Intergovernmental and Economic Impact Committee - Regular Meeting

Thursday, September 10, 2026

At the September 10, 2026, Miami-Dade Intergovernmental and Economic Impact Committee meeting, members deferred Florida City annexation items, approved reappointments and new agreements, and discussed a major fire rescue equipment purchase.

About this meeting

Government Body
Intergovernmental and Economic Impact Committee
Meeting Type
Intergovernmental And Economic Impact Committee
Location
Miami-Dade County, FL
Meeting Date
September 10, 2026

Transcript

60 sections

0:04 – 0:18Speaker 6

Come on, darling, now hear me, darling, cause you're a waste of time for me. I'm trying to make you see that maybe you just got to release me.

0:23 – 3:10Speaker 3

Here's what he'll do. He'll play it cool when he hangs out with a woman like you. Say he ain't impressed by all your success. Tell you he's different than all the rest. You're gonna give it all and give it all, but you won't get it back. I'm telling you it's gonna hurt. Stay away from a boy like that. He wants a... I wish somebody would have told me the truth Say he's never gonna know what to do I see the games a mile away They only end when another heart breaks But all of his wounds ain't an excuse For you to put up with how he treats you You're gonna give it all and give it all But you won't get it back I'm telling you it's gonna hurt Stay away from a boy like that He wants a breadwinner He wants your dinner until And feel bigger until he starts feeling insecure I wish somebody would've told me the truth Say he's never gonna know what to do With a woman like you With a woman like you I can sleep at night Knowing I really tried I put in the time, but the fault isn't mine. Daddy wants us. To make him feel bigger Until he starts feeling insecure I wish somebody would have told me the truth Say he's never gonna know what to do With a woman like you With a woman like you

3:34 – 6:53Speaker 4

I've been waiting for my dreams to turn into something I could believe in and looking for that magic rainbow on the horizon. I couldn't see it until I let go, gave in to love, watched all the bitterness burn. Now I'm coming alive. This is the time. This is the time. Hold on to things and finish into the air. Left me in pieces. But now I'm rising from the ashes. Finding my wings. Know that I need it. Was there all along within my reach. Closest the beat of my heart And I'll take every moment And live it out loud I know this is the time This is the time to be More than a name Or a face in the crowd I know this is the time This is the time of my life We'll be right back. This is the time to be more than a day. Oh, facing the crowd, I know, yeah. This is the time of my life. This is the time of my life. Time of my life. Time of my life.

8:08 – 9:51Speaker 5

Take me there again. Do you remember all the nights we spent in silence? Have a single breath that you'll be with me when the sun brings your heart to mine and I remember how you loved me time was all we had until the day we said goodbye and I remember every moment of those endless summer nights

15:48 – 23:36Speaker 1

Thank you. Thank you. music music

32:07 – 32:22Speaker 13

Good morning, Commissioner Quinn Higgins, Senator Garcia, Commissioner Gonzalez, Vice Chairwoman Lopez, Chairwoman Millian Orbis. Two members present, we do not have a quorum.

40:24Speaker 1

Madam Chair, I believe all the items on your agenda today require board action.

42:06 – 42:21Speaker 13

Good morning again, Commissioner Quinn Higgins. Good morning, President. Senator Garcia. The clerk's office received notice that Commissioner Gonzalez will be absent from today's meeting. Vice Chairwoman Lopez. Here. Chairwoman Millian-Orbis.

42:23Speaker 13

Three members present, we have a quorum.

42:24 – 43:58Natalie Milian Orbis

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Good morning, everybody, and welcome to the Intergovernmental and Economic Impact Committee of Miami-Dade County. I am your Chairwoman, Natalie Millian-Orbis, proudly the Commissioner of District 6. Can we please stand and have our invocation, which will be led by me, and then our Pledge of Allegiance led by Commissioner Lopez. Can we please bow our heads for the invocation? Dear Lord, thank you for having us here today. As we gather together to make decisions, we know that only you can guide us through moments that we don't even think we can get through. So thank you for your guidance every single day as we make decisions for our residents. We pray for everybody in this chamber and everybody in this building and all of our residents in Miami-Dade County. We also want to pray for everyone who suffered so much on September 11th, which we have tomorrow, keeping all of our victims in mind and praying for their rest and their families and everything that our nation went through on that day. So thank you for this day, and we pray for your guidance always. In your name, amen. Thank you. At this time, I would ask our attorneys if there's any changes, updates, or additions to our agenda.

44:00 – 44:20Speaker 8

Madam Chair, the items for this committee's consideration are those listed in the final printed agenda and the changes memo, which includes the additions of items 3B and the requested deferral of item 1G1 and item 2B. At this point in time, reasonable opportunity can be extended to the public, including discussion on the requested deferral.

44:21 – 44:52Natalie Milian Orbis

Thank you. At this time, we will open the reasonable opportunity to be heard. If there's anyone in the chambers who would like to speak, please come forward and present yourself at this time. The public opportunity is open. I do not have any speaker cards. Good morning.

44:53Speaker 2

Good morning, how are you all doing today?

44:58 – 45:15Speaker 2

My name is Chad Burkhalter, the acting city manager for the city of Florida City. So we had a change in leadership on Tuesday, and our planner wasn't able to attend either. So given that, we're requesting a deferral on the item for the annexation for today's agenda.

45:16Natalie Milian Orbis

Thank you, Mr. Manager. I appreciate you being here on behalf of Florida City. I do believe those items are being deferred, so I appreciate your testimony on that. Thank you so much.

45:29 – 45:43Natalie Milian Orbis

Is there anybody else who wishes to speak during the reasonable opportunity? Seeing none, we're closing the reasonable opportunity to be heard at this time. To the attorneys, is this the appropriate time to take the deferral?

45:43Speaker 8

Motion is at the agenda, including the deferral request that would be in order.

45:47Natalie Milian Orbis

So moved. Second. Moved and second. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Our agenda is set. Do we have any requests for pulls or bifurcations on the agenda?

45:58Danielle Cohen Higgins

Madam Chair, I'd like to discuss item 3B.

46:04Danielle Cohen Higgins

Madam Vice Chair. None, thank you.

46:08Vicki L. Lopez

Just wanted to say that I want to co-sponsor. I know when we get to the item, to item 2C, I'd love to be able to co-sponsor with you.

46:18 – 46:34Natalie Milian Orbis

Okay, so bifurcating 3B, and with that, the balance of the agenda, with the deferral of 1G1 and 2B, correct? Correct.

46:35Speaker 8

Correct. And the co-sponsorship of item 2C, I believe, by Commissioner Lopez.

46:39Natalie Milian Orbis

And the co-sponsorship of 2C. So we move the balance. Do we have a motion to move the balance of the agenda?

46:43Vicki L. Lopez

Second. Second.

46:45Natalie Milian Orbis

All in favor? Aye. Okay. Commissioner, 3B.

46:49 – 47:39Danielle Cohen Higgins

Thank you, Madam Chair. On 3B to the administration, I certainly am supportive of the item. I just have questions regarding the details. It's a $19 million spend for defibrillators, the lion's share of which I think a little over 18 is going to our fire rescue department. Again, I support the item, I support the spend. But the item doesn't break down the $18M in any way, shape or form. How many defibrillators are we buying for $18M? When was the last time that you purchased defibrillators for the department? What's the cost per defibrillator, etc.? I know that it was competitively procured, but when there's an $18M spend with no details on the breakdown of that 18, I'd like further clarification, please, either to the administration or someone from our fire department.

47:40Speaker 14

Through the chair, I'd like for someone from the fire department to speak.

47:44Speaker 6

This will be a minute.

47:48 – 48:12Speaker 7

Good morning, Jason Fernandez, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue. So the current item we have in front of you for 75 defibrillators, approximately $40,000 each, but that item is not just defibrillators. We've purchased 150 off of an adjacent contract, and this is for the remaining balance for operations units. This also includes stretchers for our units and consumables for the defibrillators.

48:14Danielle Cohen Higgins

Okay. And when was the last time that you bought defibrillators?

48:16Speaker 7

12 years ago. And our current defibrillators are end of life. Okay.

48:19Danielle Cohen Higgins

So this is an end of life situation. The last time you made a purchase similar to this was 12 years ago.

48:25 – 48:39Danielle Cohen Higgins

I understand. So- And I just want to be clear. You said it's not only defibrillators. It's, I guess, equipment that accompanies the defibrillators.

48:40Danielle Cohen Higgins

Defibrillators are what you all use to resuscitate someone that needs to interpret heart attacks and other abnormalities that are going on with the heart.

48:49 – 49:01Speaker 7

It also provides us equipment that when we when a person is not breathing and we intubate them, we stick a tube in their mouth. We're able to see the correct placement. So it's a very advanced piece of equipment that allows us to do a lot of interventions in the field.

49:02 – 49:29Danielle Cohen Higgins

Okay, and so there's no question that you need this there. Like I said, I want to be clear. I'm supporting the item. I just wonder I see striker and I guess this is more to our procurement department is $40,000. The going rate for these machines. Is that industry standard to pay that kind of a price tag for this equipment that I completely understand that our department needs? But is that price the going market rate for this equipment?

49:30 – 49:47Speaker 12

Through the chair, Commissioner, the defibrillators that the fire department purchases are the advanced life packs. So they range anywhere between $35,000 to $50,000, that's the going rate. And different brands, Stryker, Zoll, for the advanced pack, that's the rate.

49:49 – 50:51Danielle Cohen Higgins

And I know that this was competitively procured instead of one the but there's not much detail in the item it's only 7 pages regarding what the price of these products typically are from an industry standard so I'd like to take a look at that just because 3040 $50,000 for defibrillator Seems extremely high and maybe again, this is not my industry. It's not something that I'm familiar with, but I would like to see similar to there were contracts that we had not long ago. I think it was Motorola and I had a similar discussion. I said, man, this really kind of blows my mind from a price point perspective. Um, and I wonder. And we went back and we looked at it and through negotiations, there were savings that were realized. And so I'm looking at this item in a similar light when there's an 18Million dollars spend in the item only has 7 pages with no real detail communicated to the board on the procurement. What the offers came in at the industry standard. I'm going to take a little bit of a deeper dive to see whether or not.

50:51 – 51:09Speaker 12

there is any potential room for savings obviously without compromising what our first responders need in order to do their job commissioner between the committee and the board will be happy to do and bring back the supplement or additional information to your office or everybody will will get that information for you

51:09Danielle Cohen Higgins

Thank you. I'd greatly appreciate it. Nothing further, Madam Chair.

51:12Natalie Milian Orbis

Thank you, Commissioner. Chief Edwards, did you have you needed us to do something on this item?

51:17 – 51:31Speaker 14

Thank you, Madam Chair. It would be helpful if we could move this item to the next board meeting so that we could ensure we procure these things within the time frame that's been requested by the fire department.

51:31Natalie Milian Orbis

Happy to oblige with that, so long as we have that information that Commissioner Cohen-Higgins requested included in the item.

51:38Speaker 14

We will do that. We'll add that to the item, but we'll also brief you separately.

51:42Natalie Milian Orbis

Okay, we have a motion and a second. All in favor? Aye. Do we need a motion to move this to the commission meeting?

51:52Speaker 1

No, Madam Chair.

51:53 – 52:09Natalie Milian Orbis

Thank you. Well, with that, seeing no further items, do we have a motion to adjourn? Thank you so much. Good morning and good afternoon, everyone. Thank you. Have a great day.

This transcript was automatically generated from the official public meeting video and is presented unedited. It reflects remarks made on the public record by elected officials, staff, and public commenters. Transcript accuracy may vary; view the original recording for reference.