Thank you.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Aaron Demayo: Good morning, Chairwoman. Good morning Commissioners. My
name is Aaron Demayo. I am the chair of the City's Climate Resilience Committee.
I'm here to speak today on item RE.15, address is 66 West Flagler, 33130. On
September 15th, our commission -- our committee unanimously adopted the storm
resolution, science -based tracking and operational resilience JroMiami, and it's to
strengthen preparedness and reaffirm the City's commitment to science -based storm
forecasting. The weather has a profound impact on the lives and economy of South
Florida. This is not about climate change. This is not about the past. This is not
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Meeting Minutes September 25, 2025
about a distant future. This is about today and tomorrow and having the data and
systems in place that you all need and the emergency response team needs in order
to make well-informed decisions and save lives and property. That's why we
recommend that the Commission support the STORM (Science -based Tracking and
Operational Resilience for Miami) initiative and sustain investment at the federal,
state, and local levels and to strengthen partnerships so Miami is always ready with
science and data needed to act. Thank you all.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning. Sorry, good morning.
Rolando Llanes: Good morning, Madam Chair, Commissioners. My name is
Rolando Llanes. I'm the principal of Civica Architecture. And I have the pleasure of
being the architect working alongside Richard Heisenbottle and his team and the
folks at SLAM! on what would potentially be, if this were -- this item were to be
approved, the full restoration and rehabilitation of the Olympia Theater. But come
before you really, and I felt compelled to stand up, to remind myself and all of us of
another project that I was very much involved in. Almost 30 years to the day, I stood
in this room, before it was renovated beautifully by the team of Richard Heisenbottle,
with local community folks to hope and to present plans for the adaptive reuse and
restoration of another iconic work of architecture in the City of Miami that used to
be on the corner of Northwest 23rd Avenue and loth Avenue and 23rd Street. I don't
know if you remember it, but it was Miami Baseball Stadium, also known as Bobby
Maduro Stadium. We stood here with local community groups, with Father
Menendez, with the late Joe Fleming, with the late Yoel Kamide (phonetic), and
members' of the Allapattah community showing the city of Miami and the community
at large plans to adaptively reuse that iconic stadium, that iconic building. We
pleaded with the development community. We pleaded with the City of Miami. We
pleaded with the historic preservation folks to see if anyone -- with nonprofits -- to
see if anyone would step forward and do what they had to do to do their part to put
their money where their mouth is to preserve one of the most iconic buildings in the
City of Miami. At the end of the day, a wrecking hall called apathy tore that stadium
down in 2001. It no longer stands; it's gone forever. We're left with documentaries
and books. So --
Chair King: Thank you.
Mr. Llanes: -- the last point will make is that while you --
Chair King: Thank you.
Mr. Llanes: -- consider the brightness of a --
Chair King: Sir?
Mr. Llanes: -- billboard --
Chair King: Sir?
Mr. Llanes: -- don't -- do what you have to do to make sure that the lights of the --
Chair King: Thank you.
Mr. Llanes: -- Olympia Theater shine brightly for the next generation. Thank you.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
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Therese Vento: Good morning. Therese Vento, general counsel of the Perez Art
Museum Miami, 1103 Biscayne Boulevard, speaking about the PAMM digital sign
settlement. In the pending lawsuit, PAMM recently filed a motion for summary,
judgment detailing the evidence and legal arguments why PAMMshould win without
the need of a trial. It was compelling. The City of Miami Legal Department, taking
into consideration the respected opinions of others, saw the handwriting on the wall.
If the court rules in PAMM's favor, PAMM could activate the sign 24/7 at the light
levels in the original sign ordinance. The case before the court is currently on hold
while the parties finalize that settlement. We are sure the City Attorney conveyed to
you at the July shade meeting PAMM's proposed settlement that permanently retains
what PAMM had voluntarily agreed to last year, going dark between 11 p.m. and 6
a.m. and reduced brightness at dawn and dusk. Residents currently don't see the
PAMM sign at all when most people are asleep. However, there are plenty of other
large and bright signs which they and nearby animals can see at night, including the
brightly lit Frost Science Museum, four billboards at Ferre Park, other large
waterfront digital signs, and soon the Signature Bridge. The parade of horribles that
were predicted by opponents to the PAMM sign has not happened. Let's call the
opposition to the PAMM sign what it is. Selective outrage. The sign is not coming
down, but that's not a surprise. This Commission has noted repeatedly during the six
commission meetings held on this topic that doing so would expose the City to huge
liability because of vested permits. And Attorney Wysong noted at April 25, 2024
meeting that some folks mistakenly thought that by opting the compromise sign
ordinance, the signs were going to come down. Quote, "That's not the case. They
will be in a non -conforming status, which means they can stay until they are
essentially taken down or abandoned by the sign companies." Please vote in favor.
Thank you.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Reinaldo Mare: Good morning, Commissioners. My name is Reinaldo Mare, City of
Miami District 3 resident, a proud SLAM! Miami parent, and I am speaking in favor
of PH.3. First, I want to thank you for always supporting education and the future of
children in the City of Miami. As a parent, we know the arts and education go hand
in hand. The Olympia Theater is not just a historic building, it's an opportunity for
the future generation. With SLAM! vision, the restoration will create new
opportunities for our kids to learn and experience the arts in ways that inspire their
creativity and confidence. Approving this proposal means investing directly in the
next generation. Our children are Miami's future and giving them access to inspiring
world -class spaces like the Olympia and this tower. Thank you for leading the vision
and standing beside SLAM! and the families working towards the brighter future for
the children in our city
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Jenea Reed: Good morning. I'm Jenea Reed, with the law .firm Stearns Weaver
Miller in downtown Miami, and we represent Perez Art Museum Miami in
connection with the litigation against the City. The sign at PAMM has already been
the subject of extensive review by the City Commission and by the public. The sign
was approved in 2022 after two City Commission meetings and a Planning, Zoning,
and Appeals Board meeting. And the issue appeared then on the Commission agenda
eight additional times over a five -month span in 2024, on January llth, January
25th, February 8th, February 22nd, March 14th, April llth, April 25th, and May
23rd with extensive public comment. So, the notion that additional public
commentary on this issue is needed is incorrect. There has been plenty of public
commentary regarding the sign at PAMM, and in response, PAMM has been a good
neighbor for more than a year, voluntarily dimming the sign and turning it off every
night at 11 p.m. These voluntary restrictions result in significant loss of revenue and
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Meeting Minutes September 25, 2025
other signs in the area remain illuminated 24/7. It's a clear disadvantage financially
and otherwise, but PAMM remains a committed and responsible respectful
community partner. We are here today with one goal, which is to ensure that this
litigation gets resolved collaboratively today. A settlement will allow PAMM and the
City to move forward on mutually acceptable terms and continue the long-standing
and positive relationship that the parties enjoyed for many years. But the current
settlement offer will expire today after today's meeting. If an agreement cannot be
reached, we are prepared to continue litigating. And based on the facts, we are
confident we will win. The City will continue to incur substantial legal expense to
likely obtain an outcome that will allow the City to operate -- the sign to operate
continuously without the restrictions and the brightness controls. It's in everyone's
interest to turn the page on this --
Chair King: Thank you, thank you.
Ms. Reed: -- decision and move forward with the settlement.
Chair King: Thank you.
Ms. Reed: Thank you.
Chair King: Good morning.
Amaya Machado: I'm sorry. Good morning. My name is Amaya Machado. I'm a
student with SLAM! Radio -- or with SLAM!, and I'm an executive producer at
SLAM! Radio. To come here today and to speak about something I truly love, like
SLAM! Radio, is an amazing opportunity in itself. But it's also a clear example of
everything they teach us. Experiences like this, structure, and support are all things
SLAM! Miami provides for its students. I've been able to progress in broadcasting,
and it's shown me that there are pathways for me in industries that I would have
never considered before. Mr. Milian is my teacher at SLAM! Radio, and he has
taught me that my voice has value. And if it weren't for him, 1 wouldn't he the young
woman I am today. The Olympia Theater project would be a chance to do the same
for students who are just like me, and need a safe space to support and help them
excel in anything they set their mind to. To see that we are the future, and we are
what the world is going to be, so we have a say. Thank you so much. Have a good
day.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Brian Kern: Good morning, Commissioners. Brian Kern here from 900 Biscayne
Boulevard, speaking on CA.5. You've all received emails from me on behalf of the
2,000 voters 1 represent that live in my building. And 1 'm here to reiterate those
concerns. So, earlier in the week, I took a walk. I went from the river downtown all
the way up to the PAMM. So, it's 15 blocks. Just went up the east side of Biscayne
along Bayfront Park and Maurice Ferre. On that 25-minute walk, I counted 19
digital billboards. This is the kiosks hogging our sidewalks. These are the
monstrosities that Commissioner Carollo threw up along Bayfront and Maurice
Ferre Park. And finally, the PAMM's giant screen. This body has already allowed
Orange Barrel Media and other ad companies to turn our public spaces into a
private ad gallery. On that walk, I was served more advertisements than had I just
spent the same time surfing the Internet. It's exhausting and it needs to stop. The City
should not legitimize a structure that was built illegally on City land enabled by
corrupt legislation. The only legitimate outcome is removal, not a sweetheart deal
that rewards the violator. I also want to address some of the comments from those
defending PAMM's position here, representatives from the PAMM, I believe. What
other flagship art museum in the world funds itself through massive digital
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Meeting Minutes September 25, 2025
billboards? There's none that I'm aware of. That sign is not a beacon, it's a
nuisance to neighbors, it's a dangerous distraction to drivers on an already
dangerous stretch of roadway, and it's a stain on our city's skyline. What does it say
about Miami as a city when one of its leading cultural institutions, one that claims to
nurture the city's youth, resorts to something as crass as this? And what does it say
about our city government that instead of defending residents in public space, you're
even considering protecting an illegal billboard to appease lobbyists and corporate
interests? Please reject the settlement and protect the residents. Thank you.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Nadir Rivas: Good morning, Chairwoman, and good morning to the Commissioners.
My name is Nadir Rivas, and I am currently speaking in favor of PH.3. I am
currently a student at SLAM! Miami, and I want to thank you guys for your
commitment to education and for creating opportunities that allow students like me
to grow. Having a chance to speak with you all today is an honor. At SLAM! Miami,
I've had the opportunity to broadcast my voice on national radio and that experience
has changed my perspective on life. It taught me to have a value of my own voice and
gave me confidence to speak with knowledge. In class, I've learned life lessons that
I'll carry into my future, like the importance of doing things the right way and being
able to communicate ideas clearly. The Olympia project takes all of this to another
level. Its history and presence in downtown Miami make it more than just a building.
It's a symbol of culture, creativity, and opportunity. Having access to a space like
this can mean -- means that students like me perform, practice in a professional
environment, all this while being connected to the heart of our city. The Olympia
Theater will not only help us grow our skills, but it will also put many students on a
path to greater success. Thank you for supporting education and ensuring that
Miami students can have every opportunity to succeed. Thank you.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Horacio Stuart Aguirre: Good morning, Chairwoman King. Horacio Stuart Aguirre,
as the volunteer chairman for the Miami River Commission. And I'm here to support
Commissioner Gabela's resolution regarding manatees; for the record, that's R16
[sic]. And, you know, Commissioner, like you, I also live on the Miami River. And
like every other member of the Miami River Commission and the Miami River
District, we truly appreciate the manatees. They're wonderfid, God's creatures,
they're manatees, they're mammals. They live in families, and they give a great deal
to our community. But like you, we also respect the need Jroemployment in the
recreational yachting and boating industry. Boating is a family sport, it's a family
pastime, it keeps families together. And right now, we have a real shortage of
facilities for recreational yachting so -- and recreational boating that is such a big
part of our economic engine in Miami. So, we support your initiative on this matter,
Commissioner. Thank you, Chairwoman.
Chair King: Thank you. Good morning.
Peter Homer: Good morning. Peter Homer on behalf of the Frost Museum on CA.5
on this. I'm outside litigation counsel for Frost Museum. And as you know, the Frost
is a nonprofit. Unlike PAMM, unlike OBM (Orange Barrell Media), whose money is
really what is driving this, they are purely money driven at this point. Frost, on the
other hand, seeks only to further the public interest. It protects the aesthetics of the
arts and the science district. And indeed, it's important for the Commission to
understand this. Before approaching PAMM, OBM proposed to Frost to use its
Biscayne Boulevard frontage for a mega sign. Frost, consistent with its educational
mission, and the Arts District aesthetics said no, no deal, even though it would have
garnered millions of dollars for that entity. When the City, became embroiled in this
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Meeting Minutes September 25, 2025
litigation here, Frost sought to intervene. 1 did so on behalf of Frost on that. The City
agreed to our intervention on that. PAMM and their OBM-supplied council resisted
that intervention. Much like their hurry -up approach that they want you to take today
on this, PAMM and OBM didn't want meaningful resistance on that. I want to stress
to you there is no exigency here that requires you to do this on a hurry -up fashion
here. I know they want to desire to do that. The motion for summary judgment
briefing was not completed. The motion for summary judgment was not set for
hearing at this point. And I'm completely confident in the City's position. I have all
the respect in the world for the City Attorney's Office and what they can accomplish.
I've looked at those carefully, those materials on this, and I believe they will prevail.
But even if they don't prevail, it's important --
Chair King: Thank you.
Mr. Homer: Okay.
Chair King: Thank you so much.
Mr. Homer: Okay.
Timothy Barket: Good morning.
Chair King: Good morning.
Mr. Barket: Timothy Barkett, and I represent the Gusman family and the Gusman
Foundation. In 2019, Bruce Gusman came to my office with a repair or demolish
order that was posted on the theater and the adjacent building and said, "Tim, this is
enough. It's gone way too far. We need to do something and take this theater back.
Bruce, what are we going to do with it?" "Well, we'll figure that out. " So, over the
last six years of litigation, the City of Miami has put out RFPs. We've worked very
hard trying to figure out a solution. That was the sentiment when we went to
mediation with the City. What are you guys going to do with it? Well, that's what we
started working on. And then we came across Mater Academy and SLAM!. We
visited their campuses. We met with their people. We are so confident that they could
do the right thing with this building. We brought SLAM! to the City of Miami. We
brought it to the mayor. We brought it to you as commissioners. You commissioners
were a little skeptical in the beginning. Mr. Pardo had town halls, and there were a
lot of people skeptical. But you see the overwhelming support that we have here
today. This is a wonderfid thing. You see these young students standing up
advocating for this. I don't know if this is going to work, but I want to play a sound
clip and I hope it works.
At this time, an audio presentation was made.
Mr. Barket: That was Maurice Gusman in 1975 when he gave this building to the
City of Miami. We want civic use, and we found it, and everybody here should
support it. The Karens that aren't supporting us need to close their mouth, open their
eyes and ears, and look at this deal, and they too will be convinced it's the right
thing.
Chair King: Thank you.
Mr. Barket: Thank you.
Chair King: Thank you.
Ms. Morris: (INAUDIBLE).
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City Commission
Meeting Minutes September 25, 2025
Chair King: Is there anyone else that would like to speak on behalf of any item on
our agenda. Seeing none, the public comment period is now closed. Gentlemen, we
have a long day today. It is 12 o'clock. We have two CRA (Community,
Redevelopment Agency) meetings. Can I get you to maybe take a couple of items off
of the agenda for now? Is that okay? Okay. Hold on one second.
MV - MAYORAL VETO(ES)
There were no mayoral vetoes associated with legislation that is subject to veto by the Mayor.
END OF MAYORAL VETO(ES)
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City Commission
Meeting Minutes September 25, 2025
CA.1
18108
Department of
Planning
CA - CONSENT AGENDA
The following item(s) was Adopted on the Consent Agenda
MOTION TO: Adopt
RESULT: ADOPTED
MOVER: Miguel Angel Gabela, Commissioner
SECONDER: Damian Pardo, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
ATTACHMENT(S), AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO
ACCEPT FUNDS IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $180,000.00
FROM THE WYNWOOD BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT
("BID"), MORE SPECIFICALLY NRD-1 PUBLIC BENEFITS TRUST
FUND COMMITTEE FUNDS ("FUNDS"), FOR THE WYNWOOD
URBAN DESIGN VISION PLAN PROJECT ("PROJECT"), FOR THE
PURPOSE OF IMPLEMENTING THE BID'S REQUESTED URBAN
DESIGN PLANS; AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO
EXECUTE THE FUNDING ACCEPTANCE AND
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE ATTACHED
FORM, FOR SAID PURPOSE.
ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-25-0392
This matter was ADOPTED on the Consent Agenda.
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City Commission
Meeting Minutes September 25, 2025
CA.2
18138
Department of
Building
CA.3
18011
Department of
Resilience and
Public Works
RESOLUTION - Item Pulled from Consen`
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
ATTACHMENT(S), AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO
EXECUTE THE FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE SETTLEMENT
AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF MIAMI AND CARTER
OUTDOOR ADVERTISING, INC., IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE
ATTACHED FORM.
MOTION TO: Indefinitely Defer
RESULT: INDEFINITELY DEFERRED
MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner
SECONDER: Ralph "Rafael" Rosado, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item CA.2, please see
"Order of the Day."
RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
ATTACHMENT(S), ACCEPTING FIVE (5) RIGHT-OF-WAY DEEDS
OF DEDICATION AS DESCRIBED IN EXHIBIT "A," ATTACHED
AND INCORPORATED ("DEEDS"), FOR RIGHT-OF-WAY
PURPOSES; APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING THE
RECORDATION OF THE DEEDS IN THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA; FURTHER DIRECTING THE
CITY CLERK TO RETAIN A COPY OF THE DEEDS.
ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-25-0393
This matter was ADOPTED on the Consent Agenda.
CA.4 RESOLUTION
18152
Department of
Resilience and
Public Works
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
ATTACHMENT(S), AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO
NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE AN INTERLOCAL MASTER
AGREEMENT, IN A FORM ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY
ATTORNEY, WITH MIAMI- DADE COUNTY ("COUNTY"), TO
PROVIDE UTILITY WORK FOR THE COUNTY, ESTABLISHING
THE PROCEDURE FOR THE PERFORMANCE AND
REIMBURSEMENT OF THE UTILITY WORK, INCLUDING THE
UTILITY DESIGN WORK TO BE PERFORMED AND THE UTILITY
CONSTRUCTION WORK TO BE CARRIED OUT; FURTHER
AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE INDIVIDUAL
JOINT PARTICIPATION AGREEMENTS, IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE
ATTACHED FORM AS "EXHIBIT A," WITHOUT REQUIRING
FURTHER CITY COMMISSION APPROVAL.
ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-25-0394
This matter was ADOPTED on the Consent Agenda.
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City Commission
Meeting Minutes September 25, 2025
CA.5
18137
Office of the City
Attorney
RESOLUTION - Item Pulled from Consent
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION
AUTHORIZING THE SETTLEMENT OF JORGE M. PEREZ ART
MUSEUM OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, INC., D/B/A PEREZ ART
MUSEUM MIAMI VS. CITY OF MIAMI, IN THE CIRCUIT COURT IN
AND FOR MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, CASE NUMBER 2024-12120-
CA-01, SETTLEMENT TO INCLUDE A MINIMUM ANNUAL
PAYMENT OF $500,000.00 BY PEREZ ART MUSEUM TO CITY OF
MIAMI, LIMITATIONS ON THE OPERATION OF THE DIGITAL
SIGN, AND PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS OF THE LIMITATIONS,
IN EXCHANGE FOR THE MANAGER'S CONSENT TO THE
LICENSE AGREEMENT BETWEEN PEREZ ART MUSEUM AND
ORANGE BARREL MEDIA PURSUANT TO SECTION 16.1 OF THE
LEASE, IN FULL AND COMPLETE SETTLEMENT OF ANY AND
ALL CLAIMS AND DEMANDS BETWEEN THE PARTIES,
INCLUDING ALL CLAIMS FOR ATTORNEYS' FEES AND COSTS
FOR EACH PARTY, UPON THE EXECUTION OF A GENERAL
RELEASE OF ALL CLAIMS AND DEMANDS PENDING A
DISMISSALS WITH PREJUDICE.
ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-25-0414
MOTION TO: Adopt with Modification(s)
RESULT: ADOPTED WITH MODIFICATION(S)
MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner
SECONDER: Miguel Angel Gabela, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Rosado
NAYS: Pardo
Note for the Record: For additional minutes referencing Item CA.5, please see
"Public Comments for All Item(s)."
Chair King: CA.5. Commissioner Pardo.
Commissioner Pardo: Sure, I'll start. 1 want to give a little bit of background.
Obviously, Orange Barrel Media is a very strong organization with lots of lobbyists.
I think I see three of them here. They have lobbyists in the federal government, the
state government, the county government, and in our city government. A few years
back, an ordinance was passed that allowed for mega signs. Now, to have an idea of
what that means, the state of Florida has a maximum of 950 square feet. That's the
biggest sign you can have in the whole state of Florida. This ordinance allowed them
to be 1,800 square feet, which is bigger than my home. The state of Florida requires
that they can only be 65 feet high. This ordinance allowed it to go to 100 feet high.
And this has been the problem with that billboard because while that ordinance was
in place, the City of Miami issued a permit. Once the City of Miami issues a permit,
it's done. It would -- we would suffer millions of dollars in damages because it's
vested, it's a right, they have a right to have that sign operating. Problem though, at
the same time, is that the City of Miami has a lease with the PAMM (Perez Art
Museum Miami), and under the lease with the PAMM, they were in violation because
they did not receive approval from the City of Miami for that same sign. So, at that
time, we directed the City through the City Attorney's Office to go ahead and
litigate, thinking that we would try to bring down the sign. And if we didn't have the
support to bring down the sign, we would get the best deal possible for the city of
Miami. About 86 percent of the downtown residents, when we did this poll back then,
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Meeting Minutes September 25, 2025
this is, I think this is like 18 months ago, this is a long time already, but 86percent of
the downtown residents were against this. So, this was kind of like a very clear
mandate for us to go ahead and fight this fight. So, in the interim, we -- and this is
my thinking, City Attorney, correct me if I'm wrong, but my thinking is that that was
your charge, right?
George Wysong (City Attorney): That's correct. And we were going to file suit, but
the PAMM folks sued us first, but then we filed a counterclaim. So, we got to court,
and we've litigated the matter, and some of the speakers even mentioned things that
are in our complaint.
Commissioner Pardo: So, every few months, I would give a phone call, follow up,
say, hey, how are we doing, what's going, da, da, da, da, da, and then we -- you
announced we would have a shade session.
Mr. Wysong: That's right.
Commissioner Pardo: And then why were we having that? What was the purpose of
the shade session?
Mr. Wysong: So, the purpose of the shade session was that the plaintiff/counter
defendant, had -- we had mediation basically with the parties. And they presented an
offer of settlement. And it's our respon --
Commissioner Pardo: To you.
Mr. Wysong: To the city.
Commissioner Pardo: To the city.
Mr. Wysong: And it's our responsibility to present that settlement offer in good faith,
and so that's what we did.
Commissioner Pardo: But the session that at least 1 attended, there was no outcome.
Mr. Wysong: There was no outright resolution, correct.
Commissioner Pardo: There was no resolution. In fact, we didn't even know if we
could settle.
Mr. Wysong: Correct. There was no settlement at the end of that shade meeting.
Commissioner Pardo: Right. So, after that session, this item, this settlement pops up
on this agenda and, you know, basically, I'm told that four of my colleagues
requested this settlement on this agenda. But if there was no agreement on any of the
terms, like I just want to know what -- what were the conversations? Like how did
people --
Mr. Wysong: Well, so as I tried to explain in the briefing that there's two ways to
resolve. One is we can have a shade meeting, and all get in a room outside the
Sunshine law and discuss an item, but if a majority of city commissioners say, please
place an item on the agenda to settle this, you know, those are my clients, and if their
desire is to resolve the litigation in an expeditious manner, then that's what we do.
And so, we brought that offer of settlement, placed it on the agenda, and that's how
we ended up here today.
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Commissioner Pardo: So, 1 imagine a lobbyist, and 1 know there's a former District
2 commissioner, there's a lobbyist, different lobbyists went to different
commissioners, and they requested these same terms.
Mr. Wysong: Well, there's a lot of lobbyists on this issue, some for, some against,
and I'm sure they have gone to each of your offices and tried to advocate either for
settlement or opposition to the settlement.
Commissioner Pardo: But my point is, like, what did they say? Did they say, hey, we
want the settlement, or did they give you the terms?
Mr. Wysong: Well, the terms of the settlement are included in the resolution that was
published on the agenda. So, it's been published. It's there.
Commissioner Pardo: But is that what was requested by each of the different offices?
Mr. Wysong: That was the settlement offer by the plaints. And the notion was that,
let's put that settlement offer on the city commission agenda to see if we get
consensus to approve it.
Commissioner Pardo: Because, I mean, I know, especially Commissioner Gabela,
you've mentioned that these one -on -ones are never good. But essentially, I have not
had the ability to make any case or represent, as the District 2 Commissioner, my
residents with this being placed on an agenda and a bunch of one-on-one
conversations. I mean, I don't know if a dollar amount is a good thing or if we
should be getting a percentage of the revenue. I don't even know what the revenues
are under this. I don 't know if there are other modifications or if they should change
the times during daylight savings time. There has been zero information
communicated about any of this as far as any kind of variables or any kind of
negotiation that we could possibly have. So, it's very disappointing to me that the
folks representing us kind of, you know, don't provide any of this information and
instead it's kind of like, hey, here, you know. Go deal with it on the dais. 1 don't think
this is right. I don 't think this is the way to go. I think that we just saw a very good
example with the Olympia Theater of what can happen when we follow a community
process, and we involve the community and maybe even involve the PAMM. As a
cultural institution, I'm a bit shocked that it's not more responsive to either the Frost
or its residents and that people aren 't more willing to come together on this. I, you
know, would love to see us, and as the district commissioner, I wouldn't do this to
any one of you. I think that I should have the deference to be able to hold community
meetings and to be able to include residents and residents' input. And, you know, I'm
just very, very disappointed at the way this has been handled. Because one-on-one,
you know, a lobbyist or someone talking to a commissioner, that commissioner
calling you, me being left out of that whole process for each separate commissioner
and not doing another shade meeting is the wrong call. We should have had the
opportunity to meet face -to face so that I could say this in front of my colleagues and
make these arguments and then move forward. So, I would like to request that we
defer this to the second meeting in October to at least give us a month, 30 days, to be
able to do some work in the community.
Chair King: Commissioner Gabela?
Commissioner Gabela: Okay, so first, you guys tell us not to talk about the shade
meetings, but then you're kind of talking about the shade meetings. So, let me know
when I cross the line, because you know what I mean?
Mr. Wysong: Right.
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Commissioner Gabela: We're talking about it, hut we're not talking about it.
Mr. Wysong: And just to be --
Commissioner Gabela: Okay.
Mr. Wysong: -- just to be consistent, we should not discuss things that occurred in
the shade meeting because that's kind of --
Commissioner Gabela: Okay, but you kind of -- you guys kind of were right now, you
know, but that's okay. So, the way 1 remember it, you know, here's the problem, you
know, you asked a question, and if I say what happened in the shade meeting, how
am I going to explain, you know, I remember being there. And I remember that there
was a settlement brought to us, okay? You know, from my perspective, since I've
been here, this has been, you know, an issue. And my issue is not whether -- I don't
have one side of whether the sign stays up or comes down, you know, I'm not that.
My problem has been that we gave these people a permit. We told them that they can
build, you know, and in this instance, we happen to be the landlord, like you
correctly say, of the PAMM. And we also happen to be the same people that give out
permits. So, it's like saying to it, go ahead and build your house, oh, but I'm sorry, I
made a mistake after it's built. I'm sorry, I got to take that hack. And, you know, you
spent the million dollars or whatever you did to build your house and the effort and
now we're telling you, and I say that with all due respect, Commissioner, and then
we tell you, we made a mistake. Sony, you got to tear down, you know, your house.
You know, the -- and then I remember that through the months we made a motion
here because we thought the courts were going to take care of it, right? Which you
mentioned the other day that the courts were still involved. Now, from my
perspective --
Commissioner Pardo: There's no rush to do this at all.
Commissioner Gabela: No, hut let me -- let me get to where I'm going. So, from my,
perspective, okay, if we end up on the wrong side of this, this is going to cost us
millions. This reminds me of the Watkins [sic] Island fiasco years ago, where one
commissioner, you know, was successful in persuading the other commissioners to
go along with it. We got sued, and I think we paid to the tune of $22 million. This is
very similar to that, because the problem is, that we told them that they can build
and then we told them you can't build. Now, here's the other thing that I keep
hearing that's interesting to me. We keep hearing that the state is going to come and,
you know, take it down or give them -- well, I don't see the state protecting their
interests, you know. Why doesn't the state come down if this is, you know, in fact a
matter, and why don't they, you know, issue a violation and say, you've got to take
the sign down? Because I keep hearing this, but I don 't see the state taking -- you
know, defending their position, you know. I don't see that. So, you know, I'm
confused, you know. And then the other thing is, my fear is that we get to trial, okay,
because we're not going to settle, we get the trial, then we're not going to get
anything out of it. Right now, I believe we're close to $500,000 a year that they're
going to give us with a 5 percent annual increase. Please, Wysong, if I make a
mistake, you know, correct me, you know, so far --
Mr. Wysong: It's just $500,000 per year. Now, there is a caveat that if the -- that's
based on what's in the city code. If the city code amount -- this is basically $80,000
over what they would have paid if they were a legal conforming sign. So, in the event
that the city code is changed to increase that amount, this amount that they pay us
would increase with that change to the code.
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Commissioner Gabela: Okay, apart from the monies that they're offering now, okay,
if we should make a settlement and this body would decide to go for it, right, we're
also going to be able to regulate them. If they win in court, we're not going to be
able to regulate them. So, I want to regulate them when they can turn the sign on and
off : Okay, this provides that. And I want, you know, yes, I like that revenue that's
coming to the city, because I don't want to get into a lawsuit, and I don't want to
have to have the taxpayer foot the bill, you know, to the -- you know, to what
happened with the fiasco in Watson Island, you know. So, as for me, I'll be voting for
this, Commissioner, and I don't mean any disrespect with you, and I understand
where you 're coming from. But the problem here is that somebody got us into trouble
because somebody told these people that they can build, and the people built, and
now we're telling them, sorry, we made a mistake. Well, it ain't like that, people, in
the real world, you know. I don't think this is, you know, a good presence for even us
Commissioner Pardo: I mean --
Commissioner Gabela: -- that we issue a permit and the permit means nothing at the
end of the day, you know. So, for me, you know, I prefer to make a settlement where I
am earning revenues for the city rather than paying -- than the city -- you know, the
taxpayer footing the bill, and we get to regulate it. And I believe that they -- that now
they're off from 11 o'clock in the evening to 6 o'clock in the morning, but I believe
they're -- they -- somebody told me this, that maybe they're willing to go an extra
hour off' you know. We get to regulate it. If we go all the way to the end, okay, and
we lose this thing, we're going to be out millions of dollars. And you guys always
keep telling me, you know, be careful with the lawsuits, you know, this and that.
Well, I'm being careful with the lawsuits, you know. And so that's where I'm at,
respectfully, and I respect you, sir and --
Commissioner Pardo: Yeah, but -- I mean, this is --
Chair King: Commissioner Pardo, I think some other commissioners want to speak,
so I want to --
Vice Chair Carollo: One of your better speeches up here on the dais, Commissioner
Gabela.
Commissioner Gabela: Thank you.
Vice Chair Carollo: But you brought up something that caught my curiosity and my
mind back to memory lane. What you were referring to was when Commissioner
Russell insisted and pushed this commission to go along with him in a lawsuit
against --
Commissioner Gabela: That is correct.
Vice Chair Carollo: -- yeah, against one of the leases we had in Watson Island, and
it ended up costing $20 million to settle after the city lost, and close to maybe $10
million in attorney's fees. Now, in this particular case, there hasn't been many, items
in the last couple of years that has been discussed publicly up here as much as this
item. The facts are that, for better or worse, the City of Miami signed off on every
single permit that they needed. And while there's a claim that, well, we had a
separate lease with the Perez Museum, that they couldn't do that, it appears that
that's also not accurate in what was signed with the Perez Museum. But even if'
that's the case, the city should have known that and should never then have signed
off on all those permits. So, either way, in the terrain that we're in now, in the
courts, our chances are tough in winning this. And here's what we will be facing,
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tremendous amount of dollars that they're going to hit us with in losses, attorney's
fees that 1 don't know how substantial --
Commissioner Pardo: Seriously?
Vice Chair Carollo: -- it would be, but they will be there. Yeah, seriously.
Commissioner Pardo: Okay.
Vice Chair Carollo: You know, it's a difference when somebody sues you, you don't
have the ability to say no, and they keep suing you time and time again for the same
thing. It's a big difference when you have the ability to prevent lawsuits like this,
which is what Commissioner Gabela was talking about. The -- we go to court, we
lose, on top of that, what I described, we're going to lose on half a million a year
that we would be getting. Believe you me, the city of Miami needs every dollar that it
can get. So those are the reasons that I would be voting in favor of this, because I
don't see how the city of Miami is going to be in any better shape than accepting this
today. The consequence, I think, would be dire if we don't accept it. Now, I know it's
going to look great that we fought it, but at what price? So that it still stays up there
and doesn't come down?
Chair King: Commissioner Rosado?
Commissioner Rosado: Sure. I mean I have to tell you I absolutely hate this item and
the fact that this has dragged on and it's something that we're dealing with now.
There's so many items like this. I don't think the sign should have been put up in the
first place but once we permitted it everything changed as far as I'm concerned. I
would like to support Commissioner Pardo's request to defer it. I don't think we
need to defer it a month. I think this is such a widely known item, I would be
perfectly comfortable supporting a deferral for one meeting, because I think its
possible to have public engagement next week. On the Olympia item, we were able to
turn around and have very, robust public engagement very quickly, because people
were paying a lot of attention. That's what I would support on this item. I think we
could perhaps look at the payment amount. I think perhaps there may be some
wiggle room to be considered there. I think there should be a 5 percent annual
increase. I don't think it should be contingent on any other regulatory changes. I
think we should look at how sun -up affects -- the sunrise affects the lighting, so that
it should run with that, so that it's not up before the sun is up. It's not a dramatic
change, but I think it's something that would make a difference. And I think very
explicitly that the fitinds generated by this, every single dollar should not be swept
into the general fund. Those dollars, I think, should be kept downtown for the benefit
of downtowners and downtown issues.
Commissioner Pardo: So, from my perspective, this is a bad deal for the city of
Miami, and this is a gift to PAMM We are talking about dollar amounts. We're not
even talking about percentages over time. We don 't know what the revenues are. We
haven't even involved the community to know what's important to the community.
We don't know if what's important to them is the illumination or the hours of
operation or anything else. We have not involved them in any kind of negotiation. In
fact, we have not been involved in any negotiation. These terms have been here,
that's your settlement. And that is not what we should be doing. We shouldn't be
picking winners and losers in this case. We should be trying to call people to unity,
call people to heal on this issue, and try to figure out a middle road. I am sure that
there is a place where we can get people to agree. Now you say one meeting. We're
the ones who did the forums for the Olympia. That's not something you can do in a
week or two weeks. I'm asking for 30 days thinking that's us working really hard and
trying to get to a middle ground with cultural organizations and with residents that
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have been fighting this for 18 months. So, all I'm asking for is that. As the district
commissioner, this is in my district, the person who wasn't even included in this
settlement that came before you.
Chair King: So, I, too, dislike this item. It has been going on forever. And it also
reminds me of the exercise equipment in the park. My issue is that I'm not sure how
you didn 't get briefed, because I got briefed. And a lot of the concessions that are in
this agreement, this settlement agreement, are the concessions that I brought up.
Turning the sign off at a certain time; the illumination not being so bright. Those
were my ideas. 1 was the one that was advocating for compromise all along, but
there was no compromise. And now that here we are in this situation and there's a
settlement, now you want to take it to the community, because I've known about this
for a while. I don't know. I didn't say put this on the agenda, but I've known about it.
We talked about it. We agreed to it. We agreed to something. Because we're not
supposed to --
Commissioner Pardo: No, we didn't agree to this.
Chair King: -- we're not supposed to -- I mean, they just can't come up with an
agreement without briefing us. So, George, you did brief us on this agreement, the
terms of this agreement.
Mr. Wysong: Yes, Madam Chair, we briefed each of --
Chair King: Okay, because I just want to make sure I'm not -- I'm not crazy.
However, it is your district, and I think if there's anyone up here, I'm for having
meetings in the community. I would be willing, one meeting. I would be willing to
give you one meeting, but not 30 days. It shouldn't drag out and there's -- because
I'm in favor of the settlement. Let me just say that. I am in favor of the settlement.
But I don 't want to take away your right to take it to the community and have -- so I
will give you, if -- I'm not willing to do 30 days, but I will give you until the next
meeting to present this to your community, because it's your community.
Commissioner Pardo: Well, I'm appreciative of any time I can get. Obviously, I
don 't agree that it should be that short, but I'm appreciative and grateful. I will say
that that -- so that means that if we come back and we have amendments to this
somehow, if for example, their main point isn 't that they need X amount of dollars,
they would rather see us do something different. Can we still incorporate any of that
feedback into --?
Chair King: So, wait, let me -- okay, first, George, is there a time sensitivity here that
we have to do it today?
Mr. Wysong: The only time sensitivity is you saw one of the counsel get up here and
said it's a now or never, you know, this is our final offer, and it's rescinded. I don 't
know if they're willing to come up and say they'd give the commissioner a meeting to
Chair King: So that would -- that would be a game changer for now or never
because I don't want to, like this has been dragging on, if it's a now or never issue,
it's got to be now because --
Commissioner Gabela: Can I just weigh in for one quick minute?
Chair King: Sure.
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Commissioner Gabela: So, in light, and I'm like you, I'm ready to go, I'in ready to
vote on this and put it to bed. Now, if I can count, and you need three votes, if -- if
you're saying that you're willing to entertain it, then 1 would caution you, from
Orange Barrel, that you don't have the votes up here right now, the way you're
leaning. So, I would --
Vice Chair Carollo: I don 't know if that's the case or not, Commissioner Gabela. I
think that if this comes to a --
Chair King: If this is a now or never deal, because --
Vice Chair Carollo: -- if this comes to a head --
Commissioner Gabela: But that's what I'm cautioning about it. If this is a now or
never, you know, consider, you know --
Vice Chair Carollo: And look, we all have been here for a while and we know how
things are done. This is to buy time. This is one of the issues that has been discussed
back and forth the most and most people in the public that feel affected and have
been able to participate. We all know it's true.
Commissioner Gabela: I agree.
Ms. Reed: Ms. Chairwoman --
Vice Chair Carollo: So, what I'm saying is --
Chair King: Let -- let her answer the question, Commissioner, let her answer the
question.
Ms. Reed: Thank you, Ms. Chairwoman. My name is Jenea Reed. I'm counsel on
behalf of Perez Art Museum Miami. And as I stated earlier during the public
comment period, it is -- today is the time. Again, as I mentioned previously, this issue
has been talked about more than eight times in the public in terms of the sign. All of
the issues that were brought up right now just before you in terms of there being
vested rights, in terms of -- none of that is going to change in terms of the
community's input. There are vested rights that are at issue here. The permits were
issued. None of that is going to change based on the information that you get from
the community. Now, again, our position is it is today, it needs to be today, and if
we're pushed to a different forum, that the settlement offer will expire.
Chair King: Well, that does change things, because --
Commissioner Pardo: So --
Chair King: -- I do want to -- I will vote for it, because in our community, we have a
saying, am better than (UNINTELLIGIBLE). You got to know what I'm saying.
Something is better than nothing. I'm not willing to roll the dice, like you said, and
this has, again, I was in favor of compromise from day one, and everybody was no, it
has to come down, it has to come down. And I knew it would come to this because
that's how -- that's how things are. It's compromise. Everybody's not going to be
happy, but, you know, we can't just -- we can't just go on with the litigation and
litigation. Commissioner Pardo?
Commissioner Pardo: Yeah. Okay. So, this is not about the permit. This is about the
lease and our litigation under the lease. George, when I asked you about this, I
mean, sorry, City Attorney, when I asked you about this, you said there was no rush,
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that we were in process. And what else is she going to say? Of course she's going to
say now is the time. You know, this is our final offer. 1 mean, this is part of the
negotiation that we're living right now.
Chair King: No, but she can say that. They can say no --
Commissioner Pardo: Right, but --
Chair King: -- and go to carry us into court.
Mr. Wysong: Yeah, so we're not set for trial yet. We have each filed a motion for
summary judgment, but the case was stayed pursuant to the settlement negotiations,
but --
Commissioner Pardo: So, the case is stayed?
Mr. Wysong: But --
Chair King: Only for the settlement negotiations. If we don't settle, they pull the
settlement. We don't agree to settle, we're going to court, and we don't want to do
that. I don 't want to -- I don't want to do that.
Commissioner Pardo: Is there any flexibility, City Attorney, to be able to work
around this so that we can have community input? Because people keep saying, wow,
people have been coming up here and giving public comment. But when you come
here and you give a public comment, you are not negotiating. You are not being
given the information so that you can make a wise decision for your own interests.
And what we are doing here is we're siding with moneyed interests versus our
residents. And that's exactly what we should never do. And for a little more time, we
might be able to get to a much better place.
Mr. Wysong: Right, understood. And the issue with litigation is, and with settlements,
is the primary motivation for settling is the uncertainty of the result. You know, you
have no idea what's going to happen. And so, they say, for example, that today is the
day. They may relent, but they may not relent. And they may say, you know, we gave
you -- you had a mediation, you didn't resolve it, came to City Commission, you
didn 't resolve it. We're done. That's up to them. We can't control that. We're willing
to, you know, do what we can to get the best deal for the city. But I can't control
what --
Commissioner Pardo: And what is your professional assessment of this case? What
is our downside?
Mr. Wysong: Well, the downside is, as they've expressed, is that if the city were to
lose, and just as you say, the issue at hand is the contract required consent from the
city manager. Consent was never obtained, from the city manager. So, we then filed a
claim saying that they were in breach of the contract because they did not get the
consent. The question, one of the uncertainties of litigation is how significant of an
event that will be. Will the court find that that's a reason to hold them in breach and
throw them out of their lease? We don't know. And so worst -case scenario, as
they've indicated, is that they would turn the sign back on 24/7, because a lot of their
monetary predictions, I believe, at the beginning, and some of the numbers that
we've heard today about what they're garnering from the sign were based on, I
think, a 24-hour operational model. They've shut it down during this pendency at 11
p.m. until 6 a.m., and so having the amount of opportunity that they have to generate
money from the sign. So there's potential that that could go away. There's potential
that I think that if there's another element of the settlement is that they've agreed to
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reduce the number of lumens in the sign. I don't see them turning it back up to, you
know, outrageous levels because, you know, I could see someone else filing a suit for
nuisance or something like that. But the main -- and also the revenues, you know,
they've come to the table with $80,000 above what they would normally have to pay.
And so, we could lose that opportunity for additional enhanced revenue. So, those
are sort of what's at play here.
Commissioner Pardo: So, we're not talking about millions of dollars of damages?
Mr. Wysong: Well, no. Once again, the uncertainty is we believe -- we believe it's
fairly certain that there are no attorney's fees claims in this case --
Commissioner Pardo: Okay.
Mr. Wvsong: -- at this point. There's also no damage claim at this point. It's a
declaratory judgment action. But that doesn't foreclose them from filing some
additional action or something like that, saying that we unreasonably didn't resolve
this or something. Who knows? It's another uncertainty of litigation.
Commissioner Pardo: And so obviously, we're giving up the ability to have won or
have had a ruling in our favor, and we're releasing them of all claims.
Mr. Wysong: Right. In our best day, we would get the court to conclude that the
consent should have been provided. It wasn't. And that they were in breach of the
agreement. And then we would then move to terminate the lease, you know, and take
over the property. And at that point, something else might happen. But that's in our
best day.
Commissioner Pardo: Did we ever get an appraisal?
Mr. Wysong: I'm sorry?
Commissioner Pardo: Did we get an appraisal or anything?
Mr. Wvsong: Well, there's appraisal. for the property or --
Commissioner Pardo: For the --
Mr. Wysong: There's no appraisal for that.
Commissioner Pardo: Okay.
Commissioner Gabela: Can 1 ask you a question, George? So, you said that they had
upped the ante from 400 something to close to 5, right?
Mr. Wysong: To 500, yes.
Commissioner Gabela: And I think it was -- so it was 70 more, right?
Mr. Wysong: It's 80 more.
Commissioner Gabela: 80, okay. Do the math, gentlemen.
Mr. Wysong: That's 4 --
Commissioner Gabela: Take $80,000 and divide it into, what was it before?
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Mr. Wysong: I think it's 420.
Commissioner Gabela: 420, divided into 420.
Commissioner Pardo: It's 22 percent.
Commissioner Gabela: It's a 19 percent increase. So, you know, it's a substantial
increase from what they were proposing.
Commissioner Pardo: But if we were putting a percentage, we would get a
percentage of their revenue, and as their revenue grows, our take grows.
Commissioner Gabela: What I'm afraid of happening here is that it's not like this is
the first time that we've discussed this. We've discussed this many times, you know. I
repeat, this is one of the first big items that we 've discussed when you and I came in.
Commissioner Pardo: Not as a settlement.
Commissioner Gabela: No, not as a settlement, but as a -- you know, as what it was.
But here's the point, every time I heard you guys, there was no compromise. You just
wanted the sign down. And what we got to understand here is the sign, if we don't
want to get sued, and we don't., you know, I for one, I repeat, you know, I have a
fiduciary duty to the taxpayer, to my districts, okay? To my district, that, you know,
money for no good reason goes out rather than spending it on roads, schools, and
other stuff So, the point that I'm trying to make is, you know, if you guys are doing
this, because you want to succeed somehow, to tear down the sign, I don't think
that's going to happen.
Commissioner Pardo: No, it's --
Commissioner Gabela: That's not a reality right now, and that's what I'm trying to
say.
Commissioner Pardo: To get a better deal.
Commissioner Gabela: What more better of a deal?
Commissioner Pardo: I just said let's --
Commissioner Gabela: Let's negotiate right now.
Commissioner Pardo: -- get a percentage.
Commissioner Gabela: All right, let's negotiate right now.
Commissioner Pardo: Okay.
Commissioner Gabela: Are you in a position to negotiate right now?
Commissioner Pardo: Let's do it.
Ms. Reed: I am not in a position to negotiate because the deal that we have offered is
the deal that we have offered. We've --
Commissioner Gabela: Right.
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Ms. Reed: -- as Commission -- the Chairwoman King has stated, many of the
provisions that are in here are things that were specifically asked for. These are
things that have significant revenue loss with respect to PAMM in terms of not being
able to turn the sign on for -- from 11 p.m. until 6 a.m. That's significant revenue
loss. We're already losing revenue with respect to that, and that's something that has
been considered in terms of how we addressed and how we came to the table with
respect to the negotiations. So, to suggest somehow that now there's a different deal
that needs to be had or any of those types of things, there is no ability to have that.
Additionally, I'm not really clear on where the city thinks that they would have a
basis for having the percent with respect to the revenue. There's no basis with
respect to that. There's no basis to be able to achieve that type of result. And as it
has been stated, the sign is here. The sign is here. It was permitted by the city. It was
allowed by the city. We've followed all of the specific procedures that needed to go
forward in terms of having the sign available and having it up. And so, to now
suggest somehow that, you know, the settlement terms -- or they need to be looked at
again or they need to be renegotiated, we've come here in good faith. We've come to
mediation in good faith. And so, to have this continue to drag on and to suggest
somehow that my client should defer this to another time period when the
negotiations have been longstanding is just unreasonable.
Vice Chair Carollo: Well, Chair? Bottom line is that I've heard Commissioner
Pardo say that he doing this to do a better deal, negotiate more. So, he's basically
agreed that they do have vested rights. And that's the whole point, that they're giving
$500,000 after they've cut seven hours out of the 24 hours in the day when they made
their original deal with the museum. That's revenue that they have lost. And on top
of that, we're going to get halfa million dollars. Now, keep this in mind. If this is a
deal that is directly with the city, no middleman, but there is a middleman. The
middleman is the Perez Museum. And after they cut a deal there at the Perez
Museum, I'm sure it was very tough on, they are willing to give us half a million
after even taking out seven out of the 24 hours that they could sell. So there ain't
much more meat in the hone here to get. I would just like to ask you one question,
because normally, 1 would ask no less than 3 percent increases, which is what 1 think
we have established in Bayfront Park so the people can know what the increases are
per year, but this is a deal that I know is to the bone, because of what the Perez
Museum did with you. This is a deal after you did a deal already. So, we're getting
monies from you after you had done a deal with the Perez Museum that is supposed
to be their monies, your monies, and that was it. Now you've got a third partner into
the deal. And can you go at least 2 percent more increase, which I think would be a
fair amount, per year?
Ms. Reed: Just to be clear, what are you asking? Are you asking for a 2 percent
escalator in terms of?
Vice Chair Carollo: 2 percent escalator each year on the $500,000 that you've
offered.
Ms. Reed: I do not currently have authority for that, but I can confer with my client
very quickly to identify --
Vice Chair Carollo: Okay.
Ms. Reed: -- is that an offer that you are presenting to be able to --
Vice Chair Carollo: Yes, so that I can bring this to a head and have a vote.
Ms. Reed: And again, would that be with respect to this being resolved today?
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Vice Chair Carollo: Excuse me?
Ms. Reed: Would that be with respect to resolving this today?
Vice Chair Carollo: Yes.
Ms. Reed: Okay, let me --
Commissioner Pardo: So, we're negotiating now.
Ms. Reed: I am not authorized to negotiate --
Commissioner Pardo: Okay.
Ms. Reed: -- which was what --
Vice Chair Carollo: I -- I -- look --
Ms. Reed: -- I stated at the beginning, but I can take -- if you have an offer that I am
obligated to take it to my client.
Vice Chair Carollo: This is a small percentage that will increase throughout the
years and --
Commissioner Pardo: Why not five, why not --
Commissioner Rosado: Five is what I mentioned before. Five is where I think we
should land. The value of $500,000 depreciates year after year in terms of what it
buys us. From our side, I'd like to reiterate, I would like these dollars to stay
exclusively for the benefit of Downtown and Overtown. I think something that would
benefit folks in that vicinity is the Underdeck, which we've lost our grant for,
unfortunately. I'd like to see every single penny he dedicated to that project, which
benefits people that are in the proximity of the sign.
Commissioner Gabela: So now what you're saying is that the money is going to go to
you --
Commissioner Rosado: To the -- specifically the Underdeck/Graham Greenway
project.
Vice Chair Carollo: You've changed this so many times already.
Commissioner Rosado: That's on our end.
Commissioner Pardo: Yeah.
Commissioner Rosado: That doesn't affect --
Commissioner Pardo: We should include the residents.
Commissioner Rosado: That's --
Vice Chair Carollo: What -- you know, I'm going to tell you what I'm going to
suggest and this body could do as it please, but I think it's coming to the wire on
what we need to do here.
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Chair King: Can you go and see if you can get the 2 percent COLA (Cost of Living
Adjustment)?
Vice Chair Carollo: Yeah, while she's going --
Ms. Reed: I will ask.
Chair King: Ask your -- ask your client.
Ms. Reed: 1 will ask.
Vice Chair Carollo: While she's going, I'd like to talk about where I'd like for this
money to go. And this is something that I brought up the last fiscal budget hearing
for us to look for this one. Chairwoman, and you expressed strong support for it. I
think when you hear this, you will be even more supportive like all of us. This is from
the federal U.S. Education Department from the federal government. Twelfth grade
math and reading scores in the U.S. hit near low. American high school seniors
scores in major math and reading tests fell to their lowest level on record, according
to results released this past Tuesday by the U.S. Education Department. Twelfth
graders' average math scores was the worst since the current test began in 2005.
That's on math. And reading was below any point since the assessment started in
1992. The share of'12th graders who were proficient slipped by 2 percent between
2019 and 2024, to only having 35 percent of our 12th graders nationally proficient
in reading, and 22 in math. I submit to you that as a country, that as a city, we're not
going to be able to compete in this globalized world with these grades if we don't
help our future, our kids in school. So, I will propose that this half million that we're
getting, and increases per year, along with some other monies that I found, and I will
put a million dollars from my own district budget into it, would go to the
establishment of a tutoring program from elementary school to high school so that
every child, every student, that needs help with their homework, schoolwork, that we
can provide a teacher that can tutor them at least twice a week, maybe more if we
raise some money, and they need it, and that teach girls to be a mentor, a life mentor
for them. We all know here that we have many, many families in our city, father and
mother work across the board. They don't have the time, even if they wanted to, to
help the kids with their schoolwork. How many single mother homes do we have?
And the single mother works late. The grandmother; the grandmothers, the parents
of today, with the advancement in math and science, et cetera, they don't know how
to help their kids in many cases. So, we need, cis a city, to invest in our future.
Otherwise, our future is not going to be pretty if we don't make sure that our kids
can graduate and graduate with good grades, can go to colleges around our country
with scholarships, and including many of our top athletes where they fall sometimes
is that they can't qualify for the school they want to go to because of the educational
component. If we do this, this is the greatest accomplishment that we can do for our
city's future, investing in our youth. And this is where I would suggest this money
goes to. It will cover Overtown, Downtown, and the rest of the money, if you want,
that we bring in can cover the rest of the city. And I think this is only the beginning.
We have to find more funding for this into the future. And I have asked the manager
to speak to the Kiwanis of Little Havana that have been very invested in this, for
them to be part of it together with Alonzo Mourning and what was established in the
community center with him in Overtown back when I was mayor. And they could
lead this, bring teachers from school board, from charter schools, so that our kids
can have the tools that they need to succeed.
Chair King: Okay. She was --
Commissioner Rosado: Madam Chair, if I could add something while she's --
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Commissioner Pardo: Yeah.
Commissioner Rosado: -- conversing with her colleagues.
Chair King: Wait, because she's coming right hack and I want to know the answer to
the question.
Ms. Reed: So, the answer to the question of the 2 percent escalator that was offered
is that we would accept that as a amendment or a change to the settlement terms
with all the other terms being the same.
Vice Chair Carollo: Okay.
Chair King: Okay, and add --
Vice Chair Carollo: I will make the motion.
Chair King: -- one more thing. I'd like the hours to change from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00
a.m.
Ms. Reed: That part would, again, what is the basis, for us to change it to 7 a.m.?
Chair King: Because by 7:00, whether it's daylight savings time or not, by 7:00 a.m.
the sun has come up. Everybody doesn't wake up at 6:00 in the morning, but the sun
is up. So, the concerns that the residents have, it's still dark at 6:00 a.m. depending
on the time of the year.
Vice Chair Carollo: I -- I don't know, Chair, if this might be a bridge too far --
Chair King: Let me see.
Vice Chair Carollo: -- because every hour that they take out --
Chair King: I understand.
Vice Chair Carollo: -- it's a lot of revenue they lose.
Ms. Reed: We are authorized to accept a 7:00 a.m. change. So, from 11:00 p.m. to
7:00 a.m. would be agreed to by PAMM.
Chair King: Okay. I have a motion.
Vice Chair Carollo: You have a motion.
Chair King: Do -- Mr. City Clerk.
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): In addition to Commissioner Carollo's amendment, in
addition to Commissioner King's amendment, there's one other amendment that
needs to be made, and that's to change demands pending a dismissals with prejudice
to demands pending and dismissals with prejudice.
Chair King: I have a motion and a second. All in favor?
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Mr. Hannon: Who's the seconder?
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Chair King: Commissioner Gabela.
Vice Chair Carollo: And in the amendments that 1 had, there were two. The one on
the 2 percent and the one on the money going to a fund for education.
Chair King: No, let's --
Commissioner Pardo: No, no, no.
Chair King: -- let's --
Commissioner Pardo: No, I don't agree with that at all.
Commissioner Gabela: No, no, we're not (UNINTELLIGIBLE). We didn't do that.
Chair King: No, let's work that out at a different time.
Commissioner Gabela: Yeah.
Commissioner Rosado: Yeah, let's cross this --
Chair King: Let work that out at a different time.
Vice Chair Carollo: Well, bottom line is we have half a million dollars more, Mr.
Manager, for the budget this evening to work with.
Commissioner Pardo: Aren 't the other boards on a percentage basis?
Chair King: I don't know.
Vice Chair Carollo: I don't know what you're talking about.
Chair King: Wait, wait, I'm in the middle of a vote. I have a motion and a second.
All in favor?
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Mr. Hannon: It sounds unanimous as amended.
Commissioner Pardo: No.
Chair King: No.
Commissioner Pardo: No. I'm a no.
Mr. Hannon: 4-1.
Chair King.• 4-1.
Mr. Hannon: 4-1 with Commissioner Pardo voting no.
Chair King: Thank you.
Ms. Reed: Thank you for your time, Commissioner.
Chair King: And that concludes the commission meeting for September 25th, 2025.
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Commissioner Gabela: Is that everything on the agenda? Did 1 miss something?
Chair King: That was it.
Commissioner Gabela: That was it?
END OF CONSENT AGENDA
Chair King: For the CA (Consent Agenda) items, I would -- I would assume we want
to discuss CA.5. So, I'm going to put CA.5 for discussion. Are there any other items
in the CA items that you would like to pull for discussion? We have remaining CA.1,
3, and 4.
Commissioner Gabela: I'm ready for a motion.
Chair King: May I have a motion?
Commissioner Gabela: Motion.
Commissioner Pardo: Second.
Commissioner Rosado: Second.
Chair King: All in favor?
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Chair King: Motion -- all in -- unanimous vote for CA.1, 3, and 4. Passes.
PH - PUBLIC HEARINGS
PH.1 RESOLUTION
18016
Department of
Resilience and
Public Works
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
ATTACHMENT(S), ACCEPTING THE PLAT TITLED "KUKENAN
SUBDIVISION," A SUBDIVISION IN THE CITY OF MIAMI OF THE
PROPERTY DESCRIBED IN ATTACHMENT "1," SUBJECT TO
SATISFACTION OF ALL CONDITIONS REQUIRED BY THE PLAT
AND STREET COMMITTEE AS SET FORTH IN EXHIBIT "A,"
ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED, AND THE PROVISIONS
CONTAINED IN SECTION 55-8 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF
MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS AMENDED; ACCEPTING THE DEDICATIONS
SHOWN ON THE PLAT; AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING THE
CITY MANAGER AND CITY CLERK TO EXECUTE THE PLAT AND
CAUSE THE RECORDATION OF THE PLAT IN THE PUBLIC
RECORDS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA.
ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-25-0395
MOTION TO: Adopt
RESULT: ADOPTED
MOVER: Ralph "Rafael" Rosado, Commissioner
SECONDER: Miguel Angel Gabela, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Chair King: Okay. Of the PH (Public Hearing) items, gentlemen --
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Commissioner Rosado: We only have one remaining, right? Which is just PH.1 ?
Chair King: No, we have PH 1 and we have PH.3, which is a four fifths vote. Does
anyone want to pull any of the PH items?
Commissioner Rosado: PH.3. I thought we'd already pulled it.
Chair King: Okay, we're going to pull PH.3. So, may I have a motion for PH1 ?
Commissioner Gabela: Motion.
Commissioner Rosado: So moved.
Commissioner Gabela: Second.
Chair King: All in favor?
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Chair King: PH 1 passes.
PH.2 RESOLUTION
18020
Department of
Resilience and
Public Works
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
ATTACHMENT(S), ACCEPTING THE PLAT TITLED "CUSHMAN
CAMPUS," A REPLAT IN THE CITY OF MIAMI OF THE PROPERTY
DESCRIBED IN ATTACHMENT "1," SUBJECT TO SATISFACTION
OF ALL CONDITIONS REQUIRED BY THE PLAT AND STREET
COMMITTEE AS SET FORTH IN EXHIBIT "A," ATTACHED AND
INCORPORATED, AND THE PROVISIONS CONTAINED IN
SECTION 55-8 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA,
AS AMENDED; ACCEPTING THE DEDICATIONS SHOWN ON THE
PLAT; AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER AND
CITY CLERK TO EXECUTE THE PLAT AND CAUSE THE
RECORDATION OF THE PLAT IN THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA.
MOTION TO: Defer
RESULT: DEFERRED
MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner
SECONDER: Ralph "Rafael" Rosado, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Note for the Record: Item PH.2 was deferred to the October 23, 2025, City
Commission Meeting.
Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item PH.2, please see "Order of the
Day."
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PH.3 RESOLUTION
18056
Commissioners
and Mayor
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
ATTACHMENT(S), BY A FOUR -FIFTHS (4/5THS) AFFIRMATIVE
VOTE, AFTER AN ADVERTISED PUBLIC HEARING, RATIFYING,
APPROVING, AND CONFIRMING THE CITY MANAGER'S
FINDINGS PURSUANT TO SECTION 18-182(C) OF THE CODE OF
THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS AMENDED, ATTACHED AND
INCORPORATED AS EXHIBIT "A", AND WAIVING THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR SAID PROCEDURES; AUTHORIZING THE
CITY MANAGER, PURSUANT TO SECTION 29-B(C) OF THE
CHARTER OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS AMENDED, TO
EXECUTE THE ATTACHED PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT
("AGREEMENT") IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE FORM ATTACHED AND
INCORPORATED AS EXHIBIT "B," CONVEYING THE CITY -OWNED
PROPERTY KNOWN AS THE OLYMPIA THEATER, LOCATED AT
174 EAST FLAGLER STREET, MIAMI, FLORIDA ("PROPERTY"),
AND LEGALLY DESCRIBED IN THE AGREEMENT, BETWEEN THE
CITY OF MIAMI ("CITY") AND SPORTS LEADERSHIP AND
MANAGEMENT, INC., A FLORIDA NOT -FOR -PROFIT
CORPORATION ("SLAM") BY WAY OF QUITCLAIM DEED ("DEED")
WITH RESTORATION REQUIREMENTS, USE RESTRICTIONS,
AND REVERTER PROVISIONS, TO SLAM FOR THE
REHABILITATION AND UTILIZATION OF THE PROPERTY
EXCLUSIVELY FOR EDUCATION AND CIVIC PURPOSES, WITH
TERMS AND CONDITIONS AS MORE PARTICULARLY
DESCRIBED IN THE AGREEMENT; FURTHER AUTHORIZING THE
CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE ANY AND ALL
DOCUMENTS, INCLUDING AMENDMENTS, EXTENSIONS, AND
MODIFICATIONS TO THE AGREEMENT AND DEED, ALL IN
FORMS ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, AS DEEMED
NECESSARY TO CONSUMMATE THE CONVEYANCE FOR SAID
PURPOSE.
ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-25-0405
MOTION TO: Adopt with Modification(s)
RESULT: ADOPTED WITH MODIFICATION(S)
MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner
SECONDER: Ralph "Rafael" Rosado, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Note for the Record: For additional minutes referencing Item PH.3, please see
"Public Comments for All Item(s)."
Chair King: PH.3, purchase and sale agreement Olympia Theater.
Vice Chair Carollo: Which one?
Chair King: Olympia Theater. PH.3.
Commissioner Pardo: PH.3.
Chair King: That was pulled.
Commissioner Pardo: Yeah. Well I'd like to be a co-sponsor on that as well.
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Vice Chair Carollo: What was pulled? PH.3?
Commissioner Pardo: PH.3.
Vice Chair Carollo: The Olympia Theater.
Commissioner Pardo: The Olympia Theater.
Vice Chair Carollo: Okay.
Commissioner Pardo: And, you know, I just want to say my reasoning behind this. 1
think that Tim Barket made a very compelling case when he spoke about the Gusman
litigation, when he spoke about the fact that Maurice Gusman donated this property
to the City of Miami. Because the City of Miami was not capable of keeping up this
property, ultimately, they had to sue us to try to continue its upkeep. And over the
years, RFPs (Requests for Proposals) have been made. Nobody has replied because
they wanted the city to put a lot of money in it. And this is the first opportunity where
we have a group that's willing to put up $50 million to completely renovate the
Olympia Theater. Plans done by Rich Heisenbottle, who restored this building,
restored the Freedom Tower, has restored some of the most precious buildings in
our community, and those plans are already in permitting. So, we have an
opportunity with an educational use partner that has great credibility. We have
community -driven cultural programming, and we have organizations involved like
Miami Dade College, that have signed on to an agreement, Flagler BID (Business
Improvement District) supporting it, the DDA (Downtown Development Authority),
and many others who came here this morning to support. So, I just think that we
have this incredible opportunity. As the District 2 Commissioner, I just saw the saga
of the Coconut Grove Playhouse play out. And I would not want to see this happen. I
don't want to see us lose an opportunity. I don't want to see us suffer with the saying
of you know, good -- what is the perfection? Good is the --
Commissioner Rosado: Perfect is the enemy of good.
Commissioner Pardo: -- perfect is the enemy of good, exactly. Perfect is the enemy
of good. So, I would hate that for this to be the case.
Vice Chair Carollo: Would -- Madam Chair and fellow commissioners, the facts are
that not just the City of Miami was not good in running -- doing the upkeep of the
Gusman, neither -- neither was the Off-street Parking Authority. The bottom line is
that Mr. Gusman I know had a great heart, but he was a great businessman too. And
he knew that as beautiful as that theater was, it was a white elephant. You could not
make money on it. And it was going to cost him and his heirs, if he left it with them, a
bundle in the future to run it. They were going to have a deficit every year. And then
the upkeep for a place like that was going to be substantial. Frankly, the more I look
at a place like that, I become more and more convinced that these are the areas that
government is just not capable of running like the private sector. There are things
that the government can excel in and there are things that the government is just a
disaster in. And this is one of those. It's not just that can we find the money to do the
upgrading, then you're going to be having a deficit every year, substantial, and it's
not going to be that many years down the road either before you're back in having to
pour more money in it. It's an old building, and old buildings like that have to he
kept. And then what do we do with the rest of the space? It's always been a dilemma
for the City. So, as much as I don't like to part with City property, this is one of those
cases that the deal on the table is a good deal for the city, because while we're not
making any money in the actual sale, we're going to save substantial monies, not
only on refurbishing that whole building, but every year on a big deficit, a big hole
that it's going to give us. But more so, we're still going to have the Olympia Theater
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available for our government purposes, for the public to use, slightly over half the
year or half the year where it's going to become available. So, we're getting the best
of both worlds. They're putting the money to upgrade the whole building, and we can
still use and we'll still have the Olympia Theater. Now there's a third component
that's one that more than ever I find it vefy appealing. And that's the component of
having a charter school there. Downtown is growing by leaps and bounds and the
areas around. We need more schools. The school board just is not keeping up with it.
And charter schools are taking up the slack. And here we have a charter school that
has proven that every charter school they touch, it's a home run, out of the ballpark.
Where kids have high grades, kids are getting scholarships into so many different
colleges. And this is going to open up the doors in a major way to many children into
the future, particularly in a new area that we don't have too many schools teaching
kids about radio and theater like this and so on. I, you know, I wish that it was not
so, but I have to be a realist, I have to be a realist and know that what's before us is
a good deal for the city. We're dealing with serious people that have the dollars. And
based upon what I said before, Mr. Manager, you're making sure that there is
certain guarantees that those dollars will come in. And finally, if something
unexpected would happen in the future, a Cat 5 comes in, earthquake, that, you
know, we shouldn't have any in Miami, but you never know the way this world is,
and that building would be lost or a fire. And then somebody wants to come in and
put another huge high-rise there. We're putting the guarantees that the city will
receive a reasonable percentage of profits also into the fieture if that would happen. I
think it's only fair, but right now, we're getting off our backs a huge amount of
money, and we 're still having the Olympia Theater for all kinds of community
purpose or governmental purposes. That's where I'm at.
Chair King: Thank you.
Commissioner Pardo: And Madam Chair, I did have an amendment, and I believe
the City Clerk is aware. It simply takes out two words that say, "Aim for..." It says
"SLAM! has agreed to an annual minimum budget of $750,000 -- $2 million towards
theater operations and cultural programming, including fundraising and in -kind
support through educational amenities."
Chair King: Thank you. Is there any --
Vice Chair Carollo: I -- I accept that.
Chair King: Is there anyone here from SLAM!? What 1 wanted to ask is, there was a
very thoughtful public speaker that came up and she says she has scripts, plays that
she has written. Would the community be able to utilize this space? Is that part of the
community benefits? 1 know we've negotiated community benefits, but 1'd like to
know if there is an opportunity for locals to have their work showcased at the
Olympia Theater.
Millie Sanchez: Yes. Through the Chair, thank you. Yes, I remember her. She was
standing here speaking about that. And one of the things that we've done is after
several meetings with the community and with the public, we met, for example, with
the Flagler BID and with the DDA and they work with actual local film makers,
local artists, and so one of the priorities is making sure that we are partnering with
them. There was also a speaker from FilmGate here who supports those local artists.
So, yes, the answer is yes. Our goal is to make sure that it's not just about having
those event spaces for, you know, performers, such as maybe Sting or performers.
Chair King: Marcello.
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Ms. Sanchez: Right, Marcello. But also featuring local artists and community groups
that may not have a chance, or have the space, or have the funding to do that. So,
there's -- one of the groups that we're working with do a lot of grants in the
community for that, and that's been something that obviously we're passionate
about, because that was really -- it's about not just about having and putting Miami
on the map, but making sure that our local community has access. So, the answer to
that is yes.
Chair King: Well, that's wonderful, because I also have a youth program Overtown
Urgent Inc. (Incorporated), and they do media stuff They create documentaries and
it would be amazing if they could partner with the theater and get behind the camera
scenes. So, I just wanted to make sure.
Ms. Sanchez: And what we've done, again, we've put a website and we've asked
people to come reach out and that's how we've made these connections. So, if you
have those contacts, if there's anyone out there, obviously after this meeting, if this
goes through, the goal is to make those plans and be able to put that on our list of
priorities for what the theater will support. But yes, I want to, you know, highlight
that the goal here is it's definiteiv to make sure that folks like that have an
opportunity because that is really what makes our city special and so.
Chair King: Thank you. Do I --?
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): Chair, if I could have the speaker's name Jrothe
record.
Ms. Sanchez: Millie Sanchez, SLAM! Foundation.
Chair King: Do I have a motion?
Commissioner Rosado: Actually, Madam Chair, I have a couple of things I want to
get on the record if that's okay. I have a DDA support resolution which the Clerk's
Office will distribute. And so, they made a presentation to the board after the initial
presentation that they had made a few months ago. I will tell you, after that first
presentation, I was a no on this item, but I'm really glad that they agreed to the three
public meetings, which were really well attended and teased out a lot of questions
and concerns that folks have, and so I feel much more comfortable with this deal
than I did a few months ago. It's much more robust and beneficial to the city. 1-- you
know, 1 think the -- 1 had to wrap my brain around the school -use, right? Because
the folks have said a number of times they'd love to see a boutique hotel and a
restaurant. And I think that sounds wonderful. But the unsolicited proposal process
in Florida is very, very, very well known. And nobody's moved forward to try to offer
that kind of thing. After thinking about it for a bit, I actually think a school -use is
perhaps pretty ideal and I'll tell you why. The school means that they're going to
activate the building during the day. when normally a venue like that is basically
dead, right? You wouldn't see folks there Monday through Friday during the
daytime. So, they're going to activate it at those hours. And then when the school
shuts down, that's when we'd be having performances. So, this is a venue that will
now have activity probably 14 hours a day. And that's exactly the kind of thing you
want in your downtown. There's something that I saw, everything that was requested
by the DDA board made it into the agreement or the resolution. There's one thing
that did not make it in, which is the downtown permit clinic, which is very popular. It
has one of the retail fronts that's part of the Olympia, and I know that they want to
take over that space, and they need to be able to separate that use from their use.
And so, I would like to request that they cover the relocation costs up to a fee that 1
think is pretty nominal of $20,000. And we've actually identified a ground floor
location at one of the Miami Dade College garages. It's available. They have said
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we could move the use there. And it's just a couple blocks away from the Olympia.
And so, this is something that downtown folks could use to pull their permits. In fact,
tonight during the budget hearing, I'm going to be asking to try to make this
something that's open two days a week, because it is so popular and so used in
downtown.
Vice Chair Carollo: What is it that you're actually requesting?
Commissioner Rosado: That they cover the relocation costs so we continue to have a
downtown permit clinic. Right now, it's in the Olympia, it's in one of the retail
storefronts. And I know that they want to take over all of the storefronts, right? So,
there's another tenant who will also be moving away. They're going to use one or
more of these Jrotheir radio station, et cetera, but we've had this discussion. It's
something that didn't make it into the contract that I think that they're willing to do.
Ms. Sanchez: Yes, we are definitely willing to allocate those costs.
Vice Chair Carollo: All right, so hearing from no one else, Chair, I will make the
motion with the amendment at hand.
Chair King: Do I have a second?
Commissioner Rosado: Second.
Chair King: I need -- I need to read something into the record.
Commissioner Gabela: Yeah, me too.
Chair King: You want to say something?
Commissioner Gabela: No, you go ahead.
Chair King: No, no, no. That was. for the vote. Go, go, go.
Commissioner Gabela: No, I just want to say that I -- we want to show the public
that, you know, this is not -- has been at this for years. Nothing has been done. This
is a win -win for everybody, and if -- and these are serious people. And if it doesn 't
happen and they don't do what they say they're going to do, we have a reverter
clause. So, you know, the public should feel safe that we're not giving this thing
away. It's responsible, you know, corporate -- good corporate people that are going
to run this, I think, correctly, so I think it's a win -win. I just want to put that on the
record. We're not giving it away. There's a reverter clause if things don't happen the
way they -- the good gentleman, ladies have said. Thank you.
Chair King: Thank you. I have a motion and a second for PH.3, as amended
pursuant to a substitution memo dated September 24th, 2025. All in favor?
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Mr. Hannon: In addition to Commissioner Pardo and Commissioner Rosado 's
amendments.
Chair King: In addition to Commissioner Pardo and Commissioner Rosado 's
amendment. All in favor?
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
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Chair King: Motion carries.
Mr. Hannon: Unanimously.
Chair King: Unanimously.
END OF PUBLIC HEARINGS
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RE.1
18049
Department of Fire -
Rescue
RE - RESOLUTIONS
RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION
ESTABLISHING A NEW SPECIAL REVENUE PROJECT TITLED
"FISCAL YEAR 2025 — DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY ("FEMA"),
URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE ("US&R") COOPERATIVE
AGREEMENT"; ACCEPTING AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS IN AN
AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $1,440,311.00 CONSISTING OF A
GRANT AWARD FROM FEMA TO BE USED BY THE
DEPARTMENT OF FIRE -RESCUE FOR THE PROVISION OF
ADMINISTRATION AND PROGRAM MANAGEMENT, TRAINING,
SUPPORT, EQUIPMENT CACHE PROCUREMENT,
MAINTENANCE, OFFICE SPACE, AND STORAGE SPACE FOR
THE US&R FLORIDA TASK FORCE 2 PROGRAM ("FL-TF2");
AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ACCEPT SAID GRANT
AWARD; FURTHER AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO
NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE ANY AND ALL NECESSARY
DOCUMENTS, INCLUDING AMENDMENTS, RENEWALS, AND
EXTENSIONS, ALL IN FORMS ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY
ATTORNEY, IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT THE ACCEPTANCE OF
AND COMPLIANCE WITH SAID GRANT.
MOTION TO: Withdraw
RESULT: WITHDRAWN
MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner
SECONDER: Ralph "Rafael" Rosado, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item RE.1, please see "Order of the
Day."
RE.2 RESOLUTION
17977
Liberty City
Community
Revitalization Trust
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
ATTACHMENT(S), APPROVING AND ADOPTING THE SECOND
AMENDED BUDGET OF THE LIBERTY CITY COMMUNITY
REVITALIZATION TRUST, ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED AS
EXHIBIT "E," IN THE AMOUNT OF ONE MILLION, THREE
HUNDRED EIGHTEEN THOUSAND, EIGHT HUNDRED EIGHTY-
TWO AND 00/100 DOLLARS ($1,318,882.00) FOR THE FISCAL
YEAR COMMENCING OCTOBER 1, 2024, AND ENDING
SEPTEMBER 30, 2025.
ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-25-0396
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MOTION TO: Adopt with Modification(s)
RESULT: ADOPTED WITH MODIFICATION(S)
MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner
SECONDER: Miguel Angel Gabela, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Note for the Record: For additional minutes referencing Item RE.2, please see
"Public Comments for All Item(s). "
Chair King: Commissioner Pardo, you'd like to pull RE.5 for discussion. Any other -
- any other --?
Commissioner Gabela: Yeah, I'd like to pull RE.11.
Chair King: RE.11. Okay.
Vice Chair Carollo: RE.5 has been pulled?
Chair King: RE.5 was pulled. RE.11 is pulled. We have remaining RE.12, 13, 14, 15,
16, 17.
Vice Chair Carollo: (INAUDIBLE) RE.5, RE.11 (INAUDIBLE).
Chair King: RE.5, RE.11.
Vice Chair Carollo: I'd like to pull RE.12 (INAUDIBLE).
Chair King: RE.12.
Commissioner Pardo: And I'd like to pull RE.15.
Chair King: RE.15.
Commissioner Gabela: RE.15.
Chair King: Is that it? Okay, so may I have --?
Arthur Noriega (City Manager): Madam Chair, the City Clerk's raising his hand.
Chair King: I know.
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): And just for the record, RE.2 as amended.
Chair King: RE.2 as amended, got it. So may I have a motion to pass RE.2 as
amended, RE.4 --
Commissioner Gabela: What was that amendment? In brief.
Mr. Hannon: So, it's my understanding that RE.2 will be amended pursuant to a
substitution memo dated September 19th, 2025.
Commissioner Gabela: Okay. No problem. Thank you.
Chair King: Again, RE.2 as amended, RE.4, RE.6, RE.7, RE.10, RE.13, 14, 16, and
17. May I have a motion?
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Commissioner Gabela: Motion.
Chair King: I have a motion and a second. All in favor?
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Commissioner Gabela: Sorry but -- the motion's line, but could you repeat just the
ones that we just did? RE.2?
Chair King: Hold on.
Commissioner Gabela: 4.
Chair King: Let me go back. 2, 4, 6, 10, 13, 14, 16, and 17.
Commissioner Gabela: Thankyou.
Mr. Hannon: Chair, I believe RE.7 --
George Wysong (City Attorney): And 7.
Mr. Noriega: 7 as well.
Mr. Hannon: -- was included in the motion, RE.7.
Chair King: RE.7 also passed.
Commissioner Gabela: Right. Okay. Thankyou.
Chair King: Okay.
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RE.3
17845
Office of the City
Attorney
RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION
AUTHORIZING THE PAYMENT OF ATTORNEYS' FEES AND
COSTS, IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED THE FOLLOWING:
SEVEN HUNDRED FIVE THOUSAND FIFTY-FIVE DOLLARS
($705,055.00) TO KUEHNE DAVIS LAW, P.A.; ONE HUNDRED
TWENTY ONE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED TWENTY THREE
DOLLARS AND THIRTY THREE CENTS ($121,723.33) TO SUSY
RIBERO-AYALA, P.A.; EIGHTY SIX THOUSAND AND NINETY-
SEVEN DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS ($86,097.50) TO GUNSTER;
NINETY EIGHT THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED AND THIRTY FIVE
DOLLARS ($98,535.00) TO RICHARD DIAZ P.A.; TWO HUNDRED
EIGHT THOUSAND DOLLARS ($208,000.00) TO COLLAZO LAW
FIRM, P.A.; ONE HUNDRED NINE THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED
AND TWENTY-SIX DOLLARS AND EIGHTY ONE
CENTS($109,926.81) FOR COSTS AS REIMBURSEMENT FOR
LEGAL FEES AND COSTS IN THE CASE OF THE STATE OF
FLORIDA v. ALEX DIAZ DE LA PORTILLA, ET. AL., CASE NO. F23-
018478; ALLOCATING FUNDS FROM ACCOUNT NO.
50001.301001.545014.0000.00000.
MOTION TO: Defer
RESULT: DEFERRED
MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner
SECONDER: Ralph "Rafael" Rosado, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Note for the Record: Item RE.3 was deferred to the October 9, 2025, City
Commission Meeting.
Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item RE.3, please see "Order of the
Day."
RE.4 RESOLUTION
18187
Commissioners
and Mayor
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, BY A FOUR -
FIFTHS AFFIRMATIVE (4/5THS) VOTE, PURSUANT TO SECTION
54-137 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS
AMENDED ("CITY CODE") WAIVING THE RESTRICTIONS
CODESIGNATING SOUTHWEST 17 COURT BETWEEN WEST
FLAGLER STREET AND SOUTHWEST 1 STREET AS "ANTONIO
ALFONSO WAY" IN HONOR OF ANTONIO ALFONSO'S
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CITY OF MIAMI; DIRECTING THE CITY
MANAGER TO TAKE ALL NECESSARY ACTION TO EFFECTUATE
THE CODESIGNATION; AND FURTHER DIRECTING THE CITY
CLERK TO TRANSMIT A COPY OF THIS RESOLUTION TO THE
HEREIN DESIGNATED OFFICIALS.
ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-25-0397
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MOTION TO: Adopt
RESULT: ADOPTED
MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner
SECONDER: Miguel Angel Gabela, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item RE.4, please see Item RE.2.
RE.5 RESOLUTION
18090
Commissioners
and Mayor
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
ATTACHMENT(S), APPROVING AN EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
BETWEEN THE CITY OF MIAMI AND ANTONIO G. DIAZ AS
INDEPENDENT INSPECTOR GENERAL, PURSUANT TO
SECTION 2-160(C) OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, AS
AMENDED; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
MOTION TO: Defer
RESULT: DEFERRED
MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner
SECONDER: Damian Pardo, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Note for the Record: Item RE.5 was deferred to the October 9, 2025, City
Commission Meeting.
Note for the Record: For additional minutes referencing Item RE.5, please see
"Public Comments for All Item(s)."
Chair King: If we could cover the rest, except one, if you could just indulge me, I
know it was, if it's not controversial, if we could approve RE.5, the employment
agreement for our inspector general, if that's controversial and you need a lot of
discussion --
Commissioner Pardo: It's --
Vice Chair Carollo: I don't think we'll need a lot of discussion, maybe not, but there
are some areas that we need to bring up. I think Commissioner Pardo asked for that
to be pulled.
Chair King: Okay. All right.
Vice Chair Carollo: So maybe we can bring it back.
Chair King: So, okay, we'll do that after.
George Wysong (City Attorney): And Madam Chair, we have a shade meeting as
well.
Chair King: And a shade meeting, so --
Commissioner Gabela: So, are we, we've got two contentious items to deal with.
Chair King: Right. So no, we're not going through those.
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Commissioner Gabela: Okay.
Chair King: What I'm saying is we break now, take up our CRA meetings, and then
we break until 4 o'clock. We have a shade meeting.
Commissioner Gabela: And we'll all be back at 4 o'clock? The five of us?
Everybody's participating?
Chair King: Yes. Well, you guys got to show up for the budget hearing.
Commissioner Gabela: Yeah. Okay.
Chair King: Okay. So, do we agree?
Vice Chair Carollo: Yes.
Commissioner Gabela: Yeah.
Chair King: Yes? Okay. The commission meeting is now in recess. We will resume at
4 o'clock.
[Later...]
Chair King: RE.5, approve employment agreement, inspector general.
Vice Chair Carollo: I would like to ask that there would be a 5 percent reduction on
the requested salary, particularly when there's an increase of 5 percent that we're
going to include in the amount each year. As to the other items, while I had some
hesitations, I had a good conversation with the applicant, and he made a good case
for himself in explaining some of my concerns. And while we're not as large as the
county, Broward County, some other places that he showed me, they're paying more
for the inspector general in these locations. But Miami's not as big either. So, that's
the point that I wanted to touch upon. I have some concerns in one other area, but I
think we could bring that back if need be in the near future and deal with it. I don't
want to get into -- unless there's a lot more discussions or concerns, I don't want to
get into too much more right now. This is a process that was very transparent. We
had some of our top law enforcement agencies, whether state attorneys, whether
others, that selected. I'm not about to second guess whom they selected from the
people that they had as applicants. I --1 only needed to address the package that was
given, and that's the only area that I'd like to change.
Chair King: Commissioner Pardo?
Commissioner Pardo: My, only concern here was that he could be terminated with a
four -fifths vote of the commission.
Vice Chair Carollo: Well, that's the one that I talked about before, Commissioner.
Commissioner Pardo: Yeah, but no, just let me finish this. And there really is no
manner for him, like a layer between that four -fifths. Obviously, if he's investigating
all of us and there are enough of us that are upset, he's in a precarious position. I'd
rather see something like that go to an arbitration, and then if there's no cause, an
arbiter finds that there is no cause, he's reinstated to his position. So that that four -
fifths isn't the controlling --
Vice Chair Carollo: Those, I think, are things that are certainly in the realm. I'm not
going to shut the door to it at all because I think there's good arguments that could
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be made to it. We just have a heck of a meeting. We've got to get through it. I've got
commitments that 1 hope we're done, because otherwise I'm going to be in big
trouble thinking that we're going to finish this earlier. If there's, you know, smaller
items like this that we could bring it back, you could bring it back next meeting or
whatever.
Commissioner Pardo: Yeah, or can it just be a friendly amendment now to the --
Vice Chair Carollo: I just think that we need to think more on that one. Is it just that
way that we do it or not, or do we do it a stronger way?
Commissioner Pardo: I think it's important because it's all about the true
independence of his position.
Vice Chair Carollo: Well, that's true, but you know how hard it is to get a four -fifth
vote?
Commissioner Pardo: Not when you're investigating everybody.
Vice Chair Carollo: No, well -- well, Emilio Gonzalez was here investigating
commissioners like Manolo Reyes and others, and there was only a three -two vote to
get rid of him. That's how hard it is to get a four -fifth. And on the other hand, you
had a six -months former police chief that there were five votes to get rid of him, but
he only wanted to sue three, three Hispanics. So, it could go either way in that, but
this is going to get into a lot of discussion, a lot more than we really have time for
today. I'd like to get at least -- get him on board that he's hired, and then take this
one, you know, next month and, you know, do it. And I promise that I'll give it
whatever time we need to.
Commissioner Pardo: So you're promising that we'll do it next month?
Vice Chair Carollo: Yeah, that's what I'm saying.
Commissioner Pardo: Okay.
Vice Chair Carollo: I just really want to get to the bottom line because the most
important thing that we have in today's agenda that we 've got to get done is our
budget.
Commissioner Pardo: All right.
Vice Chair Carollo: And there's a couple of things there that some of you might be
happy, especially coming from me, but I'm looking at the whole city and not just one
part that I think I found the dollars to make the budget better that I want to deal with
and we really need to get that budget out of the way. In fact, the vast majority of
people that are here are for the budget so.
Chair King: So let me understand, because I share your concerns. I brought that up
with you yesterday, right? Isn't that funny? Because I said he should truly be
independent, akin to like the Florida Supreme Court. They don't have to worry about
voting party because they're appointed for life and they can't be taken, removed,
fired. So, I have that same concern. So maybe it is better that we defer it so we could
bake in some guardrails. And I don't know how you feel about this 5 percent
reduction. So, it's the will of the body what you guys want to do.
Vice Chair Carollo: Chair, look if you want to defer it at all for the next meeting --
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Chair King: I don't think we can --
Vice Chair Carollo: --1 wanted to --
Chair King: -- I don 't --
Vice Chair Carollo: -- I wanted to at least get him going.
Chair King: I don't know if we can appoint without -- without -- we cannot. George
is shaking his head before I can even get it out. We can't appoint him without
approving his employment contract, correct? They're shaking their head. Can't
appoint --
George Wysong (City Attorney): That is correct per the code.
Chair King: So, it would -- we would have to -- either have to do it all right now or
defer it for another meeting.
Antonio Diaz: George, the -- I'm sorry, George. The code could also be changed in
the future as well.
Mr. Wysong: Right. The code is an ordinance, and so --
Mr. Diaz: Correct.
Mr. Wysong: -- if there is a procedure for changing it, it would, of course, require
two readings, but it could be changed.
Vice Chair Carollo: Well, Tony, if you're willing to wait, what the chairwoman is
saying is just to defer one more meeting and get it all right with plenty of time, for
you to be able to speak, express your opinion. And, you know, I've heard what
Commissioner Pardo said, hut we might possibly want to discuss one that's a little
tighter in protection and independence on it also. So, you know, if you're saying to
us, Mr. Attorney, that you've got to do it all or none, then I guess it's best that we
defer this for the next meeting. And let's make sure that we bring this up quickly so
that we have enough time for this item. This is a very important item for the citv's
future.
Chair King: Do I have a motion to defer?
Vice Chair Carollo: Motion.
Chair King: Second?
Commissioner Pardo: Second.
Commissioner Rosado: Second.
Chair King: All in favor?
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Chair King: Motion carries to the October 10th.
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): October 9th.
Chair King: 9th.
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Mr. Diaz: Thankyou.
Vice Chair Carollo: Do let us know on the 5 percent, but I think right now it's the
least of it here.
Mr. Diaz: I think the most important thing is the independence of the office more
than even the pay.
Vice Chair Carollo: Well, that's why I made that statement.
Mr. Diaz: Thankyou.
Vice Chair Carollo: Thank you.
Commissioner Pardo: Thank you.
RE.6 RESOLUTION
18171
Commissioners
and Mayor
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION PURSUANT
TO SECTION 54-137 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI,
FLORIDA, AS AMENDED ("CITY CODE"), CO -DESIGNATING
NORTHEAST 73 STREET A BLOCK EAST OF NORTHEAST MIAMI
COURT AS "ADOLPHE ADRAS WAY" IN HONOR OF ADOLPHE
ADRAS' CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CITY OF MIAMI; DIRECTING
THE CITY MANAGER TO TAKE ALL NECESSARY ACTION TO
EFFECTUATE THE CODESIGNATION; AND FURTHER
DIRECTING THE CITY CLERK TO TRANSMIT A COPY OF THIS
RESOLUTION TO THE HEREIN DESIGNATED OFFICIALS.
ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-25-0398
MOTION TO: Adopt
RESULT: ADOPTED
MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner
SECONDER: Miguel Angel Gabela, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item RE.6, please see Item RE.2.
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RE.7 RESOLUTION
18170
Commissioners
and Mayor
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, BY A FOUR -
FIFTHS AFFIRMATIVE (4/STHS) VOTE, PURSUANT TO SECTION
54-137 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS
AMENDED ("CITY CODE"), WAIVING THE RESTRICTIONS AND
CO -DESIGNATING NORTHWEST 10 STREET BETWEEN
NORTHWEST 2 AVENUE AND NORTHWEST 1 AVENUE AS
"HAROLD L. FRANCIS WAY" IN HONOR OF HAROLD L. FRANCIS'
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CITY OF MIAMI; DIRECTING THE CITY
MANAGER TO TAKE ALL NECESSARY ACTION TO EFFECTUATE
THE CODESIGNATION; AND FURTHER DIRECTING THE CITY
CLERK TO TRANSMIT A COPY OF THIS RESOLUTION TO THE
HEREIN DESIGNATED OFFICIALS.
ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-25-0399
MOTION TO: Adopt
RESULT: ADOPTED
MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner
SECONDER: Miguel Angel Gabela, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item RE.7, please see Item RE.2.
RE.8 RESOLUTION
17688
Commissioners
and Mayor
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, PURSUANT
TO SECTION 14 OF THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF MIAMI,
FLORIDA, AS AMENDED, TO ISSUE A SUBPOENA TO WILLIAM
ORTIZ, CHIEF OF STAFF FOR COMMISSIONER JOE CAROLLO,
TO APPEAR BEFORE THE CITY COMMISSION ON JUNE 12,
2025, FOR THE PURPOSE OF INVESTIGATING OFFICIAL ACTS
AND CONDUCT OF A CITY OFFICIAL.
MOTION TO: Defer
RESULT: DEFERRED
MOVER: Miguel Angel Gabela, Commissioner
SECONDER: Damian Pardo, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Note for the Record: Item RE.8 was deferred to the October 9, 2025, City
Commission Meeting.
Chair King: Okay, are there any items that you would like to pull that remain on the
RE (Resolution) items? We have RE.2, RE.4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 --
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): Chair, 9 was indefinitely deferred.
Chair King: -- oh, I'm sorry, 10 --
Commissioner Gabela: RE.8, I'm going to defer 8.
Chair King: You want to defer RE.8?
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Commissioner Gabela: That's correct.
Chair King: I need a motion.
Commissioner Gabela: Motion.
Chair King: Can I -- second?
Commissioner Pardo: Second.
Chair King: I have a motion in the second to defer RE.8 to what day?
Commissioner Gabela: Next commission meeting. October the --
Mr. Hannon: October 9th?
Chair King: October 9th.
Commissioner Gabela: That's fine.
Chair King: Okay. I have a motion --
Commissioner Pardo: And I'd like to pull RE.5. I'd like to discuss.
Chair King: Okay, let me get this motion done first. I have a motion and a second to
defer RE.8 to October 9th meeting. All in favor?
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Chair King: Okay.
RE.9 RESOLUTION
18100
Commissioners
and Mayor
A RESOLUTION OF MIAMI CITY COMMISSION DIRECTING THE
CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY ATTORNEY TO INSTITUTE A
CIVIL ACTION PURSUANT TO FLORIDA STATUTE SECTION
111.07 TO RECOVER THE ATTORNEY'S FEES PAID FROM
PUBLIC FUNDS FOR THE DEFENSE OF JOE CAROLLO IN TRIAL
CASE NO. 18-24190-CIV-SMITH AND APPELLATE CASE NO. 23-
12167, WHETHER LABELED AS ATTORNEY'S FEES OR AS
"COSTS" WHEN PAID TO A SUBCONTRACTED ATTORNEY.
MOTION TO: Indefinitely Defer
RESULT: INDEFINITELY DEFERRED
MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner
SECONDER: Ralph "Rafael" Rosado, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item RE.9, please see "Order of the
Day."
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RE.10
18136
Commissioners
and Mayor
RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION,
AUTHORIZING THE ADDITION OF KREATIVE HUB, INC., DBA
CREATIVE HUB ACADEMY, TO THE PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS
IN THE CITY OF MIAMI'S VENTURE MIAMI SCHOLARSHIP
PROGRAM ("PROGRAM"); FURTHER AUTHORIZING THE CITY
MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE ANY AND ALL
DOCUMENTS NECESSARY, ALL IN FORMS ACCEPTABLE TO
THE CITY ATTORNEY, FOR THE PURPOSE STATED HEREIN AS
IT RELATES TO THE PROGRAM.
ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-25-0400
MOTION TO: Adopt
RESULT: ADOPTED
MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner
SECONDER: Miguel Angel Gabela, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item RE.10, please see Item RE.2.
City ofMiami
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Meeting Minutes September 25, 2025
RE.11
18177
Commissioners
and Mayor
RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
ATTACHMENT(S), BY A FOUR -FIFTHS (4/5THS) AFFIRMATIVE
VOTE, AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND
EXECUTE A PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT
("AGREEMENT'), IN A FORM ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY
ATTORNEY, BETWEEN THE CITY OF MIAMI ("CITY") AND LOPEZ
OPTICAL, INC., A FLORIDA FOR PROFIT CORPORATION
("SELLER"), FOR THE ACQUISITION OF REAL PROPERTY
IDENTIFIED AS FOLIO NUMBER(S) 01-4111-013-0510 AND 01-
4111-013-0500, LOCATED AT, 1340 SOUTHWEST 8 STREET AND
825 SOUTHWEST 13 COURT MIAMI, FLORIDA (COLLECTIVELY
"PROPERTY"), FOR A PURCHASE PRICE OF FIVE MILLION NINE
HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ($5,900,000.00); FURTHER
AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND
EXECUTE ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS, INCLUDING
AMENDMENTS AND MODIFICATIONS TO SAID AGREEMENT, IN
A FORM ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, AS MAY BE
NECESSARY TO EFFECTUATE SAID ACQUISITION; AND,
FURTHER AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ALLOCATE
FUNDING FOR THE ACQUISITION WITH FUNDS BEING
ALLOCATED, APPROPRIATED, AND AWARDED FROM THE
DISTRICT 3 MIAMI FOR EVERYONE PROGRAM FUNDS IN AN
AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED TWO MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED
EIGHTY-FOUR THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED THIRTY-TWO
DOLLARS AND TWENTY-SIX CENTS ($2,784,432.26), FROM THE
D3 AFFORDABLE HOUSING/PARKS LAND ACQUISITION AND
PARK ENHANCEMENTS FUNDS IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO
EXCEED ONE MILLION TWO HUNDRED FORTY-THREE
THOUSAND DOLLARS ($1,243,000.00), AND FROM THE D3
SHARE OF THE CITY ANTI -POVERTY INITIATIVE FUNDS ("API")
ACCOUNT IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED ONE MILLION NINE
HUNDRED NINETY THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED SIXTY-SEVEN
DOLLARS AND SEVENTY-FOUR CENTS ($1,990,567.74) FOR A
COMBINED TOTAL OF AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED SIX
MILLION EIGHTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS ($6,018,000.00), TO
COVER THE COST OF SAID ACQUISITION, INCLUSIVE OF THE
COST OF SURVEYS, ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTS, TITLE
INSURANCE, SECURING THE PROPERTY, PROJECT SIGNAGE
AND ALL RELATED CLOSING COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID
ACQUISITION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS AND
CONDITIONS OF THE AGREEMENT.
MOTION TO: Defer
RESULT: DEFERRED
MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner
SECONDER: Ralph "Rafael" Rosado, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Note for the Record: Item RE.11 was deferred to the October 9, 2025, City
Commission Meeting.
Chair King: RE.11, Purchase and Sale Agreement, Lopez Optical.
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Vice Chair Carollo: If we could defer this for the next meeting.
Chair King: May 1 have a motion?
Vice Chair Carollo: Motion.
Chair King: Second?
Commissioner Rosado: Second.
Chair King: All in favor?
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): To what meeting?
Chair King: The --
Vice Chair Carollo: Next meeting.
Chair King: October 9th?
Vice Chair Carollo: Yeah.
Chair King: Okay, and --
Arthur Noriega (City Manager): Just for -- what did we defer? Which item was that?
Mr. Hannon: RE.11.
Chair King: RE.11.
Vice Chair Carollo: RE.11. That's the property on Southwest 8th Street, 25,000 or so
square feet Ibr housing and commercial on the bottom for Miami 21.
City ofMiami
Page 73 Printed on 11/7/2025
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Meeting Minutes September 25, 2025
RE.12
18109
Commissioners
and Mayor
RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION APPROVING
AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO TAKE ANY AND
ALL NECESSARY BUDGETARY AND FINANCIAL ACTIONS,
INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, NECESSARY BUDGETARY
AMENDMENTS TO ALLOW FOR THE REAL PROPERTY
LOCATED AT 50 SOUTHWEST 68 AVENUE, MIAMI, FLORIDA
33144 ("PROPERTY") TO BE USED FOR PUBLIC PARK
PURPOSES, SUBJECT TO ALL ALLOCATIONS,
APPROPRIATIONS, PRIOR BUDGETARY APPROVALS,
COMPLIANCE WITH ALL APPLICABLE PROVISIONS OF THE
CITY CODE, INCLUDING THE CITY'S ANTI -DEFICIENCY ACT,
AND FINANCIAL INTEGRITY PRINCIPLES, ALL AS SET FORTH IN
CHAPTER 18 OF THE CITY CODE, IN FORMS ACCEPTABLE TO
THE CITY ATTORNEY, AND IN COMPLIANCE WITH ALL
APPLICABLE LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS, AS MAY BE
DEEMED NECESSARY FOR SAID PURPOSE; FURTHER
APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO TAKE
ANY AND ALL NECESSARY ACTIONS, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
LIMITED TO, THE SUBMISSION, EXECUTION AND/OR
RECORDATION OF NECESSARY APPLICATIONS, DOCUMENTS,
INSTRUMENTS, OR AMENDMENTS TO ALLOW FOR THE
PROPERTY TO BE USED FOR PUBLIC PARK PURPOSES, ALL IN
FORMS ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, AND IN
COMPLIANCE WITH ALL APPLICABLE LAWS; PROVIDING FOR
AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-25-0406
MOTION TO: Adopt with Modification(s)
RESULT: ADOPTED WITH MODIFICATION(S)
MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner
SECONDER: Ralph "Rafael" Rosado, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Chair King: PH.3, purchase and sale agreement of the Olympia Theater.
Commissioner Rosado: Madam Chair, I actually think we have RE.12 was within the
items there that we were taking.
Chair King: He did tell me that. RE.12, used property for public park, 50 Southwest
68th Street. Who pulled that?
Vice Chair Carollo: 1 pulled that for information purpose. And let me read this. 1
don't mind to help any district commissioner for additional parkland or money for
parks. But this resolution says, resolution of the Miami City Commission approving
and authorizing the city manager to take any and all necessary budgetary and
financial actions, including but not limited to necessary budgetary amendments to
allow for the real property located at 50 Southwest 68th Avenue to be used for public
park purpose. Now, is this a property that the city owns already or not?
Arthur Noriega (City Manager): Yes.
Commissioner Rosado: It is, it's one that the city closed on a few months back.
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Vice Chair Carollo: Okay.
Commissioner Rosado: And -- and so I'd like to use it.
Vice Chair Carollo: So, yeah --
Commissioner Rosado: Go ahead.
Vice Chair Carollo: That's fine. So, my only question is, and this is part of what we
approved back during the financial crisis when 1 was mayor, Commissioner Teele
made the motion there in the commission of the time. What is the cost that's going to
involve getting it out? Because if he 's got budgets in his office that he wants to
allocate to it, I have no problem. But my concern is that it could be a high amount,
he doesn't have the budget, and we just approve forcing the manager even to make
budgetary amendments.
Mr. Noriega: Yeah, I think the initial intent of this property acquisition was for
housing. He's -- his intent, I think, is to repurpose it for a public park.
Vice Chair Carollo: That's fine.
Mr. Noriega: So, the idea is, functionally, some of the resources we used, obviously,
because it was being acquired for housing, are different pots of money -- pools of
money.
Vice Chair Carollo: Yeah, but you don't have an amount of what it's going to cost to
do whatever he envisions to do here in the park, right?
Mr. Noriega: I don't know that we've established --
Vice Chair Carollo: Okay, so the only thing that I would like to put as a friendly
amendment that all monies would come from designated park recreation monies
from District 4.
Commissioner Rosado: Yeah. Absolutely.
Mr. Noriega: That's fine.
Vice Chair Carollo: That's fine?
Mr. Noriega: Yeah.
Vice Chair Carollo: Yeah, because if not, we start making resolutions like this, and
sooner or later, we're going to get in trouble doing it this way. So that's the only
thing. All right. I'll make the motion.
Chair King: May I have a motion? I have a motion. Do I have a second?
Commissioner Rosado: Second.
Chair King: As amended, all in favor?
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Vice Chair Carollo: Okay, what else do we have?
City ofMiami
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Meeting Minutes September 25, 2025
RE.13
18176
Commissioners
and Mayor
RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION DECLARING
NO OBJECTION AND SUPPORTING THE PLACEMENT OF A
FLORIDA HISTORICAL MARKER IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY
LOCATED AT SOUTHWEST 37 AVENUE AND SOUTHWEST 20
STREET, MIAMI, FLORIDA TO COMMEMORATE THAT CORAL
GATE BECAME MIAMI'S FIRST PLANNED SUBDIVISION IN 1948
AND BECAME THE CITY'S FIRST NEIGHBORHOOD
CONSERVATION DISTRICT IN 2002; FURTHER DIRECTING THE
CITY CLERK TO TRANSMIT A CERTIFIED COPY OF THIS
RESOLUTION TO THE HEREIN DESIGNATED OFFICIALS.
ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-25-0401
MOTION TO: Adopt
RESULT: ADOPTED
MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner
SECONDER: Miguel Angel Gabela, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item RE.13, please see Item RE.2.
RE.14 RESOLUTION
18172
Department of
Resilience and
Public Works
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION
AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO SUBMIT AN
APPLICATION TO THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION FOR THE BEAUTIFICATION GRANT
PROGRAM FOR THE WEST FLAGLER STREET MEDIAN
BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT ("PROJECT"); FURTHER
AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND
EXECUTE ANY AND ALL DOCUMENTS, IN A FORM
ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, NECESSARY FOR THE
SUBMISSION OF SAID GRANT APPLICATION AND, IF AWARDED,
THE ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FUNDS, INCLUDING ANY GRANT
AGREEMENT(S) AND ANY AND ALL OTHER DOCUMENTS,
APPLICATIONS, RENEWALS, EXTENSIONS, AMENDMENTS,
AND MODIFICATIONS THERETO, REGARDING THE GRANT FOR
FISCAL YEAR 2025-2026 AND COMPLIANCE FOR THE PROJECT
WITH THE BEAUTIFICATION GRANT PROGRAM.
ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-25-0402
MOTION TO: Adopt
RESULT: ADOPTED
MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner
SECONDER: Miguel Angel Gabela, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item RE.14, please see Item RE.2.
City ofMiami
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Meeting Minutes September 25, 2025
RE.15
18188
Commissioners
and Mayor
RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI COMMISSION, WITH
ATTACHMENT(S), UPON RECOMMENDATION OF THE CLIMATE
RESILIENCE COMMITTEE, DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER TO
TAKE STEPS NECESSARY TO AFFIRM THE CITY'S
COMMITMENT TO SCIENCE -BASED WEATHER TRACKING AS
THE FOUNDATION FOR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, AND
TO ADVOCATE FOR THE PRESERVATION OF FEDERAL, STATE,
AND LOCAL FUNDING, TO MITIGATE LOCAL RISKS, TO
COORDINATE WITH REGIONAL PARTNERS TO ADDRESS
POTENTIAL FEDERAL BUDGET CUTS TO NOAA, AND TO ADOPT
THE "SCIENCE -BASED TRACKING AND OPERATIONAL
RESILIENCE FOR MIAMI" (STORM) INITIATIVE.
MOTION TO: Defer
RESULT: DEFERRED
MOVER: Ralph "Rafael" Rosado, Commissioner
SECONDER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Note for the Record: Item RE.15 was deferred to the October 9, 2025, Cit)
Commission Meeting.
Note for the Record: For additional minutes referencing Item RE.15, please see
"Public Comments for All Itefn(s). "
Chair King: Next item is RE.15. Someone pulled?
Commissioner Pardo: Defer to the next meeting.
Chair King: RE.15.
Vice Chair Carollo: Okay.
Chair King: Okay. May I have a motion?
Commissioner Gabela: Motion.
Commissioner Rosado: So moved.
Vice Chair Carollo: Second.
Chair King: All in favor?
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Chair King: Deferred to October 9th.
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Meeting Minutes September 25, 2025
RE.16
18190
Commissioners
and Mayor
RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
ATTACHMENT(S), URGING MIAMI-DADE COUNTY TO UPDATE
THE MANATEE PROTECTION PLAN TO SPECIFICALLY
AUTHORIZE ALL WATER TAXI STOPS IN THE CITY OF MIAMI,
ATTACHED HERETO AS EXHIBIT "A," ADOPTED ON MARCH 22,
2024, BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE MIAMI
DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, AND TO INCLUDE A
PROCESS TO AUTHORIZE ADDITIONAL WATER TAXI STOPS,
INCLUDING STOPS THROUGHOUT THE CITY; AND DIRECTING
THE CITY CLERK TO TRANSMIT A COPY OF THIS RESOLUTION
TO THE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
("COUNTY") BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THE
COUNTY'S DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES
MANAGEMENT.
ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-25-0403
MOTION TO: Adopt
RESULT: ADOPTED
MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner
SECONDER: Miguel Angel Gabela, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Note for the Record: For additional minutes referencing Item RE.16, please see
"Order of the Day," "Public Comments for All Item(s)," and Item RE.2.
Commissioner Rosado: Actually, Madam -- Madam Chair, our city clerk reminded
me that for an item that was voted on earlier today, RE.16, I had provided him with a
support resolution for Commissioner Gabela's manatee item related to the --
Commissioner Gabela: Yeah, to --
Vice Chair Carollo: That passed, right?
Commissioner Rosado: -- the water taxis --
Chair King: But it passed.
Commissioner Rosado: Just he -- he wanted me to go ahead and read in the record
that we have a support resolution from the DDA (Downtown Development
Authority).
Chair King: Okay.
Commissioner Gabela: Okay.
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): And that -- we're good to go.
Chair King: So now the meeting is -- okay. The meeting has now adjourned. Thank
you for your advocacy.
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RE.17
18192
Commissioners
and Mayor
RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION
CODESIGNATING SOUTHWEST 13TH COURT BETWEEN
SOUTHWEST 8TH STREET AND SOUTHWEST 13TH STREET AS
"TERESA 'TERRI' CALLAVA WAY," IN HONOR OF HER
OUTSTANDING PHILANTHROPIC AND CULTURAL
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CITY OF MIAMI; DIRECTING THE CITY
MANAGER TO TAKE ALL NECESSARY ACTION TO EFFECTUATE
THE CODESIGNATION; FURTHER DIRECTING THE CITY CLERK
TO TRANSMIT A COPY OF THIS RESOLUTION TO THE HEREIN
NAMED OFFICIALS.
ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-25-0404
MOTION TO: Adopt
RESULT: ADOPTED
MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner
SECONDER: Miguel Angel Gabela, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item RE.17, please see Item RE.2.
END OF RESOLUTIONS
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Meeting Minutes September 25, 2025
SR - SECOND READING ORDINANCES
SR.1 ORDINANCE Second Reading
18037
Commissioners
and Mayor
AN ORDINANCE OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
ATTACHMENT(S), AMENDING CHAPTER 18/ARTICLE IV OF THE
CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, AS AMENDED ("CITY CODE"),
TITLED "FINANCE/GRANTS," MORE SPECIFICALLY BY
AMENDING SECTION18-139, TITLED "ANTI -POVERTY INITIATIVE
- ESTABLISHED," TO EXPAND THE ELIGIBLE USE OF ANTI-
POVERTY INITIATIVE ("API") FUNDS BY CITY OF MIAMI ("CITY")
DEPARTMENTS; FURTHER ENSURING THAT SAID AMENDMENT
IS INCORPORATED INTO ALL API APPLICATIONS AND FUNDING
REQUEST FORMS GOING FORWARD; CONTAINING A
SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING FOR AN IMMEDIATE
EFFECTIVE DATE.
ENACTMENT NUMBER: 14395
MOTION TO: Adopt
RESULT: ADOPTED
MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner
SECONDER: Miguel Angel Gabela, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Note for the Record: For additional minutes referencing Item SR.1, please see
"Order of the Day."
Chair King: Mr. City Attorney, would you please read into the record the titles for
the second ordinances?
George Wysong (City Attorney): Yes, Madam Chair. SR.1.
The Ordinance was read by title into the public record by the City Attorney.
Mr. Wysong: SR.2.
The Ordinance was read by title into the public record by the City Attorney.
Mr. Wysong: And SR.3.
The Ordinance was read by title into the public record by the City Attorney.
Mr. Wysong: Thank you, Madam Chair.
Chair King: Gentlemen, of the second reading items, are there any items that you
would like to pull for discussion?
Commissioner Gabela: Yeah, I'd like to pull 3 and 4.
Chair King: There's only three.
Commissioner Gabela: FR.1, 2, 3, and 4.
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Meeting Minutes September 25, 2025
Chair King: No, no, we're on SR (Second Reading).
Commissioner Gabela: Oh, sorry.
Chair King: We're only on the SRs.
Commissioner Gabela: Excuse me. My mistake.
Chair King: Okay.
Commissioner Rosado: I'd like to pull SR.2.
Chair King: Anything else from the SRs? Okay.
[Later...]
Chair King: May I have a motion --
Vice Chair Carollo: Move.
Chair King: -- for SR.1 --
Commissioner Gabela: Second.
Chair King: -- and 3? All in favor?
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Chair King: Items passes.
SR.2 ORDINANCE Second Reading
17556
Commissioners
and Mayor
AN ORDINANCE OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION AMENDING
CHAPTER 35/ARTICLE I OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI,
FLORIDA, AS AMENDED ("CITY CODE"), TITLED "MOTORIZED
VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC/IN GENERAL," SPECIFICALLY BY
AMENDING SECTION 35-1 OF THE CITY CODE, TITLED
"DEFINITIONS," TO PROVIDE A DEFINITION FOR A HOMESTEAD
PROPERTY, AND BY ESTABLISHING A NEW SECTION 35-12 OF
THE CITY CODE, TITLED "PARKING FOR HOMESTEAD EXEMPT
PROPERTY," PROVIDING FOR CERTAIN ALLOWABLE PARKING
ON A HOMESTEAD; CONTAINING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE
AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
ENACTMENT NUMBER: 14397
MOTION TO: Adopt
RESULT: ADOPTED
MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner
SECONDER: Damian Pardo, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo
NAYS: Rosado
Note for the Record: For additional minutes referencing Item SR.2, please see
"Public Comments for All Item(s)" and Item SR.1.
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Meeting Minutes September 25, 2025
Chair King: Okay. SR.2 was pulled for discussion.
Vice Chair Carollo: Okay, let me --
Chair King: Parking on homestead property.
Vice Chair Carollo: I didn't pull it.
Commissioner Rosado: I -- I did pull it. Chairwoman, I know that this is your item,
but it's something that my neighbors have heard about and asked me to vote against
because it allows folks to park vehicles on the grass in front of their homes, and my
neighbors are not supportive.
Chair King: Okay. May I have a motion?
Vice Chair Carollo: Motion.
Chair King: Second?
Commissioner Pardo: Second.
Chair King: All in favor?
Vice Chair Carollo: Aye.
Commissioner Pardo: Aye.
Chair King: Motion carries.
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): The motion passes 4-1 with Commissioner Rosado
voting no.
Chair King: Thank you.
Commissioner Gabela: That was R -- I'm sorry, that was?
Chair King: It was RE (Resolution) --
Commissioner Rosado: SR.2.
Chair King: -- I mean SR.2.
Vice Chair Carollo: SR.2.
Chair King: SR.2. Okay.
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Meeting Minutes September 25, 2025
SR.3 ORDINANCE Second Reading
17970
Commissioners
and Mayor
AN ORDINANCE OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION REPEALING
SECTION 62-2.2 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI,
FLORIDA, AS AMENDED, TITLED "INDEPENDENT FEASIBILITY
AND ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDIES"; PROVIDING FOR THE
TREATMENT OF PENDING APPLICATIONS; CONTAINING A
SEVERABILITY CLAUSE, AND PROVIDING FOR AN IMMEDIATE
EFFECTIVE DATE.
ENACTMENT NUMBER: 14396
MOTION TO: Adopt
RESULT: ADOPTED
MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner
SECONDER: Miguel Angel Gabela, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item SR.3, please see "Order of the
Day" and Item SR.1.
END OF SECOND READING ORDINANCES
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Meeting Minutes September 25, 2025
FR - FIRST READING ORDINANCES
FR.1 ORDINANCE First Reading
17938 AN ORDINANCE OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION AMENDING
Department of CHAPTER 10/ARTICLE I/DIVISION 2/SECTION 10-18 OF THE
Building CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS AMENDED ("CITY
CODE"), TITLED "BUILDINGS/IN GENERAL/BUILDING
ADMINISTRATION, FEES, AND WAIVERS/BUILDING PERMIT FEE
SCHEDULE; WAIVERS; ELEVATOR, ESCALATOR, BOILER ETC.,"
AMENDING SECTION 10-18 OF THE CITY CODE TO
INCORPORATE CURRENT ELEVATOR INSPECTION FEES,
BOILER AND UNFIRED PRESSURE VESSEL FEES, AND FINES
FOR NON-COMPLIANCE; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; AND
PROVIDING FOR AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE.
MOTION TO: Pass on First Reading
RESULT: PASSED ON FIRST READING
MOVER: Ralph "Rafael" Rosado, Commissioner
SECONDER: Miguel Angel Gabela, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Chair King: Mr. City Attorney, would you please read into the record first reading
items?
George Wysong (City Attorney): Yes, Madam Chair. First reading ordinances, FR.1.
The Ordinance was read by title into the public record by the City Attorney.
Mr. Wysong: FR.2
The Ordinance was read by title into the public record by the City Attorney.
Mr. Wysong: FR.3.
The Ordinance was read by title into the public record by the City Attorney.
Mr. Wysong: And FR.4.
The Ordinance was read by title into the public record by the City Attorney.
Mr. Wysong: That concludes the first reading ordinances.
[Later...]
Chair King: So, may I have a motion for FR.1, 2, and FR.4?
Commissioner Rosado: So moved.
Commissioner Gabela: Second.
Chair King: All in favor?
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Meeting Minutes September 25, 2025
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): FR.4 is amended pursuant to a substitution notice
dated September 24, 2025.
Chair King: Yes, as amended.
FR.2 ORDINANCE First Reading
18002
Office of Grants
Administration
FR.3
18122
Commissioners
and Mayor
AN ORDINANCE OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION AMENDING
CHAPTER 2/ARTICLE IV OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI,
FLORIDA, AS AMENDED ("CITY CODE"), TITLED
"ADMINISTRATION/DEPARTMENTS" ADDING A NEW DIVISION
17 TO ESTABLISH THE GRANTS DEPARTMENT; PROVIDING
FOR THE PURPOSE, AUTHORITY, AND FUNCTIONS OF THE
DEPARTMENT; FURTHER AMENDING CHAPTER 18/ARTICLE IV
OF THE CITY CODE, TITLED "FINANCE/GRANTS" TO PROVIDE
FOR THE ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT AWARDS TO THE CITY OF
MIAMI; CONTAINING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; AND
PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
MOTION TO: Pass on First Reading
RESULT: PASSED ON FIRST READING
MOVER: Ralph "Rafael" Rosado, Commissioner
SECONDER: Miguel Angel Gabela, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item FR.2, please see Item FR.1.
ORDINANCE First Reading
AN ORDINANCE OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
ATTACHMENT(S), AMENDING CHAPTER 50/ARTICLE
IV/SECTION 158 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI,
FLORIDA, AS AMENDED, TITLED "SHIPS, VESSELS, AND
WATERWAY/MIAMI VESSEL MOORING CODE/RESERVED," TO
ALLOW FOR VESSEL ANCHORAGE LIMITATION AS PROVIDED
BY SECTION 327.60(2)(F)(3), FLORIDA STATUTES, IN SPECIFIED
AREAS; CONTAINING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; AND
PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
MOTION TO: Defer
RESULT: DEFERRED
MOVER: Ralph "Rafael" Rosado, Commissioner
SECONDER: Damian Pardo, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Note for the Record: Item FR.3 was deferred to the October 9, 2025, City
Commission Meeting.
Note for the Record: For additional minutes referencing Item FR.3, please see
Item FR.1.
Chair King: You also pulled FR.3?
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Commissioner Gabela: FR.3, yes.
Chair King: What's about that? Is that a quick one or --?
Commissioner Gabela: Okay, so on the FR.3, I understand why we're doing it, but
here's the problem. If make it harder for those guys that live on boats outside the
perimeter of the mooring field, and I know what we're trying to do. My fear is that I
don't want to make those guys, because they're way ojf, now they can't come to
shore, now they're homeless. Now we've got another guy that, because he can't live
on the boat, now we've got another guy here that we've got to deal with in the
streets. So that's my concern on that one there. I mean, I want to -- I'm all for, you
know, law and order, you know, everything clean, but my only fear is that, you know,
some of these guys that are living out there, they're living out there for a reason
because they -- you know, they can't afford rent and they live on their boats, you
know what I mean? And if you're going to get them, you know, I think we have a
limit now of l00 feet, I've been briefed on this and now it's 300 feet. Do we really
want to make it impossible for those guys then to have nowhere to go and then we
got more of a homeless situation going on? Just saying, my two cents worth, that you
know -- so I'm concerned with this, what we're trying to do.
Commissioner Pardo: So, Marine Patrol has been really instrumental with this, and
this mimics an existing ordinance in the City of Miami Beach that was passed by
Commissioner David Suarez, and it's really aimed at derelict vessels. We have a
very big problem with vessels that are just left there and cost tens of thousands of
dollars to remove them and deal with them. So, this is actually much better for
enforcement. Marine Patrol is 100 percent behind it. And of course, we sponsored it.
We think it's a good idea.
Commissioner Gabela: Do you think, Commissioner, that we can amend it to say if
we, in fact, certify that the vessel is derelict, then we take it, but if there's somebody
living on the vessel, then --
Commissioner Pardo: I mean, they're not -- they're not kicking people out of the
vessel. They're -- you know, they're trying to enforce a 300 foot barrier anchoring
outside, making sure that they are outside of the mooring field. So, I'll defer to the
city attorney, maybe you can --
George Wysong (City Attorney): Well, so the statute and/or the Miami Beach
ordinance, as Commissioner Pardo and Gabela both said, that it extends -- right
now it's illegal to moor a vessel within 100 feet of a managed mooring field. State
law permits us to extend that to 300 feet. Actually, .state law extended it to 300 feet.
We could opt out. And so, there's another provision in the state law, which are
ordinance tracks, which says that if your -- you moor your vessel for more than 30
days between the hours of sunrise and sunset, or actually it's sunset to sunrise, then
we can remove that vessel. But it doesn't -- it's not earmarked towards a derelict
vessel per se, it includes both boats that are just moored there and boats that are
moored there for the purposes of living aboard. So, it will affect both type of boaters.
Chair King: Okay, so how about, do you guys want to defer FR.3?
Commissioner Pardo: Yeah, let's go ahead and defer it.
Chair King: Just so we could get more information.
Commissioner Pardo: To the next meeting, and that way --
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Commissioner Gabela: That's fine with me.
Chair King: Okay.
Commissioner Pardo: Yeah, you can get --
Commissioner Gabela: I know what you're trying to do, and I commend it, but I just
want to make sure that the, you know, the wrong people don't get affected.
Chair King: So may 1 have a motion to defer FR.3 to --
Commissioner Rosado: So moved.
Commissioner Pardo: Second.
Vice Chair Carollo: (INAUDIBLE).
Chair King: FR.3, to the October --
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): October 9th.
Chair King: -- October 9th?
Mr. Hannon: Yes.
Chair King: October 9th.
Mr. Hannon. First meeting in October.
Chair King: Okay. So, now may I have a motion for FR.1, FR.2, and --
Mr. Hannon: I'm sorry. Was there a vote on the motion to defer?
Chair King: Yeah. Yes.
Mr. Hannon: Okay, unanimous. Understood.
Chair King: Yes.
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FR.4 ORDINANCE First Reading
18186
Commissioners
and Mayor
AN ORDINANCE OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION AMENDING
CHAPTER 14/ARTICLE II OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF
THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS AMENDED ("CITY CODE"),
TITLED "DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT/DOWNTOWN DISTRICT,"
MORE PARTICULARLY BY AMENDING DIVISION 1, TITLED
"GENERALLY," TO DEFINE RESIDENCY IN THE DOWNTOWN
DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA
("AUTHORITY") AND BY AMENDING DIVISION 2, TITLED
"DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY," TO AMEND THE
COMPOSITION OF THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT
AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA ("AUTHORITY'S")
BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND VARIOUS AMENDMENTS,
INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE AUTHORITY'S
DEFINITIONS, POWERS AND DUTIES, AND REMOVAL OF
MEMBERS; CONTAINING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; AND
PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
MOTION TO: Pass on First Reading with Modification(s)
RESULT: PASSED ON FIRST READING WITH MODIFICATION(S)
MOVER: Ralph "Rafael" Rosado, Commissioner
SECONDER: Miguel Angel Gabela, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Note for the Record: For additional minutes referencing Item FR.4, please see
"Public Comments for All Item(s)" and Item FR.1.
Chair King: I believe, Commissioner Gabela, you want to pull?
Commissioner Gabela: Yeah, 3 and the 4. I got a real quick question.
Chair King: Quick question or --?
Commissioner Gabela: Quick question, just want to know how many seats are being
up to the residents. So, I got the briefing, but I just want to make sure the public
knows that we've -- that you've allotted for more seats from residents.
Chair King: Is that FR.4? Is that FR.4?
Commissioner Rosado: It is --
Chair King: Okay.
Commissioner Rosado: -- its FR.4.
Chair King: Okay. Do you have an answer?
Commissioner Rosado: I do, yes. So, we're guaranteeing at least one seat for each of
the three sub -districts. So, one for Brickell, one for the Central Business District, one
for the Arts and Entertainment District. And overall, 40 percent of seats would be for
residents, of downtown residents.
Commissioner Gabela: So, there has been a net gain for the residents?
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Commissioner Rosado: I'm sorry?
Commissioner Gabela: There has been a net gain for the residents of seats.
Commissioner Rosado: There has been.
Commissioner Gabela: Okay, that's all I wanted to know. Thank you.
Chair King: Okay.
END OF FIRST READING ORDINANCES
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AC.1
18185
Office of the City
Attorney
AC - ATTORNEY -CLIENT SESSION
ATTORNEY -CLIENT SESSION
UNDER THE PARAMETERS OF SECTION 286.011(8), FLORIDA
STATUTES, A PRIVATE ATTORNEY -CLIENT SESSION WILL BE
CONDUCTED AT THE SEPTEMBER 25, 2025, MIAMI CITY
COMMISSION MEETING. THE PERSON CHAIRING THE CITY
COMMISSION MEETING WILL ANNOUNCE THE
COMMENCEMENT OF AN ATTORNEY -CLIENT SESSION,
CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC, FOR PURPOSES OF DISCUSSING
THE PENDING LITIGATION IN THE MATTER OF WILLIAM O.
FULLER, MARTIN PINILLA, II, THE BARLINGTON GROUP, LLC,
CALLE OCHO MARKETPLACE, LLC, YO AMO CALLE SIETE, LLC,
LITTLE HAVANA ARTS BUILDING, LLC, LITTLE HAVANA ARTS
BUILDING TOO, LLC, TOWER HOTEL, LLC, BRICKELL STATION,
LLC, PIEDRA VILLAS, LLC, FUTURAMA, LLC, EL SHOPPING, LLC,
BEATSTIK, LLC, VIERNES CULTURALES/CULTURAL FRIDAYS,
INC., LITTLE HAVANA BUNGALOWS, LLC, AND LHAB TREST,
LLC V. CITY OF MIAMI, ET AL., CASE NO. 23-CV-24251-RAR,
PENDING IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT,
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA, TO WHICH THE CITY IS
PRESENTLY A PARTY. THE SUBJECT OF THE MEETING WILL
BE CONFINED TO SETTLEMENT NEGOTIATIONS OR STRATEGY
SESSIONS RELATED TO LITIGATION EXPENDITURES. THIS
PRIVATE MEETING WILL BEGIN AT APPROXIMATELY 10:00 A.M.
(OR AS SOON THEREAFTER AS THE COMMISSIONERS'
SCHEDULES PERMIT) AND CONCLUDE APPROXIMATELY ONE
HOUR LATER. THE SESSION WILL BE ATTENDED BY THE
MEMBERS OF THE CITY COMMISSION, WHICH INCLUDE
CHAIRWOMAN CHRISTINE KING, COMMISSIONERS MIGUEL
ANGEL GABELA, DAMIAN PARDO, AND RALPH "RAFAEL"
ROSADO; CITY ATTORNEY GEORGE K. WYSONG III; DEPUTY
CITY ATTORNEY KEVIN R. JONES; ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY
SUPERVISOR ERIC J. EVES; ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY
MARGUERITE SNYDER; AND OUTSIDE COUNSEL RAQUEL A.
RODRIGUEZ ESQ., ANGEL CORTIIVAS, ESQ., AND JONATHAN
KASKEL, ESQ. A CERTIFIED COURT REPORTER WILL BE
PRESENT TO ENSURE THAT THIS SESSION IS FULLY
TRANSCRIBED AND THE TRANSCRIPT WILL BE MADE PUBLIC
UPON THE CONCLUSION OF THE LITIGATION. AT THE
CONCLUSION OF THE ATTORNEY -CLIENT SESSION, THE
REGULAR COMMISSION MEETING WILL BE REOPENED AND
THE PERSON CHAIRING THE COMMISSION MEETING WILL
ANNOUNCE THE TERMINATION OF THE ATTORNEY -CLIENT
SESSION.
RESULT: DISCUSSED
Chair King: Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome hack to the City of Miami
Commission meeting for September 25th, 2025. We are now going to have our city
attorney read a statement for the record for our shade meeting.
George Wvsong (City Attorney): Thank you, Madam Chair.
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The Attorney -Client Session was read by title into the public record by the City
Attorney.
Mr. Wysong: Thank you, Madam Chair.
Chair King: Thank you, Mr. City Attorney. At this time, the commission meeting is in
recess for the shade meeting. We will return as soon as that meeting has concluded.
Thank you and thank you for your advocacy.
[Later...]
Chair King: Welcome to the City of Miami Commission meeting JroSeptember 25,
2025. We are going to resume our regular commission meeting. There were a few
items that we didn't finish up.
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): And my apologies, Chair. The city attorney will just
make a brief statement if the Attorney -Client session has concluded.
Chair King: Thank you. Mr. City Attorney.
Mr. Wysong: Thank you, Mr. City Clerk. Madam Chair, the shade meeting in Fuller
versus the -- Fuller et al. versus the City of Miami et al. at this time has concluded
and we're moving to the regular City Commission meeting. Thank you.
Chair King: Thank you, Mr. City attorney. The budget hearing will start as soon as
we're finished with the City of Miami Commission meeting. Commissioner Gabela,
did we finish with FR.3?
Commissioner Gabela: (INAUDIBLE).
Chair King: FR.3 is the overnight anchoring limitations. Did we vote on that?
Mr. Wysong: We deferred it to October 9th.
Chair King: We deferred it, okay. So, that takes --
Commissioner Gabela: Okay, I'm sorry, where are we at? What's the question?
Chair King: Wait. Hold on, he said we deferred it.
END OF ATTORNEY -CLIENT SESSION
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DI.1
18039
City Manager's
Office
DI.2
18054
Department of
Building
DI - DISCUSSION ITEMS
DISCUSSION ITEM
A DISCUSSION AND UPDATE ON THE RESOLUTION DIRECTING
THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AN INTERLOCAL
AGREEMENT WITH MIAMI-DADE COUNTY OR OTHER LOCAL
GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY TO REFER ALL NON -CRIMINAL
COMPLAINTS REGARDING VIOLATIONS OF THE CODE OF THE
CITY OF MIAMI, OF SITTING CITY ELECTED OFFICIALS.
MOTION TO: Defer
RESULT: DEFERRED
MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner
SECONDER: Ralph "Rafael" Rosado, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Note for the Record: Item DLI was deferred to the October 23, 2025, City
Commission Meeting.
Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item DI.1, please see "Order of the
Day."
DISCUSSION ITEM
A DISCUSSION ITEM TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON ORDINANCE
14307 WHICH AMENDED SECTION 10/ARTICLE VI OF THE CITY
CODE BY WAY OF CREATING A COMMERCIAL PROPERTY
AMNESTY PILOT PROGRAM.
MOTION TO: Defer
RESULT: DEFERRED
MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner
SECONDER: Miguel Angel Gabela, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Note for the Record: Item DL2 was deferred to the October 9, 2025, City
Commission Meeting.
Chair King: I'm going -- there's a Discussion Item 2, update on Ordinance 14307,
commercial property pilot, amnesty pilot program.
Commissioner Gabela: DI.2.
Chair King: DL2, is that yours?
Commissioner Gabela: No, I didn't pull that.
Chair King: No, it's for discussion.
Commissioner Gabela: Oh, for -- no, but I didn't pull it. I mean, I don't know who
pulled it.
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Vice Chair Carollo: Okay, so we can move on.
Chair King: It's -- no, no, it's literally a discussion item. Whose --
Vice Chair Carollo: Yeah, but if no one put it in, we can move on.
Chair King: No, somebody -- whose discussion item is it?
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): On the agenda, it states Department of Building.
Vice Chair Carollo: Well --
Chair King: Department of Building. Do we want --
Vice Chair Carollo: No, we can wait for the next meeting.
Chair King: Okay.
Vice Chair Carollo: We've got a lot of stuff now.
Chair King: Can I have a motion to defer --
Vice Chair Carollo: Motion to defer.
Chair King: -- DL2?
Commissioner Gabela: Second.
Chair King: All in favor?
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Chair King: To the first meeting in October.
DI.3 DISCUSSION ITEM
17642
Commissioners
and Mayor
A DISCUSSION AND PRESENTATION REGARDING DOWNTOWN
DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.
MOTION TO: Withdraw
RESULT: WITHDRAWN
MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner
SECONDER: Ralph "Rafael" Rosado, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item DL3, please see "Order of the
Day."
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DI.4 DISCUSSION ITEM
18189
Climate Resilience
Committee
A DISCUSSION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION RELATED TO
THE SCIENCE -BASED TRACKING AND OPERATIONAL
RESILIENCE FOR MIAMI" (STORM) INITIATIVE.
MOTION TO: Withdraw
RESULT: WITHDRAWN
MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner
SECONDER: Ralph "Rafael" Rosado, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item DI.4, please see "Order of the
Day."
END OF DISCUSSION ITEMS
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PZ.1
12288
Office of Zoning
PART B: PZ - PLANNING AND ZONING ITEM(S)
RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION GRANTING /
DENYING THE APPEAL FILED BY LOUIS J. TERMINELLO, ESQ., ON
BEHALF OF 6925 BISCAYNE, LLC, REVERSING / AFFIRMING THE
PLANNING, ZONING AND APPEALS BOARD'S DECISION AS SET
FORTH IN RESOLUTION NO. PZAB-R-22-017 AFFIRMING THE
ZONING ADMINISTRATOR'S DENIAL OF A CERTIFICATE OF USE
PURSUANT TO SECTION 2-211 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF
MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS AMENDED ("CITY CODE") AND SECTION
7.1.2.1 OF ORDINANCE NO. 13114, THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF
THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS AMENDED ("MIAMI 21 CODE"),
FOR THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT APPROXIMATELY 6901
BISCAYNE BOULEVARD, MIAMI, FLORIDA ("PROPERTY"), AND
REVERSING / UPHOLDING THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR'S
DENIAL OF THE CERTIFICATE OF USE FOR A CANNABIS
DISPENSARY AND / OR CLINIC FOR THE PROPERTY; MAKING
FINDINGS; CONTAINING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; AND
PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
MOTION TO: Defer
RESULT: DEFERRED
MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner
SECONDER: Ralph "Rafael" Rosado, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Note for the Record: Item PZ.1 was deferred to the October 23, 2025, City
Commission Meeting.
Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item PZ.1, please see "Order of the
Day."
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PZ.2 ORDINANCE First Reading
15940 AN ORDINANCE OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
Department of ATTACHMENT(S), AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 10544, AS
Planning AMENDED, THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP OF THE MIAMI
COMPREHENSIVE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN, PURSUANT TO SMALL
SCALE AMENDMENT PROCEDURES SUBJECT TO SECTION
163.3187, FLORIDA STATUTES, BY CHANGING THE FUTURE LAND
USE DESIGNATION FROM "MEDIUM DENSITY MULTIFAMILY
RESIDENTIAL" TO "RESTRICTED COMMERCIAL" OF THE ACREAGE
DESCRIBED HEREIN OF REAL PROPERTY AT 175 NORTHEAST 55
STREET, MIAMI, FLORIDA, AND THE WESTERN PORTION OF 184
NORTHEAST 56 STREET, MIAMI, FLORIDA, ALL AS MORE
PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED IN EXHIBIT "A," ATTACHED AND
INCORPORATED; MAKING FINDINGS; AND PROVIDING FOR AN
EFFECTIVE DATE.
MOTION TO: Pass on First Reading
RESULT: PASSED ON FIRST READING
MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner
SECONDER: Miguel Angel Gabela, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Note for the Record: For additional minutes referencing Item PZ.2, please see
"Public Comments for All Item(s). "
Chair King: Mr. City Attorney, would you please read into the record the title of the
PZ (Planning and Zoning) items?
George Wysong (City Attorney): Yes, Madam Chair. The remaining PZ items are
PZ.2, first reading ordinance.
The Ordinance was read by title into the public record by the City Attorney.
Mr. Wysong: PZ.3, first reading ordinance.
The Ordinance was read by title into the public record by the City Attorney.
Mr. Wysong: PZ. 6, first reading ordinance.
The Ordinance was read by title into the public record by the City Attorney.
Mr. Wysong: And finally, PZ.7, first reading ordinance.
The Ordinance was read by title into the public record by the City Attorney.
Mr. Wysong: Thank you, Madam Chair.
Chair King: Thank you. Gentlemen, any of the PZ items you would like to pull for
discussion?
Vice Chair Carollo: Chair? (INAUDIBLE).
Chair King: They can't hear you.
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Vice Chair Carollo: I'm saying that (INAUDIBLE) full board for the CRA
(Community Redevelopment Agency).
Chair King: They say they can't -- still can 't hear you. It's not working.
Vice Chair Carollo: (INAUDIBLE).
Chair King: Right. It's not working.
Vice Chair Carollo: It's not working -- well, now it is. Now it is. Thank God I'm not
in the United Nations. If we could go to the CRA items and then take up the rest of
the meeting in the afternoon. We're past noon. I have an engagement that I can't
miss.
Chair King: Well, let's take these PZ items up first. If -- does anyone have -- want to
pull these items? Any -- any PZ items? Anybody?
Todd B. Hannon (City Clerk): And I believe the planning director needs to state an
amendment for the record regarding PZ.3.
Chair King: Mr. Planning Director.
David Snow (Director, Planning): Yes. So, for PZ.3, the applicant has requested
both the proffered covenant, restricted covenant for the rezone of the property. In
that covenant, they spec] changing the designation of the T5-O to T5-L. So that is
something that the commission will need to consider.
Chair King: As amended. Okay. So, may I have a motion for PZ.2, 3 --
Vice Chair Carollo: Move.
Chair King: -- 6, and 7?
Commissioner Gabela: Second.
Vice Chair Carollo: As amended. Does the director have any objections to that
amendment?
Mr. Snow: No objections.
Vice Chair Carollo: Okay.
Chair King: 1 have a motion and a second. All in favor?
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Chair King: Items passes. Gentlemen, we have a long day today. The only items
remaining on our agenda are one discussion item, and we have two CRA meetings, a
shade meeting, and our budget meeting.
Commissioner Gabela: By the way, there's one in the back. Can we pass that now?
It's an easy one. FL (Future Legislation).
Chair King: Oh, it's just for information.
Commissioner Gabela: Oh, okay.
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Chair King: You just read it. We don't have to pass it.
Commissioner Gabela: Okay.
Chair King: Okay. So, what is the pleasure of the team? Do you want to break, do
the CRA meetings, and then get the rest of this? I would propose that we do the
remainder of this --
Vice Chair Carollo: Well --
Chair King: -- say, 4 o'clock?
Vice Chair Carollo: If we could do the CRA, because I -- we always break --
Chair King: Right, so that's why I'm saying.
Vice Chair Carollo: -- it's our tradition by noon.
Chair King: If we do the CRA meetings, then we break and we come back, like, 4
o'clock, because we have to be here at 5 o'clock --
Vice Chair Carollo: Right.
Chair King: -- for the budget meetings.
PZ.3 ORDINANCE First Reading
15941 AN ORDINANCE OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
Department of ATTACHMENT(S), AMENDING THE ZONING ATLAS OF ORDINANCE
Planning NO. 13114, THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI,
FLORIDA, AS AMENDED ("MIAMI 21 CODE") BY CHANGING THE
ZONING TRANSECT OF THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE
PROPERTY BIFURCATED BY TWO (2) TRANSECT ZONES
LOCATED AT 184 NORTHEAST 56 STREET, MIAMI, FLORIDA, FROM
"T4-R," GENERAL URBAN TRANSECT ZONE — RESTRICTED, TO
"T5-O," URBAN CENTER TRANSECT ZONE — OPEN, AND THE
PROPERTY GENERALLY LOCATED AT 175 NORTHEAST 55
STREET FROM "T4-R," GENERAL URBAN TRANSECT ZONE —
RESTRICTED, TO "T5-O," URBAN CENTER TRANSECT ZONE —
OPEN, MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED IN EXHIBIT "A,"
ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED; MAKING FINDINGS;
CONTAINING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING FOR AN
EFFECTIVE DATE.
MOTION TO: Pass on First Reading with Modification(s)
RESULT: PASSED ON FIRST READING WITH MODIFICATION(S)
MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner
SECONDER: Miguel Angel Gabela, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item PZ.3, please see "Public
Comments for All Item(s)" and Item PZ.2.
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PZ.4 ORDINANCE First Reading
16820 AN ORDINANCE OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
Department of ATTACHMENT(S), AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 10544, AS
Planning AMENDED, THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP OF THE MIAMI
COMPREHENSIVE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN, PURSUANT TO SMALL
SCALE AMENDMENT PROCEDURES SUBJECT TO §163.3187,
FLORIDA STATUTES, BY CHANGING THE FUTURE LAND USE
DESIGNATION FROM "MEDIUM DENSITY MULTIFAMILY
RESIDENTIAL" TO "RESTRICTED COMMERCIAL" OF THE ACREAGE
DESCRIBED HEREIN OF REAL PROPERTY AT THE
SOUTHEASTERN PORTION OF 490 NORTHEAST 78 STREET ROAD,
AT 496 NORTHEAST 78 STREET ROAD, AND AT 498 NORTHEAST
78 STREET ROAD, MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS MORE PARTICULARLY
DESCRIBED IN EXHIBIT "A"; MAKING FINDINGS; CONTAINING A
SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE
DATE.
MOTION TO: Indefinitely Defer
RESULT: INDEFINITELY DEFERRED
MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner
SECONDER: Ralph "Rafael" Rosado, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item PZ.4, please see "Order of the
Day."
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PZ.5 ORDINANCE First Reading
16821 AN ORDINANCE OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
Department of ATTACHMENT(S), AMENDING THE ZONING ATLAS OF ORDINANCE
Planning NO. 13114, THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI,
FLORIDA, AS AMENDED ("MIAMI 21 CODE"), BY CHANGING THE
ZONING CLASSIFICATION FROM: "T6-8-O," URBAN CORE
TRANSECT ZONE - OPEN, AND "T4-R," GENERAL URBAN
TRANSECT ZONE — RESTRICTED, TO "T6-8-O," URBAN CORE
TRANSECT ZONE — OPEN, AND "T5-O," URBAN CENTER
TRANSECT ZONE — OPEN, FOR THE PROPERTY GENERALLY
LOCATED AT 490 NORTHEAST 78 STREET ROAD AND FROM "T4-
R," GENERAL URBAN TRANSECT ZONE — RESTRICTED, TO "T5-O,"
URBAN CENTER TRANSECT ZONE - OPEN, FOR THE PROPERTIES
GENERALLY LOCATED AT 496 NORTHEAST 78 STREET ROAD AND
498 NORTHEAST 78 STREET ROAD, MIAMI, FLORIDA, MORE
PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED IN EXHIBIT "A," ATTACHED AND
INCORPORATED; MAKING FINDINGS; CONTAINING A
SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE
DATE.
MOTION TO: Indefinitely Defer
RESULT: INDEFINITELY DEFERRED
MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner
SECONDER: Ralph "Rafael" Rosado, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item PZ.5, please see "Order of the
Day."
PZ.6 ORDINANCE First Reading
17942 AN ORDINANCE OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
Department of ATTACHMENTS, AMENDING THE ZONING ATLAS OF ORDINANCE
Planning NO. 13114, THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OR MIAMI
("MIAMI 21 CODE") AS AMENDED, BY CHANGING THE ZONING
CLASSIFICATION FROM "T5-L" URBAN CENTER ZONE — LIMITED
TO "T5-O" URBAN CENTER ZONE -OPEN OF THE PROPERTY
GENERALLY LOCATED AT 349 SOUTHWEST 12TH STREET, 375
SOUTHWEST 15TH ROAD, 1109 AND 1131 SOUTHWEST 4TH
AVENUE, AND 364 SOUTHWEST 11TH STREET, MIAMI, FLORIDA,
MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED IN EXHIBIT "A"; MAKING
FINDINGS; CONTAINING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; AND
PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
MOTION TO: Pass on First Reading
RESULT: PASSED ON FIRST READING
MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner
SECONDER: Miguel Angel Gabela, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item PZ.6, please see Item PZ.2.
City ofMiami
Page 100 Printed on 11/7/2025
City Commission
Meeting Minutes September 25, 2025
PZ.7 ORDINANCE First Reading
18129 AN ORDINANCE OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH
Department of ATTACHMENT(S), AMENDING THE ZONING ATLAS OF ORDINANCE
Planning NO. 13114, THE ZONING CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA,
AS AMENDED ("MIAMI 21 CODE"), BY CHANGING THE ZONING
CLASSIFICATION FROM "T5-O," URBAN CENTER TRANSECT ZONE
- OPEN, TO "T6-8-O," URBAN CORE TRANSECT ZONE — OPEN, FOR
THE PROPERTY GENERALLY LOCATED AT 710 SOUTHWEST 16
AVENUE, MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED
IN THE ATTACHED AND INCORPORATED EXHIBIT "A"; MAKING
FINDINGS; CONTAINING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; AND
PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
MOTION TO: Pass on First Reading
RESULT: PASSED ON FIRST READING
MOVER: Joe Carollo, Commissioner
SECONDER: Miguel Angel Gabela, Commissioner
AYES: King, Carollo, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item PZ.7, please see Item PZ.2.
END OF PLANNING AND ZONING ITEM(S)
City ofMiami
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City Commission
Meeting Minutes September 25, 2025
FL - FUTURE LEGISLATION
FL.1
18107
Department of
Planning
ORDINANCE
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 13114, THE
ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS
AMENDED, BY AMENDING ARTICLE 6, TABLE 13, TITLED
"SUPPLEMENTAL REGULATIONS", TO PERMIT STORAGE OF
FISHING EQUIPMENT AND/OR FISHING SUPPLIES, BY RIGHT,
ON WORKING WATERFRONT PROPERTIES INCLUDED IN
APPENDIX PA-1 OF THE MIAMI COMPREHENSIVE
NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN; MAKING FINDINGS; CONTAINING A
SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE
DATE.
RESULT: NO ACTION TAKEN
END OF FUTURE LEGISLATION
City ofMiami
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City Commission
Meeting Minutes September 25, 2025
NA.1
18253
City Commission
NA.2
18254
Office of the City
Clerk
NA. NON -AGENDA ITEM(S)
RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION
RESCINDING, IN ITS ENTIRETY, RESOLUTION NO. R-25-0341,
ADOPTED ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2025, AND APPROVING IN LIEU
THEREOF A NEW RESOLUTION MAKING PROVISIONS FOR
EARLY VOTING IN THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA PURSUANT TO
SECTIONS 100.3605 AND 101.657 FLORIDA STATUTES, FOR
THE GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION TO BE HELD ON
NOVEMBER 4, 2025 AND A RUN-OFF ELECTION, IF REQUIRED,
ON DECEMBER 9, 2025; DESIGNATING CERTAIN SITES AND A
SCHEDULE FOR EARLY VOTING; CONTAINING A SEVERABILITY
CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING FOR AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE
DATE.
ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-25-0390
MOTION TO: Adopt
RESULT: ADOPTED
MOVER: Miguel Angel Gabela, Commissioner
SECONDER: Damian Pardo, Commissioner
AYES: King, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
ABSENT: Carollo
Note for the Record: For additional minutes referencing Item NA.1, please see
"Order of the Day."
Chair King: Okay. May I have a motion for Pocket Item 1 and 2?
Commissioner Gabela: Motion.
Commissioner Pardo: Second.
Chair King: All in favor?
The Commission (Collectively): Aye.
Chair King: Motion carries.
RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION WAIVING
THE PRIVATE PROPERTY LIMITATION FOR SPECIAL EVENTS
PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 52/ARTICLE I/SECTION 2 OF THE
CODE OF CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS AMENDED, TITLED,
"SPECIAL EVENTS/SPECIAL EVENTS PERMIT/SPECIAL EVENTS
IN GENERAL; DURATION AND LIMITATIONS; CITY COMMISSION
WAIVER," FOR THE RESERVE PADEL SPECIAL EVENT HELD AT
75 NORTHEAST 39 STREET FROM SEPTEMBER 25, 2025
THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2025.
ENACTMENT NUMBER: R-25-0391
City ofMiami
Page 103 Printed on 11/7/2025
City Commission
Meeting Minutes September 25, 2025
ADJOURNMENT
MOTION TO: Adopt
RESULT: ADOPTED
MOVER: Miguel Angel Gabela, Commissioner
SECONDER: Damian Pardo, Commissioner
AYES: King, Gabela, Pardo, Rosado
ABSENT: Carollo
Note for the Record: For minutes referencing Item NA.2, please see "Order of the
Day" and Item NA.1.
The meeting adjourned at 7:10 p.m.
City, of Miami
Page 104 Printed on 11 /7/2025