Recreation, Tourism, and Resiliency Committee - Regular Meeting

Garcia will be absent from today's meeting. Commissioner Bastian?

Here.

Commissioner McGee? I agree. Commissioner Regalado? Present. Vice Chairwoman Steinberg? Yes. Three members present, we have a quorum.

Excellent, thank you so much. All right, welcome to our Recreation, Tourism, and Resiliency Committee. Before we begin, I'm going to have a moment of silence and reflection. We've had some terrible tragedies recently, and we want to make sure that we give it its due respect. And then we will have our guest member, Commissioner Bermudez, lead us in the pledge after.

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

Thank you. All right. We're going to start with reasonable opportunity to be heard. That will be on any item that is not a public hearing item. So at this time, let me see. I have cards for our public hearing items, but if anybody has something that they would like to come up and say, this is your opportunity. All right, seeing no one approaching. Reasonable opportunity to be heard is now closed. I guess I will ask the attorneys, do we have any additions, edits, anything you'd like to tell us before we set the agenda?

Yes, the items to be considered today are those on the printed final agenda with the following changes. There are six add-ons, 1G1 supplement, 1G2 supplement, 1G2 supplement number two, 3C, 3D, and 3E. There has also been a request from the sponsor of item 1G1 and its supplement to defer the item to the October 14th committee meeting. With these changes, a motion to set the agenda is in order.

Do I have a motion to set the agenda? All right, moved by Commissioner Bastian to move, okay, to set the agenda. Seconded by? Happy to second it. Commissioner Regalado. So with the setting of the agenda, anybody who came to speak on public hearing item 1G1, The maker of the ordinance has requested a deferral and as we just set the agenda it will be now deferred until October.

As a point of order, since the maker is here, can we give like a few comments? Because if you're going to be working on it, I have a lot. I have a lot. So, I mean, I get it. We don't want to have the public hearing because then we won't be able to have the public hearing. But I would love to speak on 1G1 if possible.

It has been deferred, but I'll entertain just a quick, if you want to give him some guidance, just if he's working on some amendments or anything, or to just put on the record, you can just quickly go through that. We'll have public hearing in October when the item will be heard.

Okay.

Perfect. I will do that.

So, Commissioner, I understand where you're coming from. I get the frustration. But at the same time, I think it's a horrible idea to create a process that lives on a director's desk. I mean, you are one of the people that complains the most about not having access to information. So I think that this would create something very similar. It also concerns me that There is no requirement to have an agreement with county government on these things. So I think that there is another path that you could speak to staff about. We did find, and Abby has the information, but I don't want to take everyone's uptime with that. But there was a variance that was sought from the EQCB. And that variance created a situation where they sent out notice and then they did it with the because I get it. What you're saying is people are held hostage, right? And you don't want a hostage situation, but it's so important for us. to have a public record that is accessible to everyone on these lands and with the state of these lands and the impact that it has on water so i'm concerned that this is like a slippery slope so i think maybe the eqcb is a way to do it where you would request a variance there but definitely i think that if it's owned by miami-dade county it's different because we are the record keeper but i think if it's open to all governments or government lease Like, how does a person even know how to connect those dots? I mean, we lose information in this system. Can you imagine somewhere else? So so I have a lot of concerns about it, but I'm happy to find to help, like, find a path forward. I think I talked to staff about other options and I think the and a variance and maybe tweaking that right might be a way for us to still have the notice and the transparency, the public hearing. Right. Without eviscerating kind of the whole purpose of this, which is necessary information on the quality of our water and the impact that certain properties have on it.

Thank you. Thank you, Commissioner. And so I recommend maybe a sunshine meeting so you all can discuss potentially.

Yeah, I'm fine with both recommendations. The transparency is fine. The issue, obviously, it has to be a process that I just don't want it to be delayed. I've had terrible experiences of the EQCB in the past. It's not a secret, not even as an elected official in general. So what I don't think governments, but particular governments that are trying to do the right thing should be

uh really held hostage but i'm open to discussing the process that we can get this thing moving along all right if you want we'll have a sunshine and we can talk about all the different options thank you so much and now the item is officially deferred so i want to just thank um aaron cover and amanda prieto who signed up to speak on 1g1 you will have a full opportunity to speak when it comes in front of us in october and whatever foreman comes in front of us All right, thank you. So moving on, we're going to take item 1G2, because I will now be opening up public hearing for item 1G2. And we have James Murley, who is here to speak on item 1G2. Chairwoman, may I please read the titles of the items for public hearing? That would be very helpful. Thank you. I appreciate that.

Thank you. The items for public hearing today are the following. Item 1G2 is an ordinance creating the Miami-Dade County Boater Safety and Bay Education Advisory Board, creating Article 172 of Chapter 2 of the Code of Miami-Dade County, Florida, providing for the composition and duties of the board and other related matters, providing severability and inclusion in the code and an effective date. Item 1G3 is an ordinance relating to environmental protection, amending sections 24-5, 24-18, and 24-43 of the Code of Miami Dade County, revising a definition authorizing administrative approval of emergency generators for healthcare facilities and food stores within a well-filled protection area subject to certain conditions, providing severability inclusion in the code and an effective date.

Thank you. James, you're recognized, two minutes.

Good morning, Madam Chair, members of the committee. My name is James Murley, 1890 Southwest 21st Street, Miami, Florida 33145. I'm honored to be Mayor Cava's designee on the Miami River Commission, where I also serve as Vice Chair. I speak this morning on behalf of item 1G2, ordinance creating the Miami-Dade Boater Safety and Bay Education Advisory Board. Creation of the board will fulfill the Miami-Dade County's Boating Safety and Bay Education Task Force first overarching recommendation. If the board chooses to create this board, they will be able to move forward with and review all the other excellent recommendations that the task force provided. Many of those recommendations are important to the marine, recreational, and commercial interests on the Miami River, especially those addressing charters operating on the river en route to the Biscayne Bay. On September 14th, at the monthly publicly notice meeting of the Miami River Commission, we will take up a report containing advisory comments on all the task force recommendations and provide that document to the mayor and the board for your consideration. In conclusion, Madam Chair, the Miami River Commission recommends that if you choose to create this board, that when the mayor and board consider individuals To fill the nine slots mentioned in the draft legislation That someone from the Miami River be included in one of those positions the issues on the river are certainly Not unique but they are somewhat special from the rest of the bay issues Thank You madam chair Thank you.

Anybody else wish to speak on either 1g2 or 1g3 the two public hearing noticed items? I Seeing no other cards, seeing no other people approaching the well, public hearing is now closed. Anybody would like to bifurcate either item? Yes, Commissioner Regalado.

I just have a few questions for staff on 1G2. I don't have an issue with the other one, so if I can bifurcate that one.

Happy to move the other one. All right, 1G3 moved by Commissioner Regalado, seconded by Commissioner Bastien. Please call the roll.

Commissioner Bastien? Yes. Commissioner Regalado? Yes. Vice Chairwoman Steinberg? Yes. Motion passes unanimously.

Okay, thank you. 1G2. All right, so 1G2, if I could have Durham come up.

Madam Chairwoman.

Yeah.

Rashid Istanbuli, Deputy Director, Durham.

Thank you. Through the Chair, so listen, I get it. There was a few things on here that were not mentioned that have come up. Liveaboards, mooring, enforcing existing Durham rules. And those have come up on the days, so I would love for this board to take that up. It concerns me that we keep creating boards and they all cost money. This one's coming out of Durham. I think that we should be rolling up boards, not creating more boards. And obviously, but I get, I spoke to staff and I understand that other boards are being hijacked with these issues. So I understand why you're creating this. But I just want to make sure that we're looking at everyone who benefits from it and if they're participating in it, right? This board in particular adheres to the benefit not just of Miami-Dade County, but also of the city of Miami and Miami Beach. And I don't see those folks participating financially in these creatures that we create and then have to house forever and ever and ever. It doesn't have, what is the sunset provision? Obviously, you have a task force, you plan to Keep it going forever. Do we know how much it's gonna cost and we know it's like staff and all that stuff but ideas

Through the chair? I don't have those figures readily available, Commissioner, but I have staff here that could speak to that. Now, to your earlier point with respect to the need for this particular board, there is a specific group of stakeholders associated with that. Obviously, I know that you read the item, so this is primarily and solely focused on border safety and safety on the waters. versus other boards that are more scientific in nature with respect to water quality, the bay, more of issues that we're seeing with respect, obviously in the same waters, but under a different lens on the water quality side.

I agree. I'm just saying, and we'll circle back to the liveaboard, but I really think we need to put in some time on the Marine Safety Patrol and also where these things kind of intersect, right? Because what a boater is doing in terms of their sanitary sewer on their boat, is not related to boater safety, but is related to the activities that are happening on the water, right? So there are like intersections, the same thing with like the moorings and what are happening with the moorings. So I don't wanna mix apples and oranges. I just wanna make sure that when we're dealing with boater safety, we're also having, some connectivity to those other things because we have, we have a tendency to get a little myopic on it, you know, and I get it. There's stakeholders that want to restrict particular things, but those actors are also participating in other activities. So I just want to be cognizant of that. Um, and, and I think there, there might be a fee schedule, right? So I don't know where exactly inside Durham this is coming from, but I think we need to be tying this to something. So if there's like a boater permit, there's like something a nexus would make me feel much better that we're somehow tying it to that fee and that we're not taking it generally out of Durham funds because I don't want it. You know, we don't have money for EO. We don't have money for a lot of things inside Durham. So I don't want like the tail wagging the dog. So if there is a way to figure out some sort of fee structure where this comes out of.

Point taken, Commissioner.

Thank you. Thank you. And I'm happy to move it. You know, I'm happy to move it.

Thank you for your comments. Yes, Commissioner Bastian.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'd like to thank you for this item. I think it is a much needed board, especially in light of recent events on our orders. I'd like to be noted as a co-sponsor.

Not a problem. Thank you. So, no, and I appreciate the comments, and I understand where you're coming from, and obviously this has a lot of meaning to a lot of members of our county in terms of, you know, they were charged with specific recommendations, and we've received those recommendations, and so it's also there. They're going to be meeting quarterly, not monthly, and it's really to just keep in mind all the recommendations and all the good work that the task force has done created so that it doesn't fall by the wayside. So someone's there actually making sure that they're present and on top of it and making sure that all those recommendations are being followed through so that we hopefully save lives. But thank you so much for those recommendations. And I would like someone to move it, please. Move it. Happy to move it. Second by Commissioner Bastien. Please call the roll.

Commissioner Regalado? Yes. Commissioner Bastien? Yes. Vice Chairwoman Steinberg? Motion passes unanimously.

Thank you. And now we're going to get to the rest of the agenda. Does anybody have any items that they wish to buy for Kate regarding the balance of the agenda?

Um, I just wanted to pick up sponsorship, uh, for three a and three C. Okay. Um, and then to be, um, I'd like to, to speak on it. The maker's not here, so I'll just put my comments on the record. But other than that, happy to move the balance.

Okay, so you are going to be noticed as sponsored. Any comments or questions, Commissioner Bastien? No? Okay, so if we will, we were going to pass the balance of the agenda, but we're going to get commissioner. Regalados comments on to be real quickly. Okay, perfect. That's what I was gonna say.

So, so to be, I think it's a good idea. I think that we should not just focus on the municipalities. I think that there's a. There's an opportunity to also add Miami-Dade County public schools. So that's my recommendation to the maker. And given the cost of animal services, I think that we should tailor some of these items to focus on in-kind and partnerships before we start drawing. You know, this does have a fiscal impact. So I would like us to focus on that before we actually start spending money. I think we need to start putting that specifically in these items. It's a great idea, but what's it going to cost, right? So there's a lot that we can redo with partnership and some in kind work. So I would like, um, the item to be amended to prioritize that before we go spending animal services money on that. Um, so that's all to the maker. Okay. So yes, you're recognized.

Yeah. Thank, thank you commissioner. Um, absolutely. We'll take that into consideration. We're happy to work with your office as well. Um, we think we can do all of this with existing resources.

Perfect. Thank you. Thank you so much. Do I have a motion for the balance of the agenda?

Move it.

Seconded by Commissioner Bastien. All in favor?

Aye.

Show it passed by acclamation. Any other comments or questions before we adjourn? Seeing none. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you so much.

Have a great day.