City Commission - Regular Meeting

Good evening, everyone, and welcome. Today is Tuesday, May 19th, 2026. The time is 7 p.m. We will now call to order the meeting of the South Miami City Commission. If you could please silence or turn off your cell phones, we would be grateful. Madam Clerk, if you can call the roll, please.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. If we could please stand for a brief prayer followed by the pledge led by Commissioner Kaye. Since we just celebrated Law Enforcement Week, I thought we'd offer a prayer up for our police officers. Almighty God, whose great power and eternal wisdom embraces the universe, watch over all the members of our law enforcement community everywhere. Protect them from harm and the performance of their duty. Help them, we pray, keep our streets and homes safe day and night. Grant them strength and courage in their daily assignments, and unite them safely with their families after

OKAY. ANY OBJECTION TO DEFERRING ITEM 12 AS WELL, THEN? IS THERE A MOTION? I'LL MOVE IT. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. OKAY. SO A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER GAYA, A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ. EVERYONE'S QUICK TODAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. WITHOUT OPPOSITION, SHOW THAT ALSO DEFERRED TO JUNE 9th. YES. MR. VICE MAYOR, I'M ASSUMING HE'LL JUMP IN IF HE'S GOT ANY OBJECTION.

THANK YOU, SIR. OKAY. SO SHOW ITEMS 12 AND 14 DEFERRED TO JUNE 9. WITH THAT, LET'S OPEN UP THE FLOOR TO PUBLIC REMARKS. IF YOU'VE NOT SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC REMARKS, WE DO HAVE A SIGN-IN SHEET HERE IN THE FRONT. JOHN, WE HAVE A LIST.

Thank you, John. Okay, we've got Jessica Feingold next on the agenda, on the list. Excuse me. Good evening. Good evening.

Ma'am, I have a question for you because I'm drawing a blank. Totally my bad. There's a four-way stop on 80. It's on 59th. So it's one block over?

Yeah, those locations I have clear. I just didn't know where the stop sign was. Thank you. Any other questions?

Thank you. Commissioner, there's also two parks on one side, right? There's a Veterans Park on the south side, and there's Vance Smith Park on the north side.

Thank you. I just wanted to write it down.

Mr. Manager, just on that item, we have a capital improvements plan workshop on the 9th. Can we just make sure we add that to the list? And Chief, if you can get us the traffic crash data, Before that intersection, I know my daughter was involved in an accident at that corner last year. Yeah, no, so what happens is people get very comfortable with, they get accustomed to the four-way movement and stop a block down, and they assume it's a four-way stop and often will enter the intersection and a collision results. So that was the circumstance in the accident she was a passenger in. So thank you

Thank you, sir. Is there anyone else in the chamber who would like to address this commission in public remarks? Anyone else on the list, John? Are you here for an item, any of the land use items? Because we will recognize public comment at that time. Come forward quickly, sir.

He's here for Thelma. Oh, you are? Okay. He's here for Thelma Gibson.

There's a discussion item that you're here for. We'll recognize you at that time to speak.

MR. MARTIN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK NOW OR WHEN THE ITEM IS CALLED?

Thank you for your comments, sir. Good to see you again. Anyone else? I know we have Mayor Robina online. Seeing no one in the chamber, Mayor Robina, you're recognized if you'd like to unmute yourself, sir. Good evening.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Great to have you on. Thank you. Anyone else online, Madam Clerk?

And final call in the chamber, if there's anyone else who would like to address us in public remarks. Okay, seeing none, we will close public remarks. And Madam Clerk, if you could read F1 and Item 6, please, for the record.

Thank you. Chief Hatfield, you are recognized, sir.

Thank you, Chief. Colleagues, we've got an action item. Would anyone like to make any comments before we entertain a motion on item six? Please, you're recognized, sir.

I just want to make this brief. I've gotten to know Larry and Lisa over the last year and a half. We've shared some barbecue together. I didn't have Bacardi Limon. I couldn't do that. But good conversation, spent some time. And I think for me, it is an honor to be where I am right now to give you the honor you're about to receive. So thank you for everything you've done, and it's sad to see you go.

Thank you, Commissioner. Yes, ma'am, you're recognized.

You guys are really special. Larry and Lisa are special people to me because I know them here, there, everywhere. It's not often you run into people like you guys. And I appreciate you. And I'm thankful that I've gotten to know you and that you'll be here even when you're not here, because your name will be here. Hopefully, Lisa will be able to party, party, because you'll be retired. She can pretend kind of like she's retired. But in all seriousness, I think that you are what most South Miami police officers look up to, or at least should. I think you're a wonderful person who's, you know, bl

to put your name on a building means a lot and it was a decision that we all took and we we understood what it meant and in your career what you've done for the city for the people for the community for all the mayors all the commissioners the staff the presence that you have in the city is by far something that's felt not only seen but loved and it's an honor for us to decide that and and for future and forever wherever the building is and how soon we can get that thing built so it'll be such an honor to have your name on there representing what we appreciate and all the guys that are and guy

Oh, yeah, no problem. Mr. Vice Mayor, you're recognized. If you'd like to add some comments.

Thank you very much. I just wanted to say that. City, obviously residents are constantly praising our police and you've been a rock and a foundation there for such a very, very long time. And I'm so honored as well as Commissioner Rodriguez said to be able to give you this honor. So congratulations to you on your retirement. Congratulations to you as well, Lisa. And thank you very much.

So I'll close with yet another thank you. Chief Corbin, Lisa, I mean, I thought Chief Hatfield had it tough stepping into the shoes of Chief Landa, who I'm often told is the best politician in all of South Miami. Everybody loved that guy. He was on the street everywhere. I mean, I want to be as affable as he was, but it's your quiet leadership and your energy, Lisa, that really have been the bedrock of the department for as long as you've been with us. I could imagine a department, and without any disrespect to Chief Landau, without Chief Landau in the future, it's hard for me to comprehend ho

Is there a second? I'll second. A motion to approve item six by Commissioner Bonich and a second by Commissioner Rodriguez. Madam clerk if you can call the roll and then we'll call up chief Corbin and mrs. Corbin to be recognized to speak Yes Yes Yes Thank you, I think there were a couple other Cory's that voted yes in the background Chief Corbin come on up say a few words Lisa, please come on up

I think we may want to throw in a grill for the barbecue beyond the break. So, no, no.

Okay, Madam Clerk, if we can read into the record items 9, 10, and 11, and then we'll have the requisite quasi-judicial warnings read by counsel.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Oh, sorry. She's got to go 9 to 10. Yeah, please. My apologies.

If you can hold for a second, I forgot that I wanted to recognize Mr. Landsberg, who's also here for a good week. So, David, could you come on up? Sorry. And I'll deliver the proclamation personally to your house tomorrow because I forgot to tell the clerk to prepare it for me. Stay right there. I wanted to give you, if you don't know, we have the honor of calling one of our own, the President of Goodwill Industries of South Florida here, Mr. Landsberg, who is a resident of South Miami and a distinguished leader in our community, not just in his current role, but in his past role with the Miam

Before we let you go, One of my favorite experiences with Goodwill, I mean, if you've not been out to, they've got a fantastic, incredible facility where they provide commercial service laundry. We worked on a deal that unfortunately did not happen where we were hoping to employ Goodwill on a convention center hotel project. But the scale of the operation, 3,000 employees, the array of services that they provide to the community, I would invite my colleagues to go out there and visit with Mr. Landsberg and his team because it really is eye-opening. But my favorite all-time moment with Goodwill

Thank you, David. Again, thank you for your tremendous service to our community, for your leadership and goodwill. I mean, for me, that experience, I got to serve a mayor before in the city of Miami in 2009 who was the president of his conference of mayors. We hosted that conference here that year. They played in front of a house full of mayors at the Adrian R. Center, and there was not a dry eye in the place. It was really a fantastic experience. It's an incredibly talented group of musicians. And you're absolutely right. It was just the best example of the vast capabilities that neurodiverge

Yeah, yeah. Go ahead, Dan. Sorry. Mr. Landsberg, thank you. Two things. We just opened up a unique abilities board here in the city of South Miami where we're encouraging a lot of the community with unique disabilities And one of the major things that we've seen, and we just had a major summit and keep this game with a lot of different cities throughout Miami-Dade County, is how do we start incorporating a lot of these people back into the workforce? So I think you've already set a good example on how to start doing that. I would love to pick your brain, and if I can follow up on the mayor's s

Commissioner Rodriguez, you're recognized. Hello, David. How are you doing? So what is it that the Goodwill does to train these people to put them back into the workforce? How do you train them, if I may ask? Yeah.

So the reason I ask that is over the last few months, I've created a partnership, which is now South Miami and Miami Dade College, where Miami Dade College is offering free upskilling, basically certifying anybody who's interested. Most of these are for management positions. So if anyone that... you know, rises to the top that wants to seek a management position or something else. I mean, there's an array of positions or certifications that Miami-Dade County is offering. It's fully paid for. They do, one of the things that we did on the last, we've had a few seminars. The last one we did was r

THANK YOU. AND AGAIN, IT'S NOT ALL ROSES FOR MR. LANSBURY. HE'S GOT SOME CHALLENGES. IT'S BEEN A PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT YEAR. I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO THOSE ISSUES. I do want to invite you to speak to him because a lot of stuff that's happening at the federal level in particular is impacting his workforce. And I think it'd be just educational for you all to have a window into that conversation as well. So again, thank you for all your good work. Thank you. And let's come on up and invite your family to take a picture with us. All right. Thank you. Okay, Madam Clerk, then you can go back to rea

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Mr. City Attorney, you're recognized for the warning and swearing in.

I believe the members of the public are here to speak as well. Are there any other members of the public who also intend to speak on this item? If so, we do need you to stand and be sworn in as well.

No members of the public are going to speak on the item? Again, I just want to make sure everyone is sworn if they need to speak. OK, Ms. Thomas, would you turn on your camera, please, so you can be sworn in?

Ms. Thomas? Okay, we'll come back to her. All right.

You're welcome. I spoke with one of them today.

Thank you. I spoke with Ms. Reardon on Friday to ascertain what the status of board discussions of the neighbors and with counsel for the applicant today just to confirm that there was some sort of understanding between the parties. Thank you, Mayor.

I spoke with Developers Council briefly today, and I spoke with Ms. Reardon today about the project.

Great. Thank you. I, too, spoke with the Developers Council. That's all. Great. Thank you.

I spoke with the team virtually about two weeks ago, and then right before the last meeting, and I spoke with Michelle Reardon today as well.

Okay, we're ready to proceed. Mr. Alvarez, if you want to come up and present your understanding of any modifications to the project, we'd appreciate that. And then, colleagues, do you want to discuss all these items together? Yes. We do? Okay. So then we'll go through any modifications to the development agreement, if you can. Mr. Ruscio, thereafter? Okay. Thank you. Mr. Alvarez, good evening.

Colleagues? None? Commissioner Rodriguez?

Madam Commissioner, any questions? Mr. Vice Mayor, any questions? Mr. Roberts, just really quickly before you go, again, I just want to, on the facade facing 57th Avenue, again, the building has been recessed in sections? Yes. Okay, so basically they replicated the move on the western facade, on the eastern facade as well? Correct, and obviously larger aperture. Correct. With some spaces, okay. I think Commissioner Bonnich wants to confirm that she's looking at what the final version is. Yes.

Yeah, OK. May 12th. May 12th. Yes, it does. OK, for the record, we're looking at a drawing dated May 12th to confirm that that is the drawing being approved. OK. OK, seeing no further questions, would the applicant like to add anything for the record?

Colleagues, any questions of Mr. Fort Brescia? OK. Thank you, sir. Sorry, I lost my voice. It's OK. Thank you, sir.

Thank you, sir. Questions of the applicant? Yes, you're recognized.

We briefly discussed today that the landscaping around the building is beautiful, but people walk their pets. And so we need somewhere that has grass that is not the dog park so that people can take their pets to go to the bathroom. Like I mentioned to you earlier, I travel with my dog. And I was in Nashville, in downtown Nashville. And the area that I was at, I had to walk two blocks to find a patch of grass for my dog to go to the bathroom. That is, after staying in a hotel, that accepts pets. And so I said, if your building accepts pets, even just service animals, which by law we have to do

One of the things that we spoke about in the last meeting was the allocation or Keeping of the current trees. Is that still correct?

Okay Yeah, and I think the only other concern I had was the left turn. I think that's a big deal in the future reference colleagues I think that as as this building goes up and then we have the one railroad coming railroad Commons The cross streets of and what we're seeing with with the underlying activation I do foresee a lot of people from the community and from these students crossing that street on 57th a lot more. So I urge us to really look at the crosswalk sections along 57 corridor as we proceed with this new implementation.

I mean, one of my big ambitions, hopefully, for the CRA will be to enhance lighting and across connectivity across 57th Avenue and just improve the pedestrian condition generally in the Marshall-Williamson neighborhood. So yes, ma'am.

Yeah, because if I'm not mistaken, between Miller And all the way to Red Road Commons, the only place there is to cross the street is 64. And then 64, you hit the other light and the other light. And I think we've talked about this in the past. It's like Frogger. These kids are just jumping around.

And it's a concern the University of Miami has as well. They'd like to see us address it, which is why they were supportive of the CRA request. But I think more importantly, whether you're a student or you're a resident, getting across that segment is incredibly important. So it'll be a focus certainly of mine and all of ours, I think, as we go forward. Further questions? No, thank you. I just wanted to understand. First of all, thank you for the condition on the access for me. Part of my general acceptance of the design was the fact that the parking deck was not front and center in the presen

Again, I think we're kind of maybe trying to fix a condition that's not broken. We're assuming it's broken. And I think the friction of having cars on the street, just on the west side, we want to just ban parking on the east side. I understand that. If we can do that, I would say that we should not allow parking on the segment closest to the project. We don't want students parking on the street, but we don't want I wouldn't want to foreclose the possibility of residence parking on the west side, but I do think if that requires us to create a one-way condition, I wonder if it's actually a bett

I would say let's incorporate a condition for that as well. And then lastly, just quickly perusing the document, I did not see, is there a public access condition for the dog park at the rear of the building? I believe that was the intended. Is it memorialized anywhere in, again, the development agreement and or the resolution? It is.

If you could just highlight the condition before we close the conversation about it. I just want to make sure I've had a chance to review it. Those are my questions and comments. Mr. Vice Mayor, did you have anything you wanted to add? We have questions, sir.

Uh, no, I, I did notice that the, uh, I mean, I think the applicant didn't mention it with the increased, um, you know, uh, square footage on the green space, but there are two small carve out areas on the west side. Um, and the, and the dog park did get, uh, slightly extended. I believe they removed, uh, some, um, building there. Uh, is that correct as well? Okay. So, yeah, just highlighting that. I had to double-check the site plan again because it wasn't mentioned specifically, so I wanted to make sure it was still there. But thank you.

Thank you. Okay, perfect. Thank you. Okay. Lastly, Mr. Garcia, I've had a recent experience in the last 24 hours around the special exception and compliance with conditions. So I just want to make sure your client understands the language in Section 4 of the resolution. So before we close, I just want an affirmative statement that they understand that we do retain jurisdiction if they're not complying with the conditions to have a public hearing and revoke the authorization. So on the record, I believe everyone's been a person of their word and followed up, but want to make sure that my collea

Okay. Thank you, sir with that Let's open up the floor to the public if there's anyone who'd like to address the Commission on items 9 10 and 11 You're welcome to come forward sir, please Sir, have you been sworn in would you like to be sworn in or not? Okay, please come forward We'll swear you and anyone else the public would like to address the Commission in public as part of this public hearing Okay, if you could just please stand. Let's swear everyone in at one shot. Mr. McCants, if you want to come forward and get in line, that's two. Come on up. Sorry to make you wait. I just want to mak

I see Dr. Joyce Price. Dr. Joyce Price, did you want to speak on this item as well?

Just in case. Just want to make sure we get everyone. OK.

Oh, sir, if you can come back and just give us your name and address for the record, please. I apologize.

Mr. Dingle, thank you for coming. I appreciate it. Mr. McCants, good evening.

I'm sorry to interrupt you, but just to ask, they've made a representation as to pre-construction or construction hiring and operations hiring. So in your experience, what's a reasonable time prior to the start of both activities, construction commencement and operations, for them to hold the job fairs that they proposed?

We'll see what we can, we'll make that request.

Sure, I think we are, my intention to the CRA that we hopefully will have approved here in the next month is to examine those segments. And so I'm wholeheartedly in favor of creating that condition. And we have another, there's a student housing project that we are not gonna have. Any say over? Because it's happening in the unincorporated county, just on the site next door. And so, again, I think what your point is, we need to make sure we're coordinating all these elements so that that cross-axis works.

Thank you, sir. Anyone else who'd like to address this commission? Mr. McCance, second by the apple? Come on up.

It's a good point. I would normally be supportive of it. I don't know that we have the legal authority to require that any longer given preemptions by the state that were adopted this past year.

Nor do we have, I don't believe we even have the ability to enforce it if they even agree to it. So I think that's one of the, again, I don't want to, unfortunately, Tallahassee every year has been encroaching on our authority. And so I don't want to send a message out to the community that we're going to ask it and then we can't enforce it because at the end of the day, it's not that meaningful. But we hope, I think hopefully they've received the message that we want to make sure they're paying people fairly and at market rates.

Thank you, sir. Ms. Thomas, I see your hand raised. If you could unmute yourself, and we'll need you to be sworn very briefly. Mr. Attorney, you want to administer the oath one more time?

I do. Thank you, Ms. Thomas. The floor is yours. Good evening. Good evening, everyone.

Ma'am, before you start, just your name and address for the record, quickly.

OK, we'll close the public hearing on these items then. Mr. Garcia, would you like to address any of the comments made?

And lastly they're starting around just to clarify so six months before construction start and operations conventions. It was both. Okay.

I mean, if you are building a pretty substantial parking structure, I'm not sure what that's going to be, an element that's advanced first. But it certainly seems like an opportunity to park on site. On site. Potentially. OK.

Have you guys decided on the contractor as of yet?

I would like to work with the developers and the JMA with the help with finding contractors, setting up the career fairs and everything that we can do to help out. It's been successful in the past, and I would just like to keep on doing that, so I appreciate that.

Okay. Okay. Colleagues, final comments? Anything I've missed, Mr. City Attorney, Madam Clerk? Are we in the proper posture for a motion? Is there a motion on item 9, please? I'll move it.

No. So item 9 is the variance. So is there a motion to adopt the variance? I'll move it. Is there a second? I don't think so. Okay, but motion by Commissioner Kaye, a second by Commissioner Bonich. Thank you. Madam Clerk, if you can call the roll on item nine, please.

Thank you. Item 10, is there a motion? And the motion to be, it would be a motion to approve, if it's to approve, with the modifications discussed to the conditions, correct?

Correct, okay. Modifications to the amended resolution. So we have a motion to approve? With amendments. Okay, with the modifications, yes. Is there a second?

I'll second it. I keep looking at you, Brian, because I don't know if you're going to do it or not. Because you go, yes, but then you don't.

We have a motion by Commissioner Kaye, a second by Commissioner Moniz. Madam Clerk, if you can again call the roll on item 10.

Thank you. Okay, item 11 is the loan agreement. Is there a motion to adopt with the modifications discussed?

We have a motion and a second by Commissioner. The motion by Commissioner Kai is second by Vice Mayor Corey. There was one item that was mentioned by Mr. Dingell, I believe, regarding security and the hours. Are the hours of operation for the pool deck, is there a condition addressing that in the development agreement or the resolution? I'm sorry to bring it up at the last minute here. 10 o'clock. 10 o'clock. OK. So a motion and a second as modified. Madam Clerk, if you can call the roll on item 11, please.

Thank you very much. Thank you very much. OK. Well, moving on. Again, colleagues, we can take up item 13. Madam Clerk, if you could read that into the record.

Thank you. Mr. City Attorney, do you want to walk us through any modifications between first and second reading?

Okay. Colleagues, with respect to the changes, any questions?

Okay. Questions? You're recognized, ma'am.

Thank you. Are we going to be moving with the same idea of the signage being what it currently is? I know that we have initials and stuff like that.

So the signage, I mean, the signage is subject to the standards that I think are proposed in the ordinance. And as I understand it, there are directional limitations, correct? That's correct. That's where they have to be oriented. That's right. The constant of it is, I think, something that we have the legal authority to dictate.

even if it was something that was agreed upon originally?

It would have to be something that's proffered by the applicant if an applicant comes forward. When the applicant comes forward. Yes. So I don't think it's something we may, again, we may consider or ask for if an application manifests itself. But right now, I think it's not something that we can regulate affirmatively in the ordinance. If I'm speaking.

I just wanted to make sure. We had had initially the DRB approving the request subject to the standards that we have discretion over. I proffered the suggestion that we retain the jurisdiction. I want to make sure that's something the board wants to pursue, or do we want to leave it in the hands of the DRB?

Yeah. Mr. Attorney, the DRB also has jurisdiction, or they have quasi-judicial authority on the signage as well, right? So that will go through our community board for review and approval, is that correct? I remember that we've seen that at various places where we have to do signage approval.

And it's still, I mean, if it's, sorry, Mayor. If they would go, if they would do it later, does it still have to go through DRB or just? It would not have to go through DRB. so Sorry, it's just that we've been through this process where like you know the hand doctor that's on us one They came back through the DRB It was not approved through the ERP because of the signage being too too big we've also had through the DRB different scenarios where art or signage has been too big and it's been also Deemed not acceptable by the DRB now obviously they can bypass that going through the Commission or

Further questions? Mr. Vice Mayor? All good? Okay. Is there a motion? Public hearing. Public hearing. My apologies. So if there's any member of the public who would like to address this commission on item 13 on tonight's agenda, please come forward at this time.

Seeing no one in the chamber and no one online, we will close the public hearing. Colleagues, is there a motion with respect to item 13?

Okay. A motion by Commissioner Rodriguez. Is there a second? Apparently I am. I will make a second then. So a motion by Commissioner Rodriguez, a second by myself. Madam Clerk, if you can call the roll, please.

Thank you. Colleagues, if we can take M3, and then I will be excusing myself.

Sir, you're recognized. Well, this was, so as we have the facilities board, the health facility board, which Baptist has, I guess, funded that fund, we, I guess, we are required to DISTRIBUTE THAT MONEY TO HEALTHCARE, TO HELP OTHER HEALTHCARE FACILITIES. I KNOW WE ALWAYS HAD IN MIND TO HELP THE CLINIC, DR. SCOTT'S CLINIC. AND THEN I SPOKE WITH RENAL MARTIN WHO WAS HERE EARLIER TODAY IN REGARDS TO HELPING OUT THE THELMA GIBSON HEALTH INITIATIVE. SO I JUST BROUGHT IT TO THE COMMISSION TO SEE IF IT'S AN OPTION, IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE COMMISSIONER WOULDN'T WANT TO DO BECAUSE ULTIMATELY WE'RE T

THANK YOU. COLLEAGUES, ANY THOUGHTS WITH REGARD TO THIS? MADAM COMMISSIONER, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED.

Thank you. I've actually had offline conversations as well. I wonder if the best way for us to do this is in the meeting that we have like that first of the month, the first one that we have where we cover general items, if that's not something we discuss or if we bring it up as a whole so we can see how much money we have and kind of the ideas that we have individually for how to use those funds before we start to siphon them off. I think it merits maybe a little bit more collaboration and a better understanding of how much is there, what you're discussing, how much is it, what we need to do

This wasn't necessarily to make a decision today on what amount we're going to do. It's more of is this an organization that we're willing to help, kind of. And I agree with you. We can bring it up in one of our goals meetings and then discuss how much we have and who we can disperse it to and how much. Because at the end of the day, we would have the Thelma Gibson people come and actually ask us how much they need. But Why do that if it's not somebody we're willing to give it to? So that's basically why the discussion item came up.

Commissioner Bonici, I agree with you. I think that's a great way of getting that communication out there as well. Two other things I wanted to add to that communication once we have it was we do have a facility that we do clinical services for pediatrics. I know the building's in a little bit of needed of repair. I've asked the city manager to spread out maybe we can get the actual inspection report so we understand if there's any financial duties that we need to go respond, and this would be a good way of using that to add money. Secondly, I would love to understand, you know, as we progress

So just to close on this, I want to make a request of all of us when we put a discussion item on the agenda. And I think it's a laudable idea. It's an organization founded by certainly a titan of our community who we lost recently in Miss Gibson. Miss Gibson. So I have the utmost respect for her, their work, and the organization. But I think this is, you know, so we all are aware. I've gotten calls of concern from other organizations about the substance behind this item. And I find myself unable to address the concerns or alleviate those concerns because there's no information that's shared wi

So you're asking Commissioners Rodriguez and Kaye to do the estimating work based on the report that we've gotten?

Okay, let's see if we can advance that between now and June 9th is what I would suggest we put on that agenda and discuss what our options are then if there's no objection. Make sense? OK, thank you. With that, I'm going to turn over the gavel to Commissioner Bonnice, who's got a little bit of experience running meetings. So we'll lean on her past experience. Mr. Vice Mayor, no offense, but I figured it'd be easier for her to do than you not being in the room, based on my personal experience trying to chair a meeting remotely. And again, my apologies to everyone else. I just kind of tried to c

I'm ready to keep going. OK. I know that we have people here for certain numbers. So if you could tell me what numbers you're here for, we could try to maybe address those first before we get to the items that we're just having as a matter of course. Number four? OK. What about you guys? Do you know? 15. 15? 16. And 16. OK. See you. All righty. Let's go with.

Madam Commissioner, we're going to do the consent items. If we want to pull any consent items, we can just do them all at one shot.

Yeah. I don't need to pull any consent items. Do either of you? We're ready to vote on them as a whole. If you'd like to make a comment about it before we do that, that would be fine. we're voting for is part of the consent. So Nikki will read them through, and then we'll just vote on them as a block.

Do we have any comments we'd like to make about any of those, or are we ready?

Is there anything for item four with Juneteenth that you guys want to announce? Maybe we can announce it now?

Or if you'd like to wait till we vote and then give more information, I think we all know which way we're going. Okay. If I could have someone move the consent items.

Awesome. We have a first in Commissioner Kaye, second Commissioner Rodriguez. If we could please call the roll. Yes. Commissioner Kaye?

If you would like to come up and say anything about the Juneteenth celebration, we'd love to hear about it.

Wonderful. Any questions? Does anyone know?

Okay, then let's see. Let's take up number 15.

MR. Mr. Manager, do you have any comments, or are we bringing up Mr. Alvarez? Or you see the city attorney. He has comments.

I think if we go through the changes, it'll be easier. And then if we have questions about that, we'll elaborate further.

I mean, look, so just recently I started looking at the different opportunities south of 74th Street, where we have a density of 100 per acre, six stories, and it caters back and forth depending. So these units will fall in that scenario, especially when we're dropping down closer to the residential areas. Right. So I'm okay with this going through first reading, but I would love to get with you between first and second reading to kind of go this a little bit further and understand what we can and can't do. For example, I'm looking at some of the scenarios here, and we're not really taking int

No, I already told when we met, I like the idea of splitting up the building and if they go past the floor plate, they got to go all the way down. I'm happy with that.

I agree with you. And it's an interesting thing. I think we see, not so much here, but in other places where buildings are split up, and there's something going on below it, there's something going on. A bridge, there's something that's connecting these two buildings. It's not something that nobody's ever seen that isn't doable. It is very doable. So even if we're looking at saying, hey, you know what? The parking massing is what's kind of throwing this all off. I understand the concept of it, but I also think there's so many ways to skin a cat that for us to just stay with what we're seeing n

I can't see Commissioner, I can't see Vice Mayor Corey, so I don't know if he wants to say anything.

No, thank you. I just wanted to state my preference as well, splitting up the buildings. I know that creates a lot of challenge with parking and with viability to develop. But if we can work on a solution that works that way, I think that would be my preference.

The only challenges that I'll tell you my colleagues is that when you take away a lot of that space, it doesn't come as viable to build. So we just got to take that into consideration. I'll give you an example of something that I saw that it's really close. It's right across the street from Subtext. So across the street from Subtext is University of Miami, and they have five and six-story buildings there, all condos, very quaint, trees everywhere aligned, and it's quiet. And I think that if we look a lot of the community south of 74th Street or along 62nd Avenue, I would love to see something

That's why I remember is it close to us I'm trying to like if you had a gauge where is it closer to 64 is it like closer to I'll tell you right now

Okay. Did you all hear that? Okay, can you repeat it for me?

I mean, isn't that what subtext is doing?

Okay. Vice Mayor Corey, do you have any thoughts on that? Sorry, we just can't see you. Can we put this down so that we can see him, please?

All right. So none of us have any problems with that?

I'm going to review it between first and second.

OK. So are we ready to vote on this? It's a public hearing. Oh, OK. Does anyone in the public have any commentary? Seeing no one.

All right. We're seeing no one in person or virtually. So we will say the public comment section is closed. Moving forward do we have a motion for this item?

We have Commissioner guy with a motion Commissioner Rodriguez with a second if we could please call the roll. Yes, Commissioner.

Okay, this was originally brought forth by our mayor, but he is not here. Do you guys have something to say?

Go ahead. Yeah, right. Through the commissioner. Yes.

I have a question. So that's if we're reviewing it, what if it's private provider?

I think it's just one at the end. Right. I believe private provider.

No, they happen. But at the end, once the private provider provides their report, that's when the final review happens, no?

But if they are using a private provider, then how do you, the penalty, how do you assess for that?

No, I'm not. Because if they don't, so if the purchaser of those TDRs doesn't end up buying those TDRs, which they're doing it because the market is stipulating a price.

Because if not, they'll just buy the TDRs from us. They'll buy the bonus points off.

I would ask, and I don't know about my colleagues, but what percentage, what does the other municipalities, for example, what would Cora Gables, do they do that? And if they do, what percentage do they charge, or Pancras, or any other city in Miami?

They don't do it like this. Go ahead. I know Nick wanted to go up there.

I have a question for you. So you're saying no other city is charging this fee? We would be- The penalty fee. The penalty fee, exactly.

Thank you. Sure. Do you have anything you'd like to say?

No, I think I agree with Mr. Novo. I need to, there's a lot of questions that I have inside. And I remember when we first came up with the TDR through a lengthy process before. So we're making amendments and changes. I just have a few other questions I want to take offline. So between one and two, we'll work on it.

Okay. How about Vice Mayor Corey, do you have anything you'd like to add?

No, I think that's a good idea for us to sit down and work some things out between one and two. I understood the comments the gentleman just made, so I'm fine with waiting to hear it again on the second.

Just to put it on the record, the only part of the TDR portion that is not the sellers side, this is just the purchasers where we're fixing it, the program.

Correct. And I think there's something that's important to say, and I said it, I don't know if it was the last meeting or another meeting, where... When these discussions were being had, it was, hey, fix your building so that you can sell these TDRs. And the money would be coming for your improvements from the sale of these TDRs, right? That's how you were supposed to kind of recuperate your stuff, whatever, so that it didn't come at an additional cost to you as a building owner.

And at the same time, also, It was also a way of not, I wouldn't say helping, but justifying that they didn't get anything out of the zoning upgrades. So that money that they were taking in is what another developer two blocks down would take in by putting up a 10-story building.

Yep. And so I think it's important that when we have these conversations that we keep in mind that that doesn't mean make your building beautiful so you can And I said this, and everybody was like, ah, so that we can then charge the tenants an exorbitant amount. I understand that as a matter of course, the values of these locations will go up as everybody does the work. But I think we need to be very cognizant. What we're trying to do at the beginning of this take care of shopkeepers, take care of business owners, that kind of thing. We don't want to see this then become a vehicle to hike up p

Well, I think, can I add to that? I think maybe to Mr. Attorney, that's a form of rent control. Is that something that we can do? Is that something that we can... I know, but it really is what you're asking for.

No, I'm just saying... No, no, no. I don't say that we have to do rent control. I think we just... Dude, we just need to be human. You know? I'm sorry. You know what? We can make money without being... Crazy. We can repair our buildings without choking out people. I'll give you a perfect example, and it's not here. It's been all over the news everywhere. Acme in Nashville. The mayor of Nashville went crazy, raised taxes on businesses an exorbitant amount. Now a bunch of businesses in Nashville are closing because they can't afford it, because the building owners, of course, passed the increase

Yeah, I don't think that works. I mean, our thing.

Well, rent control is a scary thing, Steve.

You know what I mean. It's codifying it somehow is what really, and you can't, right? You cannot. It's so prohibited under the statute. I think Commissioner Bonici, I mean, I agree with you 100%, and we continue to say it. It's just there's no way to enforce it, and there's no way to codify it.

But you know what? If we keep saying it, maybe we make a dent on some human person. We are human. All righty. So are we ready to vote on this one?

Sure. As a first reading, we still got to go through that one.

And do I have a second for Brian? I'll second. I was going to say, we've left you out of that one. OK, we have a motion and a second. Can we please call the roll?

Perfect. If I am correct, we still have M124 and 1. And then we have hanging out, 8 and 13. 7. 7.

I'm sure you're going to get them from everybody. Commissioner Rodriguez, are we OK?

Oh, OK. I'm like, what are we looking for?

So I can ask Alex. How much is the grant for?

And that money is used to actually not just do studies, but also actually do implementation?

Great. I mean, the important for me was implementation. Yeah. Great.

Thank you for the presentation. I think that we're all looking for action, right? I think the plan speaks for itself. I have questions specifically on the FDOT and the county projects. What we've seen in the past is the, I don't want to use reluctance, but the inability to move forward and implement a lot of the corrections. We've had corrections for ADA studies. we have uh implementation studies from the county and fdot on a variety of different things on us1 corridor what do you suggest or how do we get the process going with fdot to make sure because i mean us1 is the major corridor major a

I would assume they would be having all that stuff. Like we have... We have the underline that we've had to coordinate with f dot all the way across the board, the metro station, the bus systems that we've had south of of dayland. Like, I would just imagine that there's been a lot of consideration from f dot how to do this corrections, the safe planning, you know, the zero plan that goes all the way across the county. I just feel like, for example, a lot of the next steps that we have here is consider the US-1 a great study. What is that? I really don't know what that is. What is the great stu

Yeah, can you elaborate? Does it have to do, because I feel like we have so many things going on. Yes. So is this something that we spoke about with the traffic studies or the traffic study that we want to do that has the three different zones that we've identified throughout the city?

Well, I mean if we're gonna add to that then you know we have With the initial Genesis that we had We've had developers that are doing a lot of the work as well right so we have Avalon phase two We have sunset place that we can start incorporating some of these things like how do we start integrate? How do we start integrating? at great study, how do we integrate the development and traffic studies and the implementation from developers all in that same region so we can combine forces and just have a great execution plan in the not so distant future?

And so, last question. So if we're going to go ahead and consider this grade study, that's the next study that we need to consider. How long would that take to implement due and get ready to submit as an overall plan? And is this something that we need to start considering for our CIP budget for next year, the year after that? What integrations with when we have grants and working with FDOT with any contributions from them? What is the holistic plan that we can kind of start?

Vice Mayor Corey, I can't see you, but do you have any questions or comments for the team here?

no maybe just a comment thank you for the presentation i know uh um again these studies would they do have to lead to action if we were gonna plan it out i think uh trying to put as many of those that are within the city's jurisdiction on the next uh budget just because we all know we'll be able to execute those faster residents are always asking us to improve these conditions, but it's going to get even more challenging as we add density to the city. So every year we go by, you know, we risk more of these incidents occurring. So I think, like I said, just as a recommendation would be to put a

Thank you. Okay, we're headed back to Commissioner Rodriguez.

Sorry, just, I agree with everything. I think Commissioner Gaglia made great points and I agree with what he said. I just, going a little further, We do the study. We do the great study. We do. We get the grants. We have all this money. What scares me because, you know, we've been through it or not scares me, but we're going to put all this time where Patrice is going to be working. You're going to be working. Stanton is going to be working. Do we reach a point where the county, which we have experience, says, oh, well, no, you can't do that?

Or the fact that these are already locations that have been analyzed, have been identified. We have the funds. Are we allowed to proceed to do the implementation? Or are we still going to be at the beck and call of the county?

Okay, hopefully. Hopefully we can get it all done.

Okay, thank you. I have one question slash comment. Everything that is on that list that was popped up before are essentially main roads. If we hear the majority of the feedback, though, from our residents, they're usually secondary roads. And I know that if I understand what you said, we're trying to kind of take a top-down approach. But it seems like US 1 is humongous. We're looking at Bird Road, humongous, Miller, humongous, US 1, humongous. Oh, this is going to sound terrible. They're not our roads. We don't control them. So we're working for somebody else. We're trying to fix US 1. Guess

OK, so then essentially these are two different things then that we're talking about. This program for, like, people dying and running over pedestrians and that kind of stuff. And then another program that would be- Perception of a problem.

Thank you. All righty, are we ready to call this one?

Well, there we go. OK, well, Commissioner Calla beat you. So we've got a motion and a second. Can we please call the roll? Yes, Commissioner Calla? Yes. Commissioner Rodriguez? Yes. Commissioner Bonish? And the pass is 4-0. OK. Do we have any preference on how we want to hit the rest of them, or do I just go straight down the line?

All right, let's read number eight, please.

Do we have any discussion on this? Anyone need to say anything, or are we good to vote? Brian has a question. OK. Sorry, Brian. I covered you with my computer.

If I could just say that I wanted to thank the commission for initiating this last year. In the last two biannual census counts we've had, there have been fewer than three. people unhoused, chronically homeless. So I definitely appreciate your efforts last year when I started here five years ago. That number was 15. The problem will only increase as we attract more people to the city. So I think these services will continue to bear fruit. So thank you.

Thank you very much for spearheading this.

Yes. We have someone that will move this. Would you like to move it for us?

Okay. We have a motion and a second. Can we please call the roll? Yes. Commissioner Kaye? Yes. Commissioner Rodriguez? Yes. Commissioner Bonilla?

Okay. Am I right in thinking we have M124, N1, and number 13? Yes.

Yes. 13 was deferred? No, 12 and 14? Okay. Sorry.

Madam Commissioner, for M4, we have someone in the audience that's left. That's probably the only one. Maybe we should take that.

All right. Thank you. So on this one, I had a meeting with a couple of the green task force members. And their feeling is that they are not really being used for what the green task force is used for. Pretty much the green task force consists of seven members. I mean, it's too late to read that. So what other suggestions are, kind of like what we did with the historical board, where we're allowing them to review certain items because it just pertains to it. In speaking with Sally and Helene, some of the buildings that are going up with the trees around it, I mean, the green task force is proba

Commissioner Kaya, would you like to say anything on that?

Yeah, look, so I've spoken, and Noah, please come up whenever you get a chance just to give us your feedback. You've been on the board for a while. You're not a resident, but it feels like you are a resident. You love the city of South Miami. But I've been to a couple of meetings with Noah and the rest of the team. I think we can do a better job of using our boards. I'm not necessarily going to say that they need to pick trees, but... No, not pick trees. I know that's what you said. I know what you meant. But what we need to do is we identify, and I think we've done that. I think that we have

That's the reason that South Miami's like the other one house That is and once outfit that it is in South Miami. Just for the record you want to be part of South Miami and the other houses. Absolutely.

No, the idea is that we do a resiliency plan, something green, that the green is incorporating everything, right? So originally you guys worked on the solar panel initiative back in the days with Phil Stoddard, right? Right now, Sirami's working on, the director, sorry, Director Cabrera's working on the new initiative that we're trying to replace and better the solar power initiative with what we're trying to do with the resiliency plan. So and you guys have reviewed that yeah, okay, so but we are we are kind of work, but I just I just wanted it I don't I don't want to put us in this box.

I agree with you. I'm sorry. I mentioned the trees because it was just one aspect of it. When a new project comes up, it's just, do we have enough tree coverage? As a matter of the Green Task Force just advising and recommending, look, We don't feel that there is enough coverage. We should keep the shade trees on 57th Court that are existing because they're good. Things like recommendations like that. On the other hand, I know you know a lot about composting. I know there's been talks about composting and starting that program and all that. Those are things that I think that the Green Task For

We also have camera reinforcements all over the city. How about Paris?

Let's give Vice Mayor Corey a moment to speak as well, because I know he probably has something to say.

Yes, thank you. So I did also have a meeting with Sally Phillips, And I thought, you know, based on our conversation, some of the challenges that they have is that they meet once a month. So having them be a part of, you know, commenting on applications or resolutions, that might be a challenge. But maybe something we could consider is having them comment on ordinances either through first or second reading. To be honest, everything impacts the environment no matter what we do. for the most part so if it's our legislative policy that's going to be codified it might be good to just have those o

I see the mayor's not here, and I just want to talk. He always talks. The Green Task Force has its duties, right? So it's the development of goals, coordination of green building issues, supportive integration of green building energy and water efficient practices in the city, which, by the way, that's what we're working on collectively, right? So this whole plan. You want to speak? So the last thing before you speak is develop and oversee green building, which is what we're working on, and the initiatives to promote LEED certifications and develop a green building compliance guide, which is a

Let's have our director speak, and then I want to make some comments as well.

And I also met with our former mayor, Phillips. And my commentary to her was probably different than your conversation with her. I think that there are certain, you know, groups like DRB planning, whatever. We have a million of them on the books. And as a matter of fact, when I first came on board, I said we should clean this out, get rid of some. There's some that haven't had people for 20 years. There's some that meet that there's nothing to do. And I think that when the Green Task Force was put into play, It might have had, if you look at exactly what the city manager just said, it might ha

coming our way. The other initiative that I thought about was the streetscape plan where we just saw the latest study from the streetscape plan that we have a lot of trees that are either in bad shape need to be removed or are in so-so shape that we should remove. And also to just have community input on, I forgot the guy's name, but The guy that comes here for the trees all the time, Jason, and he has a good understanding of what we're trying to do. And just to get that feedback, whether we all accept it or not, at least we have as much feedback as we can make a decision and move forward. Tha

I think the manager and Commissioner Bonnich put it perfectly. Back when this was done, which was like the manager said, this was put together a long time ago, all the initiatives that are on this paper of what they're responsible for are basically about to be completed. So that leaves you with nothing really to do. So I think maybe a way of moving forward is because we all feel that we can use you and we want to hear your recommendations is set new future initiatives for the board and change. change these initiatives because they're done. The sustainability, the tree ordinance, everything you

Yeah. So, yeah, the options are have a difficult conversation and say, do we need this board anymore? Or maybe the board comes to us, the green task force comes to us and says, look, these are initiatives that we would love to work on and moving forward towards the future, you know, with the growth of the city, the growth of, you know, the streetscaping, like Commissioner Kaya said and all that. I think you guys would know more of what's important and what's coming to work on for the city and then provide that to us and then possibly change what the duties are of the task force. What do you th

Okay, so can we kind of close this one out? Because we still have to do all the other stuff. So I think it's safe to say in the end of this discussion, we want them to maybe say, hey, what do we see coming down the pike for new initiatives?

Set up what initiatives you feel are important to work on for the city for for everything that's coming down the pipeline for the next few years.

And then maybe as a group decide, do you still want to meet monthly? Do you want to meet quarterly? Do you want to meet as needed?

Can I make another recommendation? Our job is to do legislative changes. So what I would recommend is let's go look at the duties that are currently in our legislative for the Green Task Force and go modify that so we can add those specific things of duties, and then we can reconvene and start implementing that. Well, they're done. Yeah, they're done. Pretty much completed all of them. No, that's what I'm saying. So anything that's new that's coming, that we add it to the list. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, 100%. Okay, perfect.

All righty, so now we have M1 and M2. I imagine that is you, Alex. Yes. Hello.

To the director and the city, I'm just curious. I meant to ask you this, and I forgot. How are we going to relay this message to, do you have a campaign that's gonna relay this message to the residents?

Commissioner Gaya, do you have anything? Yeah, I have a quick question.

I have a couple quick questions. How many tons of green waste do we have right now on a yearly basis?

Did we ever look into the same system that Coral Gables was looking into for their own particular system where we can do waste in our own land?

No, and by the way, I'm a big fan of piloting everything, whether we, you know, fail or succeed. We don't know until we know. So I'm totally for this, by the way, 100%. There is a lot of energy savings, I mean, waste savings that we can actually go through if we continue the process and learn, and if we can do it ourselves. I mean, if we spend a half a million dollars to go get a box that we can go in three years, I mean, shit, 18 months, sorry, 18 months, we can recuperate that money. That's a no-brainer, but I'm with you.

Yeah, just I appreciate you guys piloting this and continue to work on this and compost and different ideas as well. Like Commissioner Kai stated, I think we have to get very creative to keep our waste costs down and efficiency up because both of those are kind of out of whack now on the cost and efficiency side.

Yeah. Thank you. And so for me, I only have one comment. Well, first, I think it's a great idea. The thing I'm going to find very interesting for us as residents is you can put the pieces of the tree, but you can't put the stump. Like, who's going to think, oh, let me separate that stump out from the rest of the tree? So I think that we're going to have our work cut out for us in separating that. Because you cut the tree, and you put the tree.

No, but it said in his slide, it says the stump can't go.

Can we hear from you guys before we comment, please?

Perfect. Let's roll it backwards this time and start with Vice Mayor Corey.

Perfect. Vice Mayor Corey, you want to take the first bite at this one?

No, I think that's a, I think it's a perfectly reasonable thing to do. I think there's an established precedent for serving the, I don't even think there's residents around that were here before we were serving the property that still lives there, but yeah.

So, question. So now that we have established that we can grandfather those two properties? Because I feel the 21 to 50, we always said, I don't think anybody here was for that. I don't think anybody was. Yeah, we weren't.

Yeah, we knew it was not doable. So now that we have that, I guess you draw up the ordinance and then bring it to us for first reading? Yeah, it'll have to be an ordinance.

We are done. With that, we're not done with the meeting. Oh, we still have all of that good stuff.

Thank you. City attorney's report? We're good? Okay, so then we just have the approval of the minutes. If someone can move that, please.

Ooh, he beat ya. Okay, we've got a motion and a second. Can we please, do we need the roll for that? Yes. Commissioner Kaye?

Okay, is there anything that I've missed?

I just have an announcement. Alfredo, so I was told by the Florida Beverage Association that we got $10,000 granted to us for the recycling program in our parks. So that's awesome. So that'll bring in the recycle bins and all that. Awesome. Okay. And we're starting with South Miami Park? Awesome. Thank you, guys.

Awesome. And with that, we're adjourned. Good night, Brian.