Aviation and Seaport Committee - Regular Meeting

Good morning, everyone. It's 10.30 a.m. Please close the doors and please take your seat. Our airport and seaport. Please take your seats. Please close the doors. It's 10.30 a.m. and our meeting is about to commence. Thank you all for joining us. Can we please stand for a moment of prayer followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Commissioner Gonzalez.

Bow your heads. Dear Lord, thank you for this wonderful day that you've given us. Thank you for all that you do for our county, for our families, and for all the residents. Lord, please let your will be done today. Let every decision that we make and every conversation that we have be to further your cause, your will, and your glory. In your holy name we pray. Amen. Please turn and face the flag.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, Will the clerk please take the roll?

Once again, thank you all for being here and welcome to our Miami International Airport and Seaport Committee hearing. We're doing things a little bit differently this morning and bringing the committee hearing to the airport with the intention specifically of having greater participation of our airport community. So I am grateful for those of you that are in attendance. We are here to listen to you, to address your concerns, and we're grateful for your attendance and your participation this morning at our hearing. We will start with the reasonable opportunity for the public to be heard. This

Thank you so much. I gave you an extra minute because of the translation. Okay. But thank you so much. Okay. Gracias. Gracias, senora. Thank you.

Thank you, Carlos, and thank you for sharing your story. Thank you. Mr. Rodriguez.

Thank you, Mr. Anderson. You did a wonderful job. I now want to go on this cruise, so thank you for that, and thank you for being here. I have a card for Jacqueline Rodriguez that I did not hear from. Is Jacqueline Rodriguez here? Going once, going twice. Jacqueline Rodriguez is not here. At this time, if there are no additional speakers, we will close the reasonable opportunity to be heard. And once again, thank you all for being here and sharing your public testimony. So my colleagues, we don't have any public hearing items. We do have a number of presentations, and we will start, please, wi

Thank you. Thank you for being here. Quick question on your presentation, and thank you for sharing. I'm sure administration will do their work to push this messaging out, and congratulations to all involved in the results of this survey. But how do you get the data?

Thank you so much. To my colleagues, anybody have any questions or comments on J.D. Power presentation? Thank you very much for being here this morning. You're very welcome. To our Beacon Council, are you present? Good morning and welcome. It's always a pleasure to see you. Please, within five minutes, share with us your economic update.

Thank you, Mr. Miller. To my colleagues, any questions or comments for Mr. Miller on the Beacon Council presentation? Thank you. We appreciate you being here. Actually, I have a quick question. On, I think, page four of your slide, it says Miami's opportunity to become a top five global city. Number one, can Miami be the clear command center of trade, finance, diplomacy, and talent for the Americas? Are we not already a top five global city?

Thank you. We have item 1F1. This is a discussion item to my colleagues, and this is primarily why a number of the workers are here with us this morning. I believe it is to discuss the working conditions at AGI to our director. I don't know if AGI is present or a representative of AGI is present. If you are now, it's your opportunity. I don't see anyone standing up or approaching. So director, if you can just give us a very brief, I'm sorry, yes, of course, Commissioner Gilbert.

No, we're going to do it after this discussion item. No, it's not a presentation. It's just a quick discussion. Item 1F1 on our agenda regarding working conditions at the airport. Director. Sure.

Okay, and thank you for that. I appreciate you saying that you're extremely concerned. I'm also extremely concerned, and so I would assume that in at least three months' time, I'll agenda a follow-up discussion item to figure out where we've made progress with EGI. And I want to speak specifically to the case that was spoken about regarding Mr. Frumenta, or Mr. Frumenta, I don't know his particular name. individual situation, but if he is still unemployed as a result of his wife being ailed with cancer and him needing to be with her, if he is still seeking employment, I would like for us to wo

Commissioner Gilbert, you're recognized.

Yeah, you said three months. I think three months. It's fine if they can do it in three months. If they can do it sooner, of course I would be more comfortable with that. If he's still unemployed, he should not be still unemployed. I assume that they're not here. They knew about the meeting. That's fine. But I'm sure someone's going to mention this to them. If he is still unemployed, he should not be still employed.

And thank you, Commissioner Gilbert, for saying that. It's my understanding that Mr. Fermento was intending to be here but may have run into some obstacles in being here. Yes, yes. And so again, I think to those that are listening, I think the message is clear. If Mr. Fermenta is listening, we want to work together to make sure that he is not unemployed if that continues to be the case. Commissioner Gonzalez, you are recognized.

Thank you, Madam Chair. And this question is probably for the county attorney's office or for the director. Was AGI aware that this meeting was taking place today? Did they receive proper notification?

Is this an actual alarm or is this a test? Should we heed warning or are we okay? We're good. We're good. Okay. Everyone, we are good. When I run, then follow me. Okay. Follow the director.

Madam Chair, can I tell you how bad the airport director's luck is that the false alarm goes off while we're sitting here?

But yeah, to the county attorney's office, can I get an answer, please?

Any further comments regarding the discussion item 1F1? Seeing none, I'll entertain a motion to set the agenda. It's been moved. Second. It's been second. To the attorneys, any changes, Scrivener's errors to the agenda this morning?

3i is now sponsored by Commissioner Gilbert. And to those of you that are exiting, please exit quietly. And thank you again for being with us this morning. All those in favor of setting the agenda signify by saying aye. Aye. Anyone wish to be recorded? No. Our agenda is set to my colleagues. We, again, don't have any public hearing items. Would anyone like to bifurcate any item on today's agenda? Commissioner Gonzales, you are recognized.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I'd like to bifurcate 3A and 3B for a simple amendment on the whereas clauses.

3A and 3B is bifurcated for an amendment. Any other bifurcations?

Chair, I'd like to bifurcate 3H. 3H? I have just a question.

I would like to bifurcate, I believe it's item 3I. I'll entertain a motion on the balance of the agenda with the exception of 3A, 3B, 3H, and 3I. Move. It's been moved. Second. It's been second. All those in favor signify by saying aye. Anyone wish to be recorded? No. Commissioner Gonzales, you are recognized on 3A and 3B for amendment.

Thank you so much, Madam Chair, and if I could have the county attorney's office read in the amendments, please.

Show them amended and Madam Chair, I'll move the item.

Second. It's been moved, it's been seconded. These are items 3A and 3B as amended. All those in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. Anyone wish to be recorded, no on 3A and 3B. 3A and 3B as amended carries. Commissioner Millian-Orbis, you're recognized on 3H. Thank you, Madam Chair.

And I appreciate that this item is revenue generating, and I am so glad that we are bringing on another cruise line into the port. I just want to be cautious and I want to ask with all the issues that are going on, is it a good idea to be entering into long-term agreements with cruise lines, new cruise lines, and to be granting birthing rights to new cruise lines?

Yeah, is it a good idea to enter in? The question was, is it a good idea?

So you don't have any... Hesitation that we'll have an issue with- No hesitation. Entering into birthing rights with a new- No commission, absolutely not. Okay, thank you.

It's been moved. It's been seconded by Commissioner Gilbert. All those in favor of 3H signify by saying aye. Aye. Anyone wish to be recorded? No. 3H carries. Commissioner Millian-Orbis, I think you raise a good point. You got the answer that you needed on the record, and thank you, Director, for answering her question. 3I, I polled. If there's a representative on behalf of 3I, I would appreciate them approaching. I have a question on 3I. Welcome. Please state your name.

I'm sorry, what's the name of the company?

To Mr. Pantene, is your company amenable to entering into a labor peace agreement? And will you do that between now or at least work with the airport and with our labor partners between now and final hearing? Okay. So I don't know to our attorneys if this needs to be amended or if that representation on the microphone suffices. Please give me guidance.

I'm sorry, say that again. It's a little difficult.

Okay, great. Thank you for clarifying that.

Okay, thank you so much. Any other comments on 3I? Commissioner Gilbert, you were recognized.

Madam Chair, thank you. We're thinking the same thing. We're thinking the same thing. And so I assume sponsorship because I want to make sure that this happens. And if they can't come to an agreement, I'm going to defer the item at commission meeting.

I agree with you and I concur, so we'll keep a close eye on that. Thank you for being here. I'll entertain a motion on 3i. It's been moved. It's been seconded. All those in favor of 3i signify by saying aye. Aye. Anyone wish to be recorded? No on 3i. 3i carries. Any further unreadiness or any further discussion items for my colleagues? Since we're here to the director, I know that this is not on our agenda, but I do want to bring up autonomous vehicles at Miami International Airport. If it needs to be placed on an agenda at the appropriate time, I'm happy to do so, or if one of my colleagues w

Okay, and do we anticipate any permits being issued prior to FIFA or G20 Summit?

And a permit issuance of that sort, would that come to the board for review or is that done administratively? No, I don't think so.

Okay, all right, thank you. But we will keep you posted. Okay, thank you for that. Commissioner Gonzalez, you're recognized.

Thank you, Madam Chair, and I just want to thank the Chair for not only having the meeting here, and this was an incredible experience, especially hearing from so many folks that are working at the airport. But I also want to thank you for bringing up this item, because I think innovation is incredibly, incredibly important in Miami-Dade County. But safety always has to be first. One thing I did want to ask the department and director, maybe you can help me. Is there any sort of exclusivity given to any particular company when it comes to autonomous vehicles?

So right now as it stands, any company with autonomous vehicles can operate in the airport, is that correct?

Commissioner Gonzales, any additional comments? As we adjourn, I just wanna take a moment. This is the Miami, Commissioner Orbis, you are recognized, yes. Thank you, thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you for having the meeting here. This has been wonderful. A nice field trip for us to get out and also explore the airport, and I appreciate everybody who came out today. I wanted to share that we have the CARE MIA board that is happening now at 11.30. at the airport hotel on the seventh floor. And the chairman, Anthony Rodriguez, created this board to focus on the consumer experience and improve it. I'm serving on the board. And so I welcome you all to participate as well. It's extremely important, especially as we head into this busy season at the airport, to work on the consumer exper

Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you for extending that invitation, Commissioner Orbis. And as we close, this is our first, yes, Commissioner Gilbert, you were recognized.

Perhaps I think I also want to echo my colleague's comments with regard to your idea. Having the meeting here was a stroke of genius. I love it. Maybe we could have a meeting maybe at the seaport, maybe in the fuel farm.

Stop it. Stop it. Stop it. But on that note, as we close, in a lighthearted manner, I do know that we are the Aviation and the Seaport Committee, and we did have a resignation tendered by our amazing port director, Heidi Webb. And so I wanted to take a moment at our first committee hearing subsequent to that resignation announcement to really thank her for her incredible years of service. to miami-dade county i know she has spent her entire professional career here serving the amazing residents of miami-dade county and so i just wanted to take that personal privilege to say thank you to heidi