Aviation and Seaport Committee - Regular Meeting

Good afternoon, everyone quiet in the chambers. Please close the doors to the chambers and everyone please take a seat unless you're a sworn officer. Please find a seat in our chambers. To the clerk, please call the roll. Again, please close the door to the chambers.

Commissioner Gilbert. Commissioner Hardiman. Commissioner Millian Orbis. Vice Chairman Gonzalez. Chairwoman Cohen-Higgins.

Good morning, I'm present.

For our members present, we have a quorum.

Everyone, please have your seat again. We are about to commence our Aviation and Seaport Committee. We are going to be led by prayer by Commissioner Gonzalez, followed by Pledge of Allegiance led by Commissioner Orbis.

Dear Lord, thank you for this wonderful day you've given us. Please bless each and every one of us here today. All the people that have come to give public testimony, all of the commissioners and committee persons. Please guide our decisions today. Let your will be done for the betterment of Miami-Dade County. Let your will always be done and let all glory be yours. In your holy name we pray. Amen.

to the flag of the United States of America, to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

At this time, I'll ask my colleagues to join us in the well. The mayor has a presentation. Mayor, would you like for us to join you in the well for the presentation? She is indicating yes. Okay. Please join us in the well as the mayor presents certificates on behalf of her Flight Forward team.

All right. Wow. What a great group of people to celebrate something really noteworthy that has happened in the last couple of months. So as the wonderful commissioners join us here, I am going to say a few words of introduction and then we have a lot of people to acknowledge and thank.

Mayor's giving presentations.

All right. Well, thank you to our chairwoman of the committee, Commissioner Danielle Cohen-Higgins, for allowing us this opportunity to call together a group of individuals who rose to the occasion and helped us transform our beautiful Miami International Airport in the nick of time for World Cup. Am I right? And if you have not seen it, especially at night, I'm especially partial to the lighting. I tell people, make it a date night. You know, go down there into the Central Plaza, bring a little snack. That's a good idea. Yeah, it's really something. Come on up here, Ralph. This is Deputy Mayor Coley. Please come down and join us. Yes. Yes. Actually, all chiefs, come on down, Chief Arnold Palmer as well. We can all share in this. So in January, I launched the Forward Flight Initiative. It was a partnership of 14 community organizations. They were tasked with elevating customer satisfaction before the World Cup and beyond. We wanted to look at not just preparing for major global events, which we do, by the way, all the time, and as Director Coutier told me World Cup is about the equivalent of a Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Even less when you put it all together. So we know how to put on big shows at the airport. But, of course, the world was watching. We not only need to deliver our customer service with excellence for our residents and visitors year-round, but modernizing and beautifying MIA through capital investments and maintenance upgrades, which we've been doing since the Board of County Commissioners voted to support us to make that major infrastructure, originally $9 billion, now up to $14 billion in infrastructure investments at the airport. Really unprecedented and really very necessary. And all of that is great, but it takes time. Major investments of that sort take time. And so the cosmetic, the iconic, the beautiful are also important. And some of those things can be done more quickly. So we tasked this group, the Forward Flight Initiative, to put together a range of efforts that would be highly visible. And it includes vibrant lighting installations, immersive cultural activations, all kinds of art, innovative technology, thoughtful design, and turning us into a space that would really show off our unique place in history here in Miami-Dade. Dynamic, welcoming, and unforgettable. There were four key priorities. Operational excellence. We had to address congestion, aging infrastructure, and staffing shortages. So we had to, of course, fast track those conveyances. You all know what a conveyance is now, right? It's not just a sail. It's an elevator. It's an escalator. It's a moving sidewalk. And we are now on pace to fix 40 units every year, and we're at 95% functioning, which is national best practice. And just last month, we fully reopened the third-level skywalk across the entire terminal to the MIC, the Miami Intermodal Center. We modernized the moving walks and the tropical-themed terrazzo flooring, and again, my favorite, the lighting. Very, very beautiful. Number two, we had to have passenger experience and innovation at the forefront of everything we do. So we had to reimagine our travel journey with the technology and hospitality first approach. And those include those holograms. Have you all seen those holograms? They're pretty cool. And how many languages? 40 plus languages. We cannot duplicate that even with our award-winning global protocol unit. We have the largest biometric entry technology in the nation and advanced TSA screening. You know, we have one of the shortest TSA waits any place in the country. And that's attributable to the great service of our TSA men and women, but also our great relationships that we are all one MIA family. We have three new children's play areas. I'm bringing my granddaughter very shortly. And then the third item is the ABCs of aesthetics, beautification, and culture. And we have the full transformation central terminal curbside with that central garden, the date location. Maybe a double date. Double date. Double date with your chairwoman.

But we're not advocating you all go to the airport unless you have to be there.

Well, we'll pick a lighter time, lighter traffic time. We also have new ceiling panels, enhanced seating, dynamic colorful lighting, and charging facilities, solar-powered charging facilities. Our Miami MIA Live Arts Program, I Know I Dance Samba, there was Country Western, you name it. And then finally, brand management. So the Lightning Crew, which was my invention, has been operating very, very well to address those smaller repairs that are needed, but also to help guide people every day through the airport and enhance customer needs. So can we all say together, I am MIA? One, two, three. I am MIA! That's it. That is our main branding initiative where everyone can feel the pride. And we have to feel pride because there's actually something to be proud about, not just a statement. It's actually... very very important that we make the true things of the measure. So I'm going to cede the mic to our chairwoman if she'd like to say a few words or anyone else and then we're going to present some oh we have a video okay take it away. Do we have to dim the lights? And we have 14 members of the Forward Flight Initiative with us here today. We're going to recognize them one by one, but first to you, Madam Chairwoman.

Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you for highlighting the progress that we've made at Miami International Airport. It truly has been a collective and a collaborative effort. I think our Madam Mayor prides in calling herself collaborator-in-chief. And the efforts made at our international airport have been really, really great in a very truncated period of time. And I think everybody that has been involved in that effort, all of us moving towards the same goal of making sure that our airport is the absolute best reflection of this extraordinary community. And so, Madam Mayor, thank you and I look forward to recognizing these individuals who have participated on your program. So if you all don't mind joining us in the well as we present you with your certificates, and we'll take a quick picture.

So I think we're going to call you up one by one to recognize you. And then we also had many, many staff at Miami Data Aviation who were leaderful in this effort, and we're going to give them certificates as well, but not one by one.

For the external team, yes. For the internal team, we're going to bring them up.

Okay, great.

I have this one here, so if you want. Oh, you have that one.

Yeah. All right. Let's call up Wendy Walsh of Unite. Our labor partner.

There you go, Wendy.

Thank you.

Great.

Franklin Sermons of our PAM. Someone here on behalf of PAM? So our, guess what, we had labor leaders, we had cultural leaders. Very good. Alfred Sanchez from Greater Miami Chamber.

Okay, that's okay.

They all served, really. Lizzie Pittenger with Uber, Uber. Okay, JC Lascano with American Airlines, but you know what he's now been promoted to senior vice president Senior VP so he's out there doing some important work at the airport. Okay, very good Eric Knowles from Miami-Dade Chamber Yambeli Gomez from SEIU. Yay. Standing in for Yambeli.

Yambeli, Yambeli, Yambeli. I'm so sorry.

Raymond Francois from our taxi industry.

Thank you so much. Thank you.

Jerome Falick with our duty free. Is he here? Not here, okay. With our consulting firm, Daniel Diaz. from Convention and Visitors Bureau? No, from the Hotel Association, Curtis Crider. Thank you so much.

Thank you so much, Curtis, thank you. With CES Consultants, Juan Alfonso.

He was in the photo with me on the slideshow. Thank you.

Thank you so much.

From the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, Rolando Aedo. Thank you. Chief of Staff to Director Coutier, Andrea Munoz Amador.

Okay. Thank you.

All right. That's our first photo lineup.

Okay.

All right. We're going to call up all of our entire team, and we'll give you your proclamations in a moment. Thank you.

Thank you. Well, there's a lot, so we're going to have to either move up or move back.

Yeah, how do we do this? They'll tell us.

Step back, please.

Oh, wow. This is what it took.

And then, do we have a stool? Do you have a stool? No, no, no, I'm good. Oh, you're good. Yeah, yes, I'm good. Wow. It took a village. It took a village.

It's under amnesty. It's under amnesty.

All right, everyone, if you're here.

One, two.

We didn't hear any complaints.

Oh, that's great. Okay, good. Chica? They love, yeah. They love the pylons. They love the, uh, the boning or anything. Oops.

Do you want to give it to them out there?

I don't know where they go exactly.

Please quiet as you exit our chambers. Please quiet as you exit our chambers. At this time, we'll open the reasonable opportunity for the public to be heard. I do not have any speaker cards on reasonable opportunity for the public to be heard. This is your opportunity to address the body on anything on our agenda. Seeing no one approaching at this time, I will close the reasonable opportunity for the public to be heard. To the attorneys, any changes or updates to this morning's agenda?

Good morning, Madam Chair. Yes, a few changes to announce. Item 3J has been added to your agenda. On item 3F, a deferral has been requested to no date certain. So with the setting of the agenda, that item will be deferred to no date certain. On item 1G1, a scrivener's error was corrected to include the correct social equity and fiscal impact statement. On item 3A, Vice Chairman Gonzalez is assuming sponsorship. And finally, I've been advised by the administration that is seeking to advance item 3E to the next BCC meeting.

Thank you. I'll entertain a motion to set the agenda. So moved. Second. It's been second. All in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. Anyone wish to be recorded, no. Our agenda has been set. At this time, we'll take up the public hearing item, item 1F1. To the attorneys, can you please read in public hearing item 1F1.

Madam Chair, I have 1G1 as a public hearing.

1G1, yes.

Ordinance relating to four higher motor vehicles, amending sections 31-83 and 31-304 of the Code of Miami-Dade County, Florida, revising provisions relating to the temporary and permanent removal of chauffeurs from the Ambassador Cab Program, revising eligibility requirements, providing conditions under which chauffeurs removed from the Ambassador Cab Program may reapply, making technical and conforming changes, providing for severability, inclusion in the code, and an effective date.

I have one public speaker card on behalf of 1G1. Akhtar Kamal, please approach. You'll have two minutes. Please give us your name and your address. If I'm pronouncing that incorrectly, I apologize in advance. Mr. Akhtar Kamal, you are recognized on 1G1. No. I don't see anyone either. Gentlemen, would you like to be recognized on 1G1? I see you standing up.

Ready?

Are you speaking on item 1G1?

I'm a member of the public. You said it so fast. I'm here to speak on a topic.

Oh, no, it has to be an item on the agenda, and I don't have a public speaking card for you unless you're Mr. Akhtar Kamal. I'm sorry?

To the financing of everything and anything at the airport and... And the port Miami.

Okay. Uh, now is your opportunity. You're recognized on one G one. You'll have two minutes. Please give us your name and your address.

Okay. I don't know. And I thought I shrunk. Okay. I'm Broswell, Eric Hector Broswell, 11979 Southwest 92nd Lane, Miami, Florida, 33186. Standing here is a 33-year veteran who worked in the security enforcement division of a major multi-billion dollar machine, you might say, economic machine of this community and of this country. Now, what I heard about financing this, financing that, passing the budget, it's not going to improve, particularly for airport, seaport directors, just like the executives of the private and public sector, unless the tariffs that were imposed in 2025, are reduced because they have caused a major economic and individually speaking financial harm in this country and in this community of its citizens. So the citizens have to band together, back up the public officials, go to Congress, and tell them to reduce the tariffs to a more normal, economic, and affordable level. For every person and company, corporation, the agencies, even the individual working men and women. So you're going to have to tell Congress to pick up their balls and pass the tariff over the objection of the President of the United States. You do it for your country, as John Kennedy used to say, ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country. That's it.

Thank you. Mr. Kamal, you are recognized. Two minutes, please give us your name and your address.

Good afternoon, respected commission. My name is Akhtar Kamal. I live 1940 Northwest Folklor of Miami, Florida 33136. I'm here to speak against the ambassador program. Kindly note facts as they stand today. After the arrival of TNC, transport network companies like Uber and Lyft, it is nearly impossible for a taxi driver to make a profitable living. If the taxi driver is prevented from working at the MIA and seaport, therefore removing a driver from MIA or the seaport essentially means making him jobless. Under the ambassador program, if a taxi driver gets two tickets, then he could be removed from MIA as well as from the Port of Miami. Based upon my observation of several years, that if a taxi driver files a complaint against a, files a complaint, then he is targeted by the crew and based upon my observation, he is targeted to be written more citation. Based upon my observation, most of these tickets are issued based upon the likeness and dislikeness of a driver. If a driver stands up for himself, taxi himself then he is disliked and written more tickets in reference to such a citation on may 22nd 2026 i filed a formal complaint against the starter at the mia for targeting me and issuing me a citation for dress code violation accusing me that i was wearing a chimp pack similar to this And it is not allowed under the ambassador program. I beg the officer- Thank you, Mr. Kamala. That I have an enlarged hernia.

Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Public hearing on item 1G1 is now closed to my colleagues. Any comments or discussions on item 1G1? Seeing none, clerk please call the roll.

Commissioner Gilbert?

I vote yes for now.

Commissioner Hardiman? Commissioner Millian-Orbis. Yes. Vice Chairman Gonzales.

For.

Chairwoman Quinn-Higgins.

I vote yes on 1G1.

Motion passes unanimously.

Thank you to my colleagues. Are there any items on this morning's agenda that you'd like to bifurcate or discuss?

Madam Chair, I don't necessarily want to bifurcate. I do want to get an update from the airport director because I understand he's here. And also, I believe that Asmar, as he was leaving, he was saying something about being unfairly a ticket or something. If somebody could talk to him down there and figure out what that was, it'd be great. Madam Chair, the last committee meeting we had, I think, for airport was actually at the airport. And there was a situation we were briefed on with regard to one of the employees and one of the companies, and we had expressed our opinion on it. And I wanted to see if there was an update on that, please.

Thank you Commissioner Gilbert and thank you for bringing that up. I too would like to hear an update to the director. Do you know what Commissioner Gilbert is referring to? We had certain unions that were present. There was one story in particular that stood out that a number of us had some real concerns about and I think our message at that hearing was pretty clear. And so if you could provide us with an update, we'd greatly appreciate it.

Sure, yes I do, Madam Chairman. So Commissioner, immediately after that meeting, I reached out personally to the representatives of AGI, the company that was discussed at the meeting. And I shared not only verbally their concerns with them, but we also forwarded the SEIU's written concerns in an email that I sent them myself. Shortly thereafter, AGI, the firm in question, replied. They developed a 10-page response. They responded back to us. We immediately had a meeting to discuss those responses with the SEIU and the deputy mayor. We met with them. And then subsequent to that meeting, We went ahead and reached back out to AGI. In the interim, I think on Saturday, this past Saturday, AGI has filed a lawsuit against the SEIU. So as far as whether or not the gentleman has been hired again, I did impress upon AGI's representative the desires of this board, yourself, the chairwoman, and Commissioner Gonzales that this individual needs to be rehired. I did make that point to them very strongly. I'm not aware, and I don't know if they are aware if he's been rehired or not.

Can we have them come up? I think- Sure. Elaine is, yeah.

So anyway, now there's a lawsuit that's been filed on Saturday. That's kind of the end of my update because that's where we stand as of yesterday.

All right, that's great, thank you. Thanks so much. Good morning, Chairwoman, county commissioners. Thank you for this opportunity to be heard. I come today to follow up on one of the issues that was raised at last month's meeting regarding the conduct of a company operating at the airport. That company was AGI. AGI responded to our facts about workers' reports of health and safety concerns. and AGI worker Pedro Fometa with a ten page letter of spin and inaccuracies that I'll clarify. We explained last month that AGI terminated Mr. Fometa when he requested time off to care for his wife who had just been diagnosed with cancer. Mr. Fometa was the only AGI employee who directly went to the company and requested a copy of their OSHA 300 logs. About a month later, when he requested the time off for his wife, within a few weeks, AGI then terminated him. AGI claims that he failed to maintain communication with his employer. We have call logs here that show Mr. Formetta called his supervisor at least eight times, on top of going directly to AGI's HR office twice when he was out with his wife at the hospital. AGI also claims that his last day, with the company was March 26th. I have here copies of bank records that show he was paid throughout April and corroborate that he worked until the day his wife was rushed to the hospital on April 22nd. AGI claims that Mr. Frometa's son, Rykel, who also works for AGI, requested leave with better communication and attendance accountability. So they approved his request and did not fire him. I have here Rykel himself who would tell you that he did not request time off to care for his dying mother because he had to work his two full time jobs to make up for the loss of income from his father who was caring for his mother. AGI did allow him to take unpaid time off to assist his dad in the funeral and burial of Mr. Prometa's wife and Rykel's mother. We believe this company is a bad actor, and we thank you so much for allowing us to give you an update today on that matter.

Okay, thank you. AGI, so AGI is the backhandlers that, I guess they work with us or for us, for the county?

They have two permits to operate at the county, one in cargo, which is where Mr. Fremetta, both Mr. Fremetta and his son work, and they also have a GASP.

Okay, what's the process for debarment for those type of companies? Because independent of him requesting the OSHA information, I find it offensive that someone's wife was dying from cancer and you fired them. I find that offensive. And so to the extent that our governance reflects our values, that's outside the paradigm that I would understand to be acceptable values. We've expressed ourself previously in as nice a way as it was going to be expressed by me at least. So what are those procedures?

Commissioner, under the county code, there are a variety of listed acts that can support a debarment. There is a catch-all this might fit under. We could certainly look at that. Notwithstanding that, AGI, I believe, does not have any contract with the county. They're operating under permits, self-service to third parties, which gives us potentially certain other flexibility, which we can look at as well.

Thank you.

Thank you for that update. To my colleagues, any bifurcations on this morning's agenda? I'll entertain a motion on the entire agenda. It's been moved. It's been moved. It's been seconded. All those in favor signify by saying aye. Anyone wish to be recorded? No. The agenda carries. To the attorneys, any unreadiness or any unfinished business before the body this morning? Okay, I believe we have. I believe we have budget presentations by Miami International Airport, Port Miami, and the Miami Dade Economic Advocacy Trust. Can we commence with Miami International Airport, please?

Okay, thank you, Madam Chairwoman. So as you know, the Miami-Dade Aviation Department operates what we call the Miami Airport System, which is comprised of Miami International Airport proper and four general aviation airports, Opelika Executive on the north end of town, Miami Executive Airport on the south end, Homestead General Aviation Airport. deeper south in Homestead, and also they call your training and technical airport TNT, which was until recently being used as Alligator Alcatraz, that's now closed down. So that is what comprises the Miami airport system. We operate as a financial self-sustaining entity, so we do not receive Any funding from the property taxes or property tax rolls are from the general fund, and I think everybody's aware of that. So we just recently had, we've completed our fourth straight year of 50 plus million passengers, including 56 million, our best year ever back in 2024, and 55.3 million last year. So excellent growth on the passenger side. We also just completed our sixth straight record breaking year in cargo volume. We moved about 3.5 million tons of cargo last year. That was a 13.6% increase over the previous year. We're currently trending about 12% over last year's number, so huge growth on the cargo side as well. So if you combine those two things, that has yielded some really impressive improvements in our rankings, not only domestically but nationwide. Airport Council International is the entity that keeps track of aviation statistics nationwide. So we improved it eight of 12 different areas. We maintain our position as the number two airport for international passengers in the country. We bumped up two spots from 10 to 8 for total overall passengers in the U.S., and we bumped up a couple of spots as far as total number of operations. So we are at number 9 now in the top 10 as far as busiest airfields in the country. So great news on that end. On the cargo side, even more impressively, we maintained our position as the number one airport in the U.S. for international freight. We bumped up two spots from 3 to 1 for total freight in the U.S., very significant because we leapfrogged both Memphis and Louisville, which are the headquarters of FedEx and UPS. So great news on that. And so we're currently number one in international freight, number one in total freight, and number two in total cargo freight and mail in the country. We bumped up one spot in total cargo. Internationally, we also did very well. We bumped up from five to four in international freight, from six to three in total freight, and from six to four in total cargo freight and mail, and two spots as far as operations to number 11. So All of that, the reason I'm sharing the rankings is all of that translates to our latest economic impact numbers, which I think, Madam Chair, when we released and we mentioned to you in one of our briefings. Currently, we represent $212.1 billion and 950,000 jobs annually. So we are, right now, the state of Florida's number one economic engine. So very good news on that end. All of that has translated to really outstanding. We just received a couple of months ago our latest bond ratings from our bond rating agencies. And we are A plus or A minus all with positives or stable outlooks with a lot of our bond ratings. So really, really financially stable. And that is a direct result of not only our customer service improvements, but also our financial stability, our growth, and our projected growth moving forward. So really good news on that end. We recently were named in 2025 the most improved mega airport in North America by J.D. Power, an independent. organization so really good news on that end so financially I think we're in very good shape as far as accomplishments I think you had asked me to share where we are on the capital side last December we opened up the our new Ibis garage six months ahead of schedule under budget we're currently on schedule on Concourse K which we broke ground on last June scheduled that schedule to be completed in fall of 29 and then we also have central terminal Well, we have Central Terminal in final design, scheduled to break ground on that in 2028. And D60, which is we're ready to advertise the design and build contract for that now in August. And that's a $1.1 billion project. So that's an update on where we're at on the capital side. As the mayor mentioned, our $14 billion capital program, that is moving forward. So far to date, we've spent nearly $2 billion for projects already completed or in progress. And we have also... The program itself, the 15-year program, really getting a lot of traction moving forward on the capital side. On the modernization side, we've made tremendous strides. And as you know, for example, on the conveyances, as the mayor mentioned, we're 95% operational. We are, as of this date, we have replaced about 90 units total. To give you an idea why that's significant, in 2023 and 2024, We replaced 32 units in two years. In 2025, we replaced 36 in one year. And the current pace of completion is about 40 to 45. So we have reset the goal with the vendor, really making a lot of good progress on that. You've seen some of the sky ride, moving walkways with the terrazzo flooring. Really good job. So not only have we Really improved the rate of completion by more than 100%, but we're currently at 95% operational, which is way better than we were a couple of years ago at 85%. So great news on that. On the restroom side, we've completed 50 restrooms to date. Plus or minus, there's a little typo there. It should be 50, not 60. But we have currently about 45 in permitting, 500 construction, and another 95 in design. So really making a lot of progress on the restroom renovation side as well. And then on loading bridges, we have 33 completed, $235 million investment in that regard. And we have about 33 and another 10 currently that we have under contract to replace this year. And another 15, which we're getting ready to award to the board probably in September or October, that award. So on the capital side and modernization side, tremendous growth, tremendous news. Some key issues that we have, and we can go to that slide, Tony, please. One of the biggest issues we have is essentially the land constraints that we have. Our real estate team is doing a phenomenal job trying to acquire as much land as we can. We have approximately an estimated 240 acre shortage for our facilities that we'll need as part of the CIP for Parking, construction parking, material lay down area, staging, etc. So we are working very, very hard, our team, to acquire as many properties adjacent to and or around MIA to be able to address that concern. That's one of the biggest concerns. And we've applied a lot of technology. You've seen our new holograms, which were mentioned before. So as far as customer experience, we're making a lot of strides in that regard. So future outlook. Long-term projections, we're looking at 77 million passengers by the year 2040. And I will tell you that cargo number, if we maintain that 12%, that'll put us at almost 4 million tons of cargo at the end of this year. So I think that 4 million tons by 2040, we're going to blow that out of the water. That's kind of an overall overview of where we are, our accomplishments, kind of the direction we're heading. I think the fact that the bond rating agencies rated us so high and with such positive outlook, I think is a reflection of not only our growth, but our community, the growth of our market, the resilience of our market. And I think so far, the future's bright. And again, we don't receive any funds from the county's general fund, so.

Thank you, Director. Any questions for our Director regarding the budget update from Miami International Airport? Thank you very, very much. I don't have any questions. Can our seaport please approach for a brief budgetary update? You also are a proprietary fund, which we understand, not general fund tax dollars. If you could give us a brief update regarding the financial health of Port Miami.

Good morning.

And Director, how much time do you think you'll need for this?

Five minutes.

Okay, that'll be great, thank you.

And as you stated, and Mr. Cuddy stated similar, we're proprietary revenue driven, no property tax funding, and driven by contracts, which I will briefly go over here. The template starts off with our vision and mission. And Ports of Miami's mission is to generate economic benefits for the county and its residents through maritime commerce. 340,000 jobs, there are 340,000 direct and indirect jobs, and approximately 61 billion in annual economic value generated by the port. The port is committed to exceeding and aligning its vision and mission with its maritime partners to ensure they reflect the industry priorities. Our major functions, we are known as the cruise capital of the world and the cargo gateway of the Americas. The department is responsible for managing terminal operations, berthing, and passenger boarding for over 20 cruise lines, facilitating the movement of containerized cargo while serving a vital north, south, and east-west trade. The department customers serves two customer segments, cruise and cargo. The port's cargo partners top priority is operational efficiency. The department's primary cruise customers are the top industry leaders, 20 cruise line brands who have preferentially birthing rights agreements with the port.

Director, yeah, I don't necessarily want you to read from the, I really would prefer just kind of a macro financial outlook if you could hone in on that. Thank you.

Well, as again, the revenues generated by these customers and accomplishments, I do want to point out our accomplishments. The port record had a record of 8.564 million passengers. Welcome more than 1 million passengers a day. That's very significant and it's shown in the increase of our revenue. We're going to be bringing to you an item next BCC to issue an additional bond to move forward our capital improvement plan. And we are financially sound and that will be reflected in the item that we bring to you. The key issues, if you can see there, I won't go in each detail, but we do need to make some investments in our infrastructure, primarily cranes, bulkhead replacements, and of course, the key issue of maintaining control of and supply of fuel to our stakeholders. And our priority initiatives, develop a competitive cargo incentive program, invest in infrastructure as I mentioned, and to remain fiscally responsible and efficient. And I will be taking that on as the Chief Financial Officer and explaining as we go through the process in more depth as needed if you have any questions on how we will accomplish that. Thank you.

Thank you. Any questions or comments for Port Miami? Seeing none, thank you so much. I think our final presentation is from the Miami-Dade Economic Advocacy Trust. If you can please approach and tell us how much time you'll need for your presentation. Good morning and welcome. Actually, it's good afternoon. So good afternoon and welcome.

Good afternoon, Commissioner. How are you? I'll only need five minutes. We'll be very short. The Miami-Dade Economic Advocacy Trust considers ourselves to be the go-to organization for economic development within the Miami-Dade County area. We have really four different areas that we focus on. Economic development, youth services, housing, and research and policy. We've done a tremendous job this past year because needless to say, with economic development, basically we provide grants and procurement opportunities to small businesses within the community. Our overall efficiency looks very much like Miami-Dade County in regards to race, ethnicity, class, and welfare issues. So consequently, about 85% of the grants that we give on the housing side as well as on new services and economic development look the same way. Housing has been a great opportunity for us as this past year, if you will, that we have given out a tremendous amount of grants to down payment assistance as well as to rehabilitation. And we believe that rehabilitation is the way to go because we needless to say, there are a lot of people that are unable to afford the opportunity for Continue to live in some of the homes that are there. So dilapidated houses. We have an emergency construction program where we are putting small businesses, construction companies to work through this program. And it goes throughout all the different commission districts. We've had a tremendous amount of success with that. And as well as with an economic development, we've had over 500 firms that have come to us. over 14 workshops within our community that have helped to provide grants to them to continue to spur economic development in all the communities. Our research and policy department which receives less than 8% of general fund dollars. We are using that to continue to spur economic development. As a matter of fact, right now we are in the midst of doing a feasibility study to bring Howard University's first of its kind satellite college into Miami-Dade County, and we are focused on that effort. It's one of the great things that we've done. There's been a tremendous amount of increase in regards to the amount of intellectual capacity that our department is delivering to outside agencies that are interested in moving into Miami-Dade County. This past year, we forged a wonderful, wonderful partnership with housing and Nathan Cogan and his organization whereby there have been some hard to place mortgage loans that we are working directly with them because of the amount of outreach that we're doing throughout the community. Our key issues is really moving our department into the 22nd century in regards to technology. Because of that, we've been able to really beta test a lot of small different programs that other departments are now beginning to take advantage of in regards to technology around tying our loans into the title companies. Because in the past, many different banks and title companies would not take the paper that Miami-Dade County Organization, because we were so paper intensive, and now we've moved toward a technologically advanced network. That looks very much like private industry. We've had tremendous success with that. And because of that, now we are moving loans that used to take us up to 90 days short of 30 days. So, in the past 3 years, we've seen a tremendous increase in regards to activity for. those people that are now looking for down payment assistance that are middle income and below. And we've created partnerships with those title companies to allow for us to do that. We've taken some of the private industries, if you will, best practices, and we're now able to utilize them across our ability to connect directly with the different departments that otherwise could not see that process taking place.

Thank you very much, Director. Any questions or comments for Mr. Diggs? Seeing none, thank you for the presentation. Thank you. To the attorneys, is that the last on our agenda for this afternoon?

Yes, Madam Chair.

Okay, thank you. I'd like to request that item 3G be advanced to the July 21st calendar. I know it's subject to the discretion of our chair, but I'd like 3G advanced if possible. If nothing further, we are adjourned. Thank you so much, everyone.