City Commission - Regular Meeting

Welcome to the City of Miami Commission Meeting. I am Christine King, chairwoman of the city of Miami commission and commissioner for district five. I'm joined by, with my colleagues, commissioner Ralph Rosado, commissioner Escalona and commissioner Pardo. We are going to start our meeting with recognitions. I believe my colleague commissioner Rosado has a recognition. for someone very special oh he says he doesn't think they're here yet and it's the only one that we have so let's go ahead and start our meeting with prayer we have pastor davis here Good morning.

I pledge allegiance 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.

Mr. City Attorney, would you please read your statement for the record?

Thank you, Mr. City Attorney. Mr. City Clerk, would you please read your statement for the record?

Thank you. And at this time, Mr. City Attorney, would you please read into the record the pocket item that will be before us today? Okay.

that will be known as PI one. And at this time, I believe commissioner Rosado, your, um, recognition ready. Okay.

Thank you, madam chair. Good morning, everyone. So today I'd like to recognize better Mayo, a Hamel and partners. I know we have Willie Burmeo, president of the company here with us this morning. He's somebody I've known for a number of years, but more importantly, he has been a major contributor to our design community here in South Florida and far beyond. Willie and his partner, Luisa Hamil, met in Coral Gables High School, and then they reconnected some years later at our very own Monty's Raw Bar, where they decided to start an architecture and engineering firm that has done work not only l

At this time, we're going to open the floor for public comments. I understand we have a lot.

Oh, that's right. I didn't do the order of the day. Okay. Mr. Manager, do you have any items that will be withdrawn or deferred today?

Gentlemen, do you have any items on the agenda that you would like to withdraw or defer? No. Commissioner Rosado? No. Mr. City Clerk?

Thank you. Now, you guys, if you would indulge me.

May I have a motion to set the agenda? I have a motion and a second. All in favor?

Motion carries unanimously. Our public commenters here, we have a lot of public commenters that are outside. And because we are experiencing a heat advisory, I would ask if we can allow the folks outside to speak first so we can get them, because you're in the air condition. I'm just saying, if you guys say no, because you're here first, we'll go with no, but I'm just saying to be considerate because it's hot outside and we are inside in the air condition. Democracy. Let me see a show of hands.

If we could allow the folks that are here for public commenters that are outside, because it's so hot outside, can we allow them to speak and then those that are here in the air condition speak after?

I don't know what issue they're here on. But if we can, so... But... The majority of the folks that are sitting in here said yes. So if you guys could go back to your seat and let, and our sergeants will let 10 in at a time and we'll move through it, please. Thank you. Thank you. If it wasn't so hot outside, I wouldn't ask, but I don't want anybody to faint.

Nope, nope, nope, nope, no, no, no clapping. We'll have you removed from chambers. Good morning. We do this instead of clapping.

Madam Chair, if I could take a quick point of personal privilege, because there seems to be some confusion.

No, no. We're going to let everyone say, and then we're going to, that's why it's a discussion item. I wouldn't want to.

No, no, I'm not referencing the discussion item. I'm referencing FR1. There was a substitution.

Right, but we can discuss FR1, pull it, and we'll talk about it. We'll clear up any confusion. I just want to get through public comments, and I don't want us to, you know, cherry pick, someone said this, and someone said that, and before you know it, we're all doing public comment and the commission meeting at the same time. Good morning.

Ma'am, look through that glass. The lady speaking to the police officer. Please go speak to her. That's my chief of staff. Moving forward, I'm going to ask everybody what item you are here to speak on because what you just spoke on is not before us at this moment. but I didn't want to interrupt you and tell you to stop, so I let you. But moving forward, everybody, please let me know what item you're speaking on, because I don't want to cut anyone off while they're speaking. But if you could please go speak to my chief of staff and share with her what you just said, and she'll make sure that yo

Thank you. And we currently have a small business grant in Overtown, so I'm not clear where the disconnect is, but my chief of staff, Ms. Harrell, will help you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

There's too many folks here today for stuff, so... And there are people waiting. Instead of me speaking, I just want to... Either speak or let the next person come up and speak.

Thank you. Good morning. Hi, my name is Conrad.

Hey. Don't make our police have to work and put everyone out. Please. Please. It's this. It's this. Good morning.

Ma'am, may I have your name for the record?

Thank you. Seeing no one else for public comment, public comment period is now closed. Gentlemen, would you like to discuss the pocket item that is before us? Pull it for discussion. If no, may I have a motion to approve pocket item P1? I have a motion and a second. All in favor?

Motion carries. Gentlemen, of the consent agenda items, are there any items that you would like to pull for discussion? CA1. two, three, four, or five.

Item passes. Gentlemen, with respect to the remaining public hearing items, are there any that you would like to pull for discussion? No.

Todd, do you have me as a sponsor for the RE5? Okay, just making sure. Alrighty, so then may I have a motion for PH1345, which will be as amended?

I have a motion and a second. All in favor? Motion carries. Gentlemen, with respect to the RE items, are there any items that you would like to pull for discussion?

I'd like to pull RE5 and RE7. RE5 and 7.

No? Okay, then. May I have a motion for RE1, 2, 4? RE1, 2, and 4.

RE6 has been deferred until July 23rd. No. No? I don't have that. Are you sure? It was. It was. I think the manager, Mr. Manager, did you defer RE6 until, because I have it written down as deferred until July 23rd.

Okay, then. So may I have a motion for RE1, 2, 4, and 6? Moved. I have a motion and a second. All in favor? Aye. Items passes unanimously. Commissioner Pardo, RE5, you'd like to discuss? Yes.

Yeah, I'd actually like to have staff come here and kind of describe the major challenges that Live Local Act really poses to our code in Miami 21 and really how it impacts us daily at the city of Miami.

I wanted to ask you also, is there a financial impact, we were briefly discussing that, of funds that would normally come to the City of Miami but don't?

Director, I've been speaking out against this Live Local. I don't know if you guys recall, there was a proposed project in Overtown for a 55-story, and I couldn't say anything about it because it was Live Local. I've asked and asked and asked. In addition to the Live Local and the RTZ, you can build, but you can't build if you don't have rapid transit. And we don't have rapid transit. And it doesn't take into consideration our historic neighborhoods. Through my neighborhood, historic Palm Grove, there's the Brightline, Tri-Rail, and that is considered rapid transit and with live local. But tha

Madam Chair, just to add to those comments, I think it also puts us in a very precarious situation when we have development teams coming into our office and saying, well, we want this variance, and we want this, and give us this, and we're trying to figure out how do we retain control because Miami 21, correct me if I'm wrong, gives a lot more thought to open spaces and the form and the outside areas and the envelope of the buildings. And when we lose control of all of that, which we don't want to do, then we're in a bind. Because either we do these exceptions and variances, which the resident

And threaten us with it. Well, we can just go live local.

Absolutely. And the neighborhoods like Coconut Grove, I mean, this is exactly what we're talking about. So I appreciate the support.

Thank you. So I've been critical of Live Local, not only in my time on the dais, but even prior to that. And you all may remember about a year and a half ago, I brought a number of residents from my neighborhood because we were threatened with a project next to Coral Gate, which is an NCD, where folks were saying, oh, it's going to be live local and we're just going to have to accept it. And so we, at that time, this would have been October 2024, I urged the commission to take a stance against it back then. So my position's been consistent in regards to having major concerns with this being de

I can respond to that. This comes back to commission, so there's plenty of time when it comes back. So I think it's open enough in this form for us to go ahead and vote on it and for the work to get done and come back.

Mr. Attorney, is that your understanding as well? Because the way it's written, it could be, I think, interpreted in two different ways. What we're saying today, yes, we're all against this. Let's go ahead and sue. And there's also enough language in there to say, no, no, no, give us some analysis and come back. Because I'm okay with the latter version.

I have a motion and a second. All in favor? Item passes unanimously. And RE7 was called?

Yeah, RE7. Aaron DeMeo, I think, is here as the chair of our Climate Resiliency Committee. And I thought maybe you could just take a couple of minutes and explain this specific item. And thank you for all the work you have done on this and the committee.

I have a question for you. Well, not really a question. I received a very thoughtful email with respect to our tree committee, the citizen advisory tree committee that's helping to revamp the ordinance. And one of my constituents recommended that we have someone from the climate resilience committee on that advisory body make sense for what we're trying to do. Could Mr. Manager, could we, I don't know if we would need a motion or anything, to have someone from the Climate Resilience Committee as well on that?

I just wanted to make sure that you guys had a voice and were also a part of guiding the amendment of this, our tree ordinance so that we absolutely get it right.

I would like to make it official because this is going to live beyond me, right? I'm going to term out, and I don't know that the next person behind me would happen to appoint someone from District 5 that's also a part of the Climate Resilience Committee and maybe for my colleagues as well. So I'd like to make it more structured, official, because That was just good fortune on my behalf that Arva is also a part of your committee. So if I could have a motion to direct the manager to add climate resilience committee member to, I got a motion. I'll take a second.

Okay. What George said. I have a motion and a second. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Thank you so much. Do I have a motion for RE7? So moved. I have a motion.

Motion passes unanimously. Mr. City Attorney, would you please read the titles of our first reading items for consideration?

That's what we got? Yes. I see. Okay. That's what we got. July 23rd. Okay. Okay. Would anyone like to pull any of these items for discussion?

FR 1. Okay. Anything else? Seeing none, may I have a motion for FR2 as amended, three, four, and five?

Mr. City Clerk, would you show me as a sponsor for FR5? Yes, ma'am. Thank you. I have a motion and a second. All in favor?

I did. I just wanted to go on the record on this item because it's my item and it's somewhere along the process of it being crafted. There was a misunderstanding. My request was just to amend our traffic study process, not at all to touch our environmental impact processes. And so the substitution memo that was issued yesterday was a correction to that, but I'm not sure that everybody in the audience was able to see that. And I think there's maybe been an article, et cetera. We never asked to touch the city's environmental impact processes.

Mr. Ace, Mr. Assistant City Manager, could you just confirm that for the record? Because I had gotten some emails that we were taking out the environmental study and we can't afford that.

Perfect. Thank you. May I have a motion? I have a motion and a second. All in favor? Aye. Motion passes unanimously. As amended. As amended. Mr. City Clerk, would you please, for the boards and committees?

I have a motion and a second. All in favor?

May I have a motion? Move. I have a motion. Second. All in favor?

Thank you. Mr. City Attorney, would you please read the titles for our planning and zoning items for the record?

Gentlemen, would you like to pull either item, PZ 1 or PZ 4? May I have a motion? I have a motion and a second. All in favor? Items carry unanimously. This takes us to our discussion items, DI-1. Gentlemen, do we need a report on that because?

So we're all good with that? Okay, so we don't have to have that. Which leads us to our last discussion item, the city's involvement in the 287G agreement, which is my item. I brought it in speaking to some of the members that came before us today to speak on behalf of this item, I wanted to give them an opportunity to hear from our police department to clear up some of the misinformation. And let me be clear, my position has not changed. I am not in favor of the city voluntarily entering into this 287 G agreement. We did not have to do it, but I believe our police department is catching some

Mr. Manager, thank you for that, but how come either our former police chief, Manny Morales, or our new police chief isn't saying that? Because one of the criticisms that we get is that they don't trust us. They don't trust us as elected officials, public servants. They certainly don't trust administration. I think what you said would come better if someone wearing blue was saying it. I know our new police chief has inherited this, and he wouldn't have the institutional knowledge that you just said, but Chief Morales is still around, or any one of our police officers that are here serving that

Good to see you. Look at you guys looking all handsome and pretty. Handsome and pretty. Please. But let me say again now, my position hasn't changed. We shouldn't voluntarily enter into an agreement when we didn't have to legally. That position hasn't changed. But it is important for me to let the community know what we are and aren't doing. I don't want us to have a black eye or get credit for something that you shouldn't be taking credit for.

But did you answer our question? I don't think you said the same thing that the manager said. I'm not sure. I might have missed it. But you are not. Other than three officers that were deployed to and now it's only two. officers that were deployed to immigration, our men and women in blue are not targeting any immigrant and pulling, because I look Hispanic and you pull me over and you're like, let me see your green card or your naturalization papers. None of our officers are doing that. Is that correct? Did Doral enter into the 287G agreement? Yes.

Actually, do we know how many cities have entered into in Miami-Dade County of the 34 municipalities?

South Miami, and actually, that was a big source of my frustration because when this item was coming to commission, I had requested time and time again, let's wait for that to pan out so that we wouldn't have to enter into a voluntary agreement. That isn't the course we chose, and both of us voted against it, but there's also people here asking, well, If now we're in 287G, and I have all the faith in the world with City of Miami Police, and I've always been very open with the public, contact us directly. If we know of anybody that's doing anything, we need to be very hands-on as commissioners

I'd like to say a couple of things. I came here 12 years ago, and I don't believe this is about City of Miami and 287 agreement. I believe this is about the fear that we see in our community. My kids were born seven months ago. I have twins. Two weeks after they were born, I was right there getting their passport. because I was afraid. I'm a US citizen. My wife, three weeks ago, got a letter from immigration. My wife has no criminal record. She has never been stopped, nothing. She had to go, she's a resident. She had to go to do her fingerprints or something like that. For a full week, we coul

George, you know, I've never changed my mind, but George, let me, and you know, I beat up on you a little bit past couple of commission meetings, but I just have to say this, George, seven and a half million dollars is worth saving a life, a family. We'll make it up some kind of way. I know you didn't mean to be insensitive by throwing that in the mix that we might lose seven and a half million dollars, but we will figure it out. We will figure it out. What happened to Key West?

Madam Chair, sorry. If we didn't have to do it last year, what was it on the agenda? Why? I want to understand. I wasn't here at the time. Why was it on the agenda if we didn't have to do it?

But, sir, who controls the agenda? Who does the chief work for?

I think we have a lot to think about. I don't hear anybody trying to make a motion one way or the other. I brought this item because I wanted our community to have as much information as they could with respect to our police department's involvement. I disagree with if we didn't enter into the agreement, we would be a sanctuary city. We can't really be a sanctuary city because we're part of the whole of Miami-Dade County, and Miami-Dade County is definitely the enforcer. The sheriff's office had no choice, and we fall squarely within Miami-Dade County. So I don't know how we could have been co

I'll also say that if there's anything anyone sees, please say something. We get emails all the time to all of our offices. If there's an incident, we want to know directly. So please make sure you're keeping us informed so that we can stay vigilant and on top of it. I know we had 70, I don't know how many people, but we had lots and lots of people speaking on this issue. Thank you for coming out and just understand that we want to know. We want to be advised of anything at all.

And the fear, fear is fear. The fear is real because my best friend's husband, who is an American citizen, walks around with his passport. Because he doesn't speak English well, heavy accent, and is afraid. He's afraid, but he's a U.S. citizen. I'm a U.S. citizen. You're a U.S. citizen. We shouldn't be afraid of being detained. So thank you all. As always, thank you for your advocacy. I hear, I see our city clerk waving his hand before I can close the meeting.

Thank you, and this shall conclude the City of Miami Commission meeting. We are going to, as soon as the city clerk can flip the tape, we're going to go into our CRA meetings. We have the Omni CRA, as well as the Southeast Overtown Park West CRA meeting.