City Commission - Regular Meeting

Dumping is a crime in the city of Miami. The consequences of illegal dumping are significant.

Commission meeting for April 23, 2026. Good to see everyone. We are going to get started in a few minutes. Good morning again. We have some proclamations today and today is also a special day. It's bring your children to work day and we have several kids here that are with their parents. Can I see the kids that are here with their parents? Can our kids come up and join us here? Look at this handsome young fella.

Alberto. Alberto. What's your name? Elliot. Tell everybody what your name is.

Elliot. You do hold it. I'm sorry. Yes.

Elliot Espino.

And how old are you? Eight. And who's your mommy?

Barbie Hernandez.

Oh, okay, Elliot. Welcome to the City of Miami Commission. What's your name?

My name is Sienna. Joseph Ruiz. My name's Vitale. Matthew Anderson.

Good morning.

My name's Brielle, and my mom is Natasha Colbert-Williams.

Yay.

My name's Jose, and my parent is Gabella Bravo.

My name is Breeland Snyder, and my parent is Maggie Snyder.

My name is Maya.

And your parents? Helena Poleo.

My name is Sophia and my mom is Helena Poleo.

Are there any other little people in the house? We always want to celebrate our little people and set a good example for them. So this is going to be an amazing commission meeting, right? Oh, we have some more little people. Come on up. Come on up. Shy, would you like to tell everyone your name? Sebastian.

And who's your dad?

Anthony. Good, good. Okay. Who would like to say the Pledge of Allegiance for us? So let's face the facts.

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.

And at this time, we are going to have our pastor... This morning, we'll start us off in prayer. Good morning.

Good morning. I am Pastor Natasha West, and I pastor St. Mary's Westian Methodist Church in the city of Miami. Let's go into prayer. If you don't mind, I would like to ask a favor. Can you hold the hand of the person that's standing next to you? Every now and then we need to learn how to unite. We just need to learn how to unite. We're in this together. Father, we come before you. We thank you right now for this gathering. Lord God, we thank you for every commissioner, every person, every child is in here today. God, we thank you that you would have your way in these proceedings. God, give them favor going in and coming out. God, we thank you for wisdom, knowledge, and understanding as the commissioners, Father God, lead your people in this district. God, continue to cover them, not just only in their public lives, but in their private lives. God, in the name, we begin to declare and decree that you have power in this session right now. And we pray for the hand that we're holding. We do not know what their circumstance or situation is, but we pray that you will begin to deliver it And we decree and declare that all things will be done decent and in order. And we give you glory and we give you praise and we give you honor. Amen. Now squeeze that hand and tell that person. Good morning.

Amen. Thank you. Thank you. What a wonderful way to begin our commission meeting. And at this time, we're going to do some recognitions, um, We're going to start off with today is, or April, April is Child Abuse Awareness Month. And we are recognizing this month. In addition to that, we had a good example of child abuse in this month. And our team came together to save a little boy, six years old. He was wandering the streets and kind of sort of in our district, Commissioner Gabela and I, really close. Little fella, six years old, wandering the streets and A Good Samaritan called it in. And the Good Samaritan happened to be homeless, staying at the Camillus house. But he thought it not robbery to say, this doesn't look right. that this little kid is wandering around alone. And it was a team effort that found out who he was and identified him, got him services. And in Child Abuse Awareness Month, we wanted to recognize the team that was responsible for seeing this little kid to safety. He could have gotten hit by a car. Somebody could have stolen him. But the quick work of the Department of Children and Families, our Miami Police Department, the Special Victims Unit, the school system and others all came together and we say it all the time and it's not a cliche, it takes a village. It really does take a village. So we wanted to recognize these persons who were a part of making sure that this little fella is safe and particularly doing Child Abuse Awareness Month. So you guys come on up.

Good morning, everyone. He sent me a text this morning. I can't read my text messages while I'm working. I know, I know. I thought I was going to catch you before work, but it's an honor to be here. Like the chair mentioned, back on April 8th at around 11 p.m., one of our citizens in the city of Miami, who happens to be unsheltered, sees a six-year-old kid walking around the streets at 11 o'clock at night. does the right thing, what we expect everybody when we tell you, if you see something, say something. Calls the police, our unit gets out there. The folks that handle it, we're working on investigation. The reason they're not here is the folks that were pivotal to the case who responded primarily and were able to secure the child and ultimately hold the mother accountable and place her into custody, working on undercover capacity, protecting our children in the unit of Internet Crimes Against Children. So based on their undercover capacity, we're not having them here, but we're definitely going to bring back the certificates. They're incredibly proud that their work is being recognized. Usually these folks work behind a computer screen catching these online predators, protecting our community. They don't do it for the recognition. They don't do it for the accolades, but they know that they're doing God's work. So thank you very much for recognizing them. It is a team effort. Under the leadership of Lieutenant Reyes, Sergeant Nelson, and Sergeant Cotilla, NRSBU, we are glad that we're able to be at the right place at the right time to potentially save a child's life, especially during child abuse awareness month. So thank you, Madam Chair. I appreciate it.

So for that, we're not going to call out their names. No names. But we also do have folks from the Department of Children and Family. Are you guys in the audience? Come on. I just called you. Why didn't you come up? Come on up. So these are the guys that they are responsible for making sure our little people are safe every day. They have a very daunting job working with the children and families. They're investigators. They check out all of these abuse calls. And it's not an easy thing. Their job is not at all easy. And they go, you know, there are quiet heroes saving children. Can you, each of you tell me your names and what you do?

Steve Silva, and I'm the shop protective investigator that was assigned to the case of the shop.

Francesca Espinal, I was the on-call supervisor when the case came in.

Good morning. I am Eunice Guillo. I am a program administrator on call when the case came in.

And here are some other folks. Good morning. Katrina Space, regional operations manager.

Good morning. LaShawn Royal Moore, regional operations manager.

Good morning, my name is Chansonika Carter. I'm the program administrator for the West Service Center.

Good morning, Sonia Descobar. I'm the regional program manager of Family Safety.

Good morning, Losa Constant, criminal justice coordinator.

I just want everybody to see what goes into keeping our children safe. It's all of this plus more, plus more. And this job is literally 24 hours a day. Seven days a week. No matter, no holidays. They don't get holidays off. They're on call. It is a tough, tough job. And I want to say on behalf of the city and our mayor, who's right back there, and our colleagues, thank you. Thank you for the service that you provide. Thank you. In in trying to keep our schedule I'm going to have staff because we have to dig out the police Ones that we can't say the name and then all of you are in here as well So I'm gonna have staff give this to you, but thank you. Wait, let's take a picture Madam Mayor, I think you have a special recognition. Well, I do.

And Commissioner Pardo, get on over here, Mr. D2. Well, we are so blessed to have in our chambers today one of the most famous and fabulous men in Miami, especially in the beloved neighborhood of Coconut Grove. Give it up everybody for Mr. Monty Traynor.

There you go.

Well, there's hardly anything I can say that you don't already know about Monty. His love for this city, his effusive energy and commitment to the arts from the Coconut Grove Arts Festival and beyond, to making sure Miami is a beloved, beloved place, to your warm heart, your warm smile. I never see you where you aren't surrounded by people, being hugged by lots of folks, and also giving out those warm bear hugs that make us feel right at home here in the city of Miami. And so it's an honor with Commissioner Pardo to be able to present you with a key to what I really think is your city, the city of Miami. But let me turn it over to Coach. Congratulations. Let me turn this over to you, Commissioner Pardo.

Monty, you are an institution in the city of Miami. From Monty's and its original founding to all these years of operation, I think most of us went there as kids, probably Kids of most of us are still going there. You're a founder of the Grove Bid. You're involvement in the Coconut Grove Chamber. You're involvement in so much of Miami and Coconut Grove. I want to say you have the handle that says Grove Father. And that is the most accurate description of you and your work. Because I get calls and I get messages and they're like, hey, I heard about this and I think I should serve on that committee or I'm worried about this. How can I get more involved? And it's always coming from a place of love and helping. It's never coming from a place of positioning or, you know, any, not one single aspect of not wanting to make things better. You had a vision a long, long time ago of what West Coconut Grove could look like if we became one grove, if we were more inclusive, one community all the way around, whether it was Little Bahamas, Central Business District, or Miami. Well, I'm happy to say that today, that vision is actually taking place. Today, as Grand Avenue is developed and continues west, we are looking and concerned about displacement of residents. We are looking at true affordable housing, and we are looking at preserving those things like Ace Theater or The Last Carrot or all these institutions that make Coconut Grove, Coconut Grove. Because we recognize that if we don't protect the character and identity of our neighborhoods, we lose our city. So, Monty, for everything you do, for everything you have done, there is no better person to receive a key to the city of Miami. Thank you.

Listen, I feel like I'm at home. I tell Christine that every time I speak, that it feels so great to be a citizen and to be able to come to this chamber and speak and speak your mind and feel like you're at home. And I always feel like I'm at home. I have my commissioner, and he's also our bid director, Commissioner Pardo. And, of course, we know, Miguel, every... And all our new commissioners come in. So this is nice to have everybody. But to see my friends come in from Vero Beach and all these places and be now so involved in West Grove with Joe. So we're going to be working on that.

But anyway, I tell you, it is so wonderful.

And Eileen, you're going to be a great director. Oh, you went over that way. I did, I did. Change it up. I've got to put my neck on a swivel. I'm sorry. I really have a great feeling that you're going to do a great job of leadership. Thank you. What we've been lacking a little bit, I think you're going to bring to the fore. But anyway, everybody here, all my friends that have come here and shown this, and it's nice to see the Wallace family. They've come out, and they're the... They're longtime Grove folks, and they come out to celebrate me, so that makes me feel good. Anyway, we have a great organization, the Miami bid, the Coconut Grove bid, and I feel so proud of it, and there's Curtis Kreider, who's the new president of the Hotel Association. which is a great honor. And then I see my board member, Chana, she's right there hiding. So anyway, I certainly appreciate all the years that I've had for the Coconut Grove Arts Festival, which has been my real love. But it's just such an honor to be on.

We're always happy.

There's Vinny.

Everyone's coming up.

Jaime's behind you.

I would also like to say a warm hello to former Commissioner Rosario Kennedy, who's here with us today. She helped shape the city. Love seeing her. At this time, Mr. City Attorney, would you please read your statement?

Yes, Madam Chair. Thank you.

For the record.

Good morning. George Wisong, City Attorney, City of Miami. Detailed information about the processes, order of business, rules of procedure, and scheduling or rescheduling of City Commission meetings can be found in Chapter 2, Article 2 of the City Code, a copy of which is available online at www.municode.com. Any person who is a lobbyist pursuant to Chapter 2, Article 6 of the City Code must register with the city clerk and comply with related city requirements for lobbyists before appearing before the city commission. A person may not lobby a city official, board member, or staff member until registering. A copy of the code section about lobbyists is available in the city clerk's office or online at www.munico.com. Any person making a presentation, formal request, or petition to the City Commission concerning real property must make the disclosures required by the City Code in writing. A copy of this City Code section is available at the Office of the City Clerk or online at www.municode.com. The City of Miami requires that anyone requesting action by the City Commission must disclose before the hearing any consideration provided or committed to anyone for agreement to support or withhold objection to the requested action pursuant to City Code Section 2-8. Any documents offered to the City Commission that have not been provided seven days before the meeting as part of the agenda materials will be entered into the record at the City Commission's discretion. In accordance with Section 2-33F and G of the City Code, the agenda and materials for each item on the agenda is available during business hours at the City Clerk's Office and online 24 hours a day at www.miamigov.com. The meeting of the Miami City Commission is a limited public forum. Any person may be heard by the City Commission through the Chair for not more than two minutes on any proposition before the City Commission unless modified by the Chair. Public comment will begin at approximately 9.45 a.m. and remain open until public comment is closed by the chairperson. Any person making offensive remarks or who becomes unruly in the city commission chambers will be barred from further attending city commission meetings and may be subject to arrest. No clapping, applauding, heckling, or verbal outburst in support or opposition to a speaker or his or her remarks shall be permitted. No signs or placards shall be allowed in the commission chambers. Persons exiting the commission chambers should do so quietly, please. Members of the public wishing to address the body may do so by submitting written comments via the online public comment form. Please visit www.miamigov.com forward slash meeting instructions for detailed instructions on how to provide public comment using the online public comment form. The comments submitted through the comment form have been and will be distributed to the elected officials, their staff, and city administration throughout the day so that elected officials may consider the comments prior to taking any action. Additionally, the online comment form will remain open during the meeting to accept comments and distribute to the elected officials, their staff, and the city administration up until the chairperson closes public comment. Public comment may also be provided here live at City Hall, located at 3500 Pan American Drive, Miami, Florida, subject to any and all city rules as they may be amended. If the proposition is being continued or rescheduled, the opportunity to be heard may be at such later date before the City Commission takes action on such proposition. When addressing the City Commission, the member of the public must first state their name, their address, and what item will be spoken about. Any person with a disability requiring assistance, auxiliary aids, and services for this meeting may notify the city clerk. The city has provided different public comment methods to indicate, among other things, the public's support, opposition, or neutrality on the items and topics to be discussed at the city commission meeting in compliance with Section 286.01144C Florida statutes. The public has been given the opportunity to provide public comment during the meeting and within reasonable proximity in time before the meeting. Please note, commissioners have generally been briefed by city staff and the city attorney's office on items on the agenda today. Anyone wishing a verbatim record of an item considered at this meeting may request it at the Office of Communications or view it online at www.miamigov.com. Planning and zoning items. PZ items shall proceed according to Section 7.1.4 of the Miami 21 Zoning Ordinance. Parties for any PZ items, including any applicant, appellant, appellee, city staff, and any person recognized by the decision-making body as a qualified intervener, as well as the applicant's representatives and any experts testifying on behalf of the applicant, appellant, or appellee may be physically present here at City Hall to be sworn in by oath or affirmation by the city clerk. The members of the City Commission shall disclose any ex parte communications to remove the presumption of prejudice pursuant to Florida Statute Section 286.0115 and Section 7.1.4.5 of the Miami 21 Zoning Ordinance. The order of presentation shall be set forth in Miami 21 and in the City Code. Staff will briefly present each item to be heard. The applicant will present its application or request to the City Commission. If the applicant agrees with the staff recommendation, the City Commission may proceed to its deliberation and decision. The applicant may also waive the right to an evidentiary hearing on the record. For appeals, the appellant will present its appeal to the City Commission, followed by the appellee. Staff will be allowed to make any recommendation they may have. Please silence all cell phones and other noise-making devices. This meeting can be viewed live here on Miami TV, the City's Facebook page, the City's Twitter page, the City's YouTube channel, and Comcast Channel 77. The broadcast will also have closed captioning. Thank you, Madam Chair.

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

The procedures for individuals who will be providing testimony to be sworn in for planning and zoning items and any quasi-judicial items on today's City Commission agenda will be as follows. The members of City staff or any other individuals required to be sworn in who are currently present in City Hall will be sworn in by me, the Assistant City Clerk, immediately after I finish explaining these procedures. Those individuals who are appearing remotely may be sworn in now or at any time prior to the individual providing testimony for planning and zoning and or quasi-judicial items. Commissioners, are you comfortable with all of the notice provisions set forth and these uniform rules of procedures we have established for this meeting? Yes. And Madam Chair, can I go ahead and administer the oath for our planning and zoning items? Please. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Good morning. If you'll be speaking on any of today's planning and zoning items, may I please have you stand and raise your right hand? That's only planning and zoning items. Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you're about to give at today's meeting is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? And your response, please. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you.

Mr. City Manager, do you have any items on this agenda that will be withdrawn or deferred?

Good morning, Madam Chair, Madam Mayor, Commissioners. The administration would like to defer or withdraw the following items. RE3 to be deferred to the May 14th meeting. That's RE3 to be deferred to the May 14th meeting. RE6 to be withdrawn. RE6 to be withdrawn. RE12 to be withdrawn. RE12 to be withdrawn. And finally, RE13 to be withdrawn. RE13 to be withdrawn.

There are no PZ items that are going to be deferred?

PZ3 to be deferred to May 14th meeting. PZ3.

I'd ask for PZ3 to be indefinitely deferred.

PZ3 to be indefinitely deferred.

Okay. Gentlemen, are there any items on this agenda that you would like to defer or withdraw? Commissioner Cabela? No, I'm good. Commissioner Rosado? No. At this time, may I have a motion to set the agenda?

So moved. Second.

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

And Chair, and that's unanimous. Thank you, Chair. And my apologies for the interruption. Briefly, I just wanted to state a co-sponsor request for the record. Commissioner Escalona will be co-sponsoring PZ4 And it is my understanding that there is going to be a pocket item regarding fireworks at Inter-Miami News Stadium. I'm not sure if we have the title.

You have the title for that, George? I have the title, yes. Okay. Pocket item, a resolution of the Miami City Commission issuing a fireworks display waiver pursuant to Chapter 19, Section 7 of the Code of the City of Miami, Florida, as amended, titled Fire Protection Act. manufacture, sale, time of display, and discharge of fireworks to allow for a fireworks display in connection with the Inter-Miami CF Soccer Games for the 2026 season to be held on April 25, May 2, May 17, May 24, July 22, August 1, August 8, August 12, August 22, August 29, September 5, September 12, September 20, October 10, October 14, October 28, and November 7 in Miami, Florida.

And then, Chair, I just need to read a brief statement into the record for PZ3. Pursuant to Section 62-22 of the City Code, indefinitely deferred action initiated by the City will cost the City mail noticing, advertising, and posting of properties as applicable. Thank you, Chair.

Thank you. I have a motion and a second. All in favor? Aye. Motion carries unanimously. And at this time, we are going to open the floor for public comment. You may speak on any item that is before us, not the items that were withdrawn or deferred. And if we can keep the line to five at a time so we don't block the exits, our fire department is standing by to make sure that that rule is enforced. And good morning.

Good morning. I get to go before Elvis?

Ladies first.

Debbie Dolson, 4205 Lenox Drive, Coconut Grove. To first speak about PH7, I urge you to allocate funds for the historic Ace Theater in Coconut Grove. It's a jewel in West Grove, Little Bahamas, Coconut Grove period, and it needs restoration, so please support that. I'd also like to speak about RE10. Last meeting there was a lot, a lot of conversation about what's fair and what's not fair, and the word fair came up all the time during that conversation. This is about the use of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund District 2 had requested parks and affordable housing, but changing the rules in the middle of the game is also not fair. That request was made, and all of a sudden it's not fair. So whether you change the rules or not, whether you knew about it or not, that's something to be looked at in the future, but I don't see how that can possibly affect the request that's on the table. It needs to be considered and not affected by what people think are fair or not fair. Also, on RE5 and RE18, both election schedule items, I'm sure you know that for the first time in 100 years, Coral Gables voted, the voters voted by a two to one margin to move to even number year elections in November. I urge the City of Miami to support Stronger Miami for even your voting, smaller districts, and more commissioners. Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning, Elvis Cruz. To start positive, I'm glad the Ace Theater will be restored. It should have happened years ago. But RE17 is financially horrible. The city wants $450 million because they showed the media water leaks in fire and police station. They want to blame the buildings for the poor performance of people. They call it deferred maintenance, but that's really a euphemism for irresponsible neglect. The city won't do simple maintenance like change a shower pan, yet they want us to give them millions to demolish, then build new buildings that they won't maintain either. Why is it that I can maintain my house built in 1927 with my limited income, but the city of Miami can't maintain fire and police stations built in 1962 and 1976 with their operating budget of $1.2 billion? The City of Miami tries to use its own incompetence to justify continuing its own incompetence. If you maintain a building, it can last forever. Have you ever been to Europe? Mr. City Manager, it's clear you need to make some personnel changes. Commissioners, please don't reward dereliction of duty with more money to waste. Make them clean up their act. Please vote no. Next, item RE7 would name a city street to honor a criminal. Yes, it's that crazy. This is a classic City of Miami WTF. He pled guilty to voter fraud. Later, while a city commissioner, he was charged with exploitation of public office, he resigned and pled guilty. He twice betrayed the public trust and wants you to reward him for it. His name belongs in a hall of shame, but instead he wants you to put it on a street sign in front of his house in his honor. I'd like to say this will be an embarrassment for the city, but one of the many things I've learned in the 46 years I've been coming to Miami City Hall is that the city of Miami is incapable of feeling embarrassment. Please vote no. Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning.

I'm John Dolson, 4205 Lenox Drive, Coconut Grove. PH7 is a no-brainer. Let's do the Ace Theater. Even your elections, I support Stronger Miami. Don't put it off. We should be doing that like Coral Gables did. Now, RE10, Affordable Housing Trust Fund. I love this fund. The concept is great. To paraphrase Cousin Eddie, in the movie Christmas Vacation. This is jelly of the month. It's the gift that keeps on giving. As we grow up and get more and more dense, we have developers paying into this fund to be used in the city for open space, affordable housing, and so on and so forth. Commissioner King, I'm glad you were able to pull from this fund a couple weeks ago. Commissioner Gabella, I'm glad you're going to be able to pull from it in the future. District 2 is a donor district. We've poured a lot of money into this, and all we're asking for is to call a little bit of it back to put into Village West. And I'd like to see Commissioner Rosada get his piece of this that he asked for two weeks ago. So I'll allocate the funds. Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Good morning. Good morning, Sandy Moise, 5910 Northeast 6th Court, Miami. Here to say please vote yes on PH7 to use City's Miami for Everyone program funds for Ace Theater. I had previously recommended funds from MFE be allocated for the Olympia Theater renovations, as was done for the Sandrill Rivers Theater in Liberty City, which could have saved our city's most valuable cultural asset. requesting a deferral on RE18 until meaningful conversations with the community can be held. Vote no on RE10. We have already seen what these so-called capital improvements do to our parks at Morningside Park. A recent project decimated green space in one of our Miami's Most beautiful public assets, we lost mature trees, some killed after a contractor pumped salt water from the tidal basin directly back into the park. And this happened without adequate mitigation. Residents should not be asked to fund more projects that pave over natural areas, remove tree canopy, and replace living landscapes with concrete. Not one more dollar should go towards improvements. that degrade our parks. Surely it should go towards finding more green space for our parks. Regarding affordable housing, we know we're putting up affordable housing that's not affordable for the people who really need it to be afforded for them. Vote a hard no on RE17. Public trust is already broken. Yes, our police and firefighters Firefighters, the heroes in our community, deserved regular maintenance on their facilities before they deteriorated. But proposing any new bonds, the city must clean house, conduct a forensic audit of spending, stop giving away our public assets for pennies on the dollar, whether it's the Olympia Theater for $10 or the Watson Island parcel as a fraction. And stop spending taxpayer money on glossy videos and social media campaigns to sell bad deals to the public. The city needs to take a hard look at its salary. 77% of the city's operating budget goes to salary, an increase of 57% in just five years. At the same time, the city has failed to properly manage even modest allocations, like the $180,000 dedicated to community engagement for Chapter 17.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Good morning.

Good morning, Commissioners. Madam Mayor, my name is Rick Madon, representing the Biscayne Neighborhoods Association. I live at 2900 Northeast 7th Avenue. We're here today to advocate for our community's future in Edgewater. Regarding RE10, We strongly support the $15 million allocation for the Public Benefits Trust Fund. This is a vital opportunity to invest in District 2. We urge you to prioritize these funds for the long-overdue completion of the Baywalk, critical waterfront access, and essential neighborhood park upgrades. In a high-density area like ours, these projects are not luxuries. They are essential to our quality of life. PC3 was deferred, I guess. Regarding RE5 and RE18, we support these charter amendments to align mayoral and commissioner elections with brutal cycles. We believe these changes will increase voter participation and ensure that those who represent us at City Hall are chosen by a larger, more engaged cross-section of our community. Thank you for your time and your commitment to the future of our city.

Thank you. Good morning. Good morning, Commissioners. Thank you for allowing us to speak here today and giving us our opinion. In regards to the police and fire station, obviously, I am opposing to this bond. We are in very difficult economic times. We should not burden our taxpayers again with... this kind of expense the city should have taken care of this a very long time ago and not allow these buildings to go under the these circumstances unfortunately we have a lot of employees in the city of miami that make over six figures maybe you consider some of them um reducing their salaries thirdly you have a lot of property you're going to sell i'm sure you're selling the mrc property you're going to be selling the police station property if they move into the new stadium And I'm sure that this wonderful building also, this property, which is prime property, will be sold in the near future. So with all these funds that you'll get from all these sales, you would have enough money to be able to restore the police and the fire department. As far as an avenue to be named under Commissioner Gonzalez, I don't think the city should adequately do this right now. I think you should study this and should remove it also from the—you should remove it from defer it or remove it, whatever. I think that once you have a criminal record, you should not have any kind of street named after you. Actually, the city should pass an ordinance that any of the employees that work for the city that have any criminal records should also not be allowed to work for the city. As far as Altra is concerned, I think this item needs to be deferred. It's under litigation and should not be heard and discussed today. Thank you. Have a great day.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning, Madam Chair, City Commissioners, Madam Mayor. Terrell Fritz, 111 East Flagler Street, and Executive Director of the Flagler Business Improvement District. On behalf of the BID Board, I'm here in support of FR3, allowing alcohol service establishments to operate sidewalk cafes within the Flagler Specialty District. This amendment is both practical and necessary. An adjustment for the historic core of downtown Miami. Many of the storefronts in our district are small, legacy retail spaces that are difficult to lease under conventional restaurant models that require full kitchens or large footprints. Allowing properly permitted bar-type establishments to activate the sidewalk helps make these spaces viable again. Equally important, sidewalk cafes support the pedestrian-friendly environment we are working to rebuild on Flagler Street. Tables, chairs, and people returning to the front of buildings, the streets become safer, more visible, and more attractive to new tenants and visitors. So we are now five years, some five years, into what was planned as a two-and-a-half-year streetscape project, and thanks to the city, it is moving forward rapidly, and we are excited. This amendment helps ensure that public investment can begin delivering the intended benefits and it's carefully limited to the Flagler specialty district. It simply allows existing businesses to participate in the same sidewalk cafe framework already available to restaurants. As our historic commercial district transitions into a Flagler mixed-use neighborhood, this is a very significant step forward. I want to thank you for your consideration, and we would appreciate your support.

Thank you. Good morning. Good morning. Kristen Browdy, 888 Biscayne Boulevard, representing the 560 families who live in that high-rise, one of 10 or 12 high-rise buildings, with more going up along Biscayne Boulevard and in that area. I'm here on RE8, which is a no-brainer. You should defer it. It is truly one of the few whose side are you on issues. Are you on the side of the people who sent you here, who elected you, or are you on the side of people who come into our communities for a couple of days and disrupt it? We welcome the economic activity of ultra. We have asked ULTRA to do some simple things to mitigate the noise that makes some of our buildings completely unlivable during that ceremony. They have said to us, we'll do it after the vote when they have no incentive to do so. We've asked them year after year to turn their stages around and point them towards the water. Biscayne Bay is right behind Biscayne Park. They can point the speakers that way. They won't do it. They point them towards the buildings, which makes many of our buildings literally uninhabitable. 888 Biscayne, where I live, is almost half a mile away from where the main stage is. Our floors and windows vibrate due to the noise levels during ultra. Simple mitigation, pointing the speakers the other way, reducing by a few decibels the sound levels, would be easy ways to fix this. But they won't negotiate, and they've given you a contract which will hurt our neighborhoods, which will hurt the 30,000 residents of downtown right now with more buildings going up every day. There will be 50,000 or 60,000 voters living downtown by the end of this 20-year contract. Do you want them to remember you as the people who gave them the middle finger? Or do you want them to know that you have responded to their concerns? Or I urge you to defer it or vote against it.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning. Mel Meinhardt, Virginia Street. Madam Chair, Madam Mayor, Commissioners, R.E. Resolution R.E. 18, as presented, contains a fundamental flaw and should be deferred. Whatever its good intention, it asks voters to accept a trade that they should never have to make, that if they want better governance, they must first give up something to those already in office. In practical effect, RE18 asks the public to accept an additional year in office for current officials as part of its reform. This is the wrong premise. At its conception, the trade presented by RE18 is a holdover from an earlier chapter in the commission's history, shaped for different commissioners and a different political calculus. But that chapter is closed. What remains is just the price. and the public should not be asked to pay that price. No one here is suggesting bad intent. But when an election timing becomes negotiable, Even for reasons presented as practical or beneficial, public trust can erode quickly. In democracy, citizens should not have to bargain for good government. Good governance is not a concession. It's the duty of those elected to serve. More than 21,000 people signed the Stronger Miami petitions to put this question before the voters. It's a serious civic effort. and a clear call to action. So I urge you to defer RE18 and return to a proposal that respects the first principles. Give people a choice, not a condition. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning. Good morning, Madam Chair, Commissioner Pardo, and to the commission. William Ford Jr., here representing the Coconut Grove Ministry Alliance, 3616 Day Avenue. Just want to lend supporting word to PH7 for the allocation of funds to the Ace Theater. We in Little Bahamas of Coconut Grove, we need something of history. to remain in the community with a lot of things being removed and replaced. We need something to remain, to remind us of what we used to have, how we used to be, the love that used to be in the community. We don't want everything to be wiped out because again, even though people may be gone, history stands forever. And we don't want our history totally wiped out. So we ask that you please, please, please support by giving the HDA the funds that it needs to remain in the community, to revitalize the community, and keep giving our people hope despite the changes that are going on. Thank you. God bless you.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning. George Simon, 495 Brickell in Miami. Madam Chairwoman, Commissioners, Madam Mayor. I'm here in support of RE10. which is asking for funds to be allocated for development of affordable housing and to do park improvements. I think everybody who's in the United States today understands the affordable housing issue. It's something that's important. It's needed. It's a small amount of money. It will make a big difference. I think it should be moved forward. The second part of that is about parks. Look, all great cities have great parks, and they're important, in particular for the dense areas. I live on Brickell, and I don't think we have enough parks, but the parks we have need attention. And this money was allocated from the developers who did things in that area. It seems like it's a fairly straightforward position to be able to have those funds used for the public benefit, in particular for better parks. So I thank you.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning, Chairwoman King, Commissioners, Mayor Higgins, thank you. To you, Chairwoman King, thank you very much for showing up yesterday on the Miami River with 10 of your finest people. You participated for an hour of cleanup, picking up a great deal of garbage, debris, and refuge on the banks of the Miami River. Great leadership. And I'm sure that you have the admiration of all your other river bank commissioners as well, Pardo and Gabella. So thank you very much. Miami River Commission is here. I'm Horacio Stewart Aguirre, Chairman of the Miami River Commission, and we strongly support RE11. RE11 requires $1.9 million to construct five blocks of the Riverwalk. The Riverwalk is officially known as the Miami River Greenway, but we call it the Riverwalk in easy parlance. It goes from the money that we're looking for right now would be from Curtis Park on the north side of the river from about 24th Avenue to 19th Avenue. This will give us about two and a half miles of completion that we need to finish up the Riverwalk. And it would be a small amount of money for a great deal of benefit for our residents and for our tourists. Miami River Commission also supports RE10, which is the redevelopment or the repair of the riverfront for Dallas Park. This is the City of Miami Park, and this is the Flagler Workhouse. that was originally from 1924 and 1897. It was destroyed during Hurricane Irma, has been closed, and by the way, for all of us older folks, it's been closed for close to 30 years when it was the Bijon's Restaurant property. Let's get this done finally now. Waterfront property, very valuable. Thank you.

Thank you. Hold on one second. It's been brought to my attention. There's someone here for a personal appearance and we just went past that. Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works, are you still here? Come on up. I'm so sorry. You guys, I'm so sorry. I should have recognized and allowed for the personal appearance that's on the agenda.

Apologies no apologies necessary madam chair. Good morning honorable members of the Commission I do have a presentation for you all today. You would allow me it is on the topic of the advanced traffic management system as well as vision zero which are two projects of interest to your city

Bear with me one moment.

Okay. Thank you very much. Jose Alfred Diaz, Deputy Director of the Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works. As I mentioned to you, we are in a very important project. I would say one of the most important projects in our county for many, many years. I know one of the growing issues in our county and two other complaints that we get most is one housing, the other one is traffic congestion. And the projects that we have here address two main things, which is traffic congestion as well as safety. We unfortunately live in one of the most deadly cities and counties throughout the state, and that has a lot to do with the fact that we are also the most dense, but we are taking several efforts to make our county safer from a traffic perspective. So first I'm going to speak a little bit on a quick agenda that we're going to follow, and I will gloss over this as you're going to see the slides. So the Advanced Traffic Management System project is nothing more than taking your traffic signals that all of us use today, our 3,000 plus traffic signals, and changing the system that exists today. So the system that has existed in its different forms We've been working on it since the 90s. Some of the infrastructure that you have there today is from that time. The central software was upgraded in somewhere around 2006. But, of course, new upgrades are necessary as technology continues to grow on a daily basis. So in addition to updating our central software, we'll also be changing the 3,000-plus internal computers that we call controllers that exist at each intersection, those cabinets that you see as signalized intersections. And of course, we're going to be changing a lot of the detection that exists. So this replaces outdated traffic signal infrastructure as well. catapults us into the next step in terms of technology, connection to connected vehicles, potential connection to other technology that exists out there, such as cell phone technology, as well as some potential future for adaptive traffic signal control. So the project consists of three main phases. Those phases are the traffic signal functions, everything that has to do with software and testing of the hardware. That phase is coming to an end right now, and the contractor is achieving the final approvals. What we hope to start in early May is the actual deployment of the controllers. And that will occur in mid-May, and we will go ahead and show you a little bit of the schedule for that. And then the aspect after that is we're going to be upgrading the majority of our detection to camera detection as opposed to loop detection. What that does is whenever there are projects that affect our pavement, whether it be utility projects, private projects, or just a simple milling and resurfacing project, our detection will not be affected, which also affects the functionality of the traffic signal. SO I'M NOT GONNA SPEND TOO MUCH TIME ON THIS SLIDE BUT THIS BASICALLY SHOWS WHAT THE PROJECT IS THE PROJECT HAS SOME LENGTHY ASPECT IS A TEN YEAR PROJECT BUT REALISTICALLY THE ACTUAL EFFECTIVE INSTALLATION WILL BE COMPLETED WITHIN FIVE YEARS IN FIVE DISTINCT BASES. FOLLOWING THAT WE'LL HAVE A FIVE YEAR PERIOD OF JUST CONTINUING SERVICE AND MONITORING OF THE SYSTEM AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS PROJECT. SO TASK GROUP ONE, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE CALLING THE INITIAL DEPLOYMENT OF THE CONTROLLERS. AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE A QUICK MAP HERE. THE CITY OF MIAMI, WHICH IS OF INTEREST TO YOU, IS IN YEAR TWO. SO WE COULD BE LOOKING AT A VERY QUICK TURNAROUND. WE ARE WORKING WITH A VERY EAGER CONTRACTOR THAT WANTS TO MOVE THIS ALONG AND FINISH THIS much sooner than what we have, but contractually it's a five-year deployment. And of course, you know, we have some areas of downtown and the central business district that will extend a little bit beyond into the last years of the contract. This is always subject to change. I mean, this is the early parts of the project, so we'll be moving around some of these phases as we go forward and as we advance. Task Group 2 is a little bit lengthier. It does require some infrastructure improvements. That one as well. Some parts of the city of Miami are very early on, and we are working with your city, and we'll continue to work with our city in collaboration as we deploy some of this. So just a quick aspect on this. Continued collaboration is critical. We work very, very closely. As a matter of fact, at 8.30 this morning, we had a call with your public works department, which we do on a bi-weekly basis, and we just use that time to collaborate, to be able to talk through projects, be able to talk through even policy that may affect the county or the city. One of the things that we're working through is enhancing communication in this project, so talking to your department, making sure that we communicate very often as we proceed. The other aspect that we wanted to talk through, I know is of interest to the community, This is a busy slide, but I just wanted to pause a little bit on the Vision Zero project. We have several county roads and city roads within our Vision Zero program that we have received funding for. The total funding for our project between local, state, as well as federal funding is about $44 million, and we are in the process of design and the early deployment for many of these projects. As you can see on the right, there are many projects within the city. And last but not least is our high injury network. We've identified these are the areas where most of the crashes, fatal crashes and injury crashes occur. These are some of the ones that we have identified that may affect your city, and that's where the concentration of our Vision Zero projects are. We continue, as I said, to collaborate with your city officials to try to collaborate on projects and make sure that we're addressing common goals. Thank you very much, and I appreciate your time.

Thank you. Good morning. Good morning, everyone. You can pull that down.

Madam Chair. Good morning. Yes. Thank you. This was actually an item that I'd asked to be added on as a presentation. I appreciate the information. Traffic light synchronization is something residents ask me about all the time. When do you expect the the traffic lights within the city of Miami to be done? I know we talked about a number of dates, but specifically for the city.

So the city of Miami is within two of the phases. We have in phases two, which is year two, and then we have some of the, in the central business district, we have, that is in the later phases, about year four. So that's basically what we're talking about. We're in the beginning of year one, right? So we're talking about next year, 2027, 2028, for year two, and then out to late 2029 for year four.

For year four. Okay, so by 2029, we should have all traffic lights within the city of Miami synchronized.

Yes. So I do want to add as well, I mean, any specific corridors that are of concern, feel free to send it to us. Your public works department has our contact information, and we can look at those independently with the current system and try to achieve the better coordination. Thank you.

Commissioner Pardo?

I was just wondering, for the residents, can you just briefly describe the benefit? I mean, talking about synchronization is one thing, but is there an AI component where There's kind of smart intelligence behind what's happening with traffic. Is that where we're headed? And is that what this will?

So the system has adaptive capability or computer learning capabilities in this project specifically due to funding and other aspects. It is it we don't have it as part of the actual scope that we're executing now, but we do have. capabilities within the contract to add that subject to identifying the funding. But the system is ready to receive that technology as well as communicating with vehicles, which a lot of vehicles have communication technology today. So it is ready for the next steps in technology that are coming.

And what would that funding look like?

Right now, funding continues to change on a daily basis, and the cost of technology continues to change on a daily basis. We have sort of a snapshot in time within the contract of an estimate, but I don't want to mislead you with an actual figure at this moment. We can definitely take a look at that and communicate with your office. Thank you very much. Appreciate it. I appreciate that.

Commissioner Cabela, do you have anything? No, no, I'm good. Okay. If I could get your contact information, my staff, we had a public meeting about the trolley systems and routes, adding routes, CITT funds, freebie in District 5 on the Upper East Side. I'm very interested in that. I had a very good dialogue with your team during that public meeting, and we got a lot of feedback from my constituents, and I'd like to stay in touch if that's okay with you.

Definitely, I'll leave my contact info with the clerk. Appreciate it. Thank you for coming. Thank you very much. Appreciate that.

Good morning again. Good morning. Good morning, everyone. Good morning, commissioners. My name is Glenda Perez, and I'm a police sergeant representing the Fraternal Order of Police in support of RE17. For many years, we have seen our police stations deteriorate and officers have been forced to work in unsanitary and substandard conditions that no one should expect to work in, especially those who serve and protect the community every day. This is not a privilege. It is about basic, safe, and functional working conditions. It's about giving our officers the tools and environment they need to do their jobs effectively and to serve the city the way it deserves. On behalf of the men and women of the police department, I respectfully ask that you please vote in favor of our E17. We need a new station. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning, Madam Chair and Commissioners. My name is Truly Burton. I represent the Builders Association with offices at 111 Northwest 183rd Street in Miami Gardens. I'm here respectfully asking for a deferral of ordinance FR2. And let me be clear here. Our members support the city's goal of ensuring that development contributes its fair share to infrastructure. We're not here to avoid responsibility. We just want to build and we want to ensure that the responsibility is applied lawfully, proportionally, and transparently. And as currently drafted, FR2 continues the system that was established back in the 70s that ties infrastructure to a cost of percentage of value. That has been increased a little bit, but not sufficiently. That approach is rather than actually the cost of the actual project. That approach is not only flawed, but it has serious legal concerns. And under established law since the 1970s, any such requirement for funds for any improvements must demonstrate a clear connection to the impact be roughly proportional to the impact of that new building, and provide a benefit to the payer. From our perspective, this ordinance doesn't meet those legal standards. Even with the proposed changes, the framework still lacks any objective criteria, cost controls, and measurable justification. The result is that builders are often required to what amounts to the city's infrastructure deficit beyond what their specific project actually demands. And all this happens before they actually get a C.O. Okay, so this is holding everybody hostage here. Pinecrest was sued on a similar issue. We do respectfully ask for time with the city for a judicious deferral so we can come up with a modern, legally sound, and impact-based methodology, and we're committed to helping reduce the housing affordability crisis that we are all experiencing in the city. Again, we are committed to being partners with you, and we look forward to working with you to resolve this issue. Thank you.

Good morning.

Good morning, Alisa Margulies, Rice Street and Center Grove. RE9, The Hangar. If the justification for this waiver is to generate additional revenues for the city, then why aren't we charging the standard waterfront market rate of $100 per square foot, or at minimum, requiring additional public benefits? The city isn't a charity, and neither is Grove Bay. A waiver, in this case a favor, is a request for a concession, why would we treat it like an entitlement? Please, take the opportunity to negotiate a better deal for our residents. RE10, if the impacts are local and the revenue is local, reinvestment should be local also. That's not favoritism, that's fairness. At the last meeting, the word equity was invoked, but equity doesn't mean ignoring the needs in District 2. West Grove is not a wealthy neighborhood. It's one of the city's most historic, yet underserved communities. Every dollar requested has been earmarked for real projects, including affordable housing and parks. These aren't frivolous luxuries. Using the Grove's name or its location in District 2 as a justification to deny resources isn't right. We're asking for your support in simply keeping the funds needed where they were generated. Regarding the street name, the jokes just write themselves, don't they? But actually, the more I thought about this, it's actually insulting.

I'm sorry, go ahead.

Particularly with the invention of this invention called the Internet. A quick Google search informed me that this is an individual that pled guilty to both fraud and corruption charges twice. Surely with a little research we can find a candidate whose legacy doesn't require legal footnotes. Finally, PH7, the Ace Theater. The city didn't do a great job with the Olympia Theater, but this is a chance at redemption. Please fund this historic jewel so it can be restored to its original glory. Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning. Madam Chair, Madam Mayor, and Commissioners.

Hold on a second. Let me, because he just slid over. So for anybody that's like, what were we talking about? Let me say what we were talking about. You know what I was talking about? Wait, wait, wait, wait. Let me, let me. Okay, but after you finish, I'm going to talk. I'm going to talk. What I said to him was that we are not going to interrupt public comment. We can discuss questions. what he would like to say in response to public commenters. When we discuss the item before us, we do not have to address the public commenters. And there may be some other folks that'll come up, so we don't wanna get into that. We'll discuss it when we discuss the items that are before us. We're not going to address public commenters. Go ahead, sorry.

Good morning again, Madam Chair, Madam Mayor, Commissioners. My name is Walter Lewis, Executive Board Member of the Miami Fraternal Order of Police, 710 Southwest 12th Avenue, here to speak briefly in support of RE17. I'm sure everybody here from the dais, from the mayor's office, and every individual commissioner's office has already done a tour of the police station, as well as several, if not all, of the fire stations in the city, and you see the deteriorated state that they are in. We're asking that you guys do whatever is necessary to stop kicking the can down the road and find a resolution to this issue. If you go to the police station, we have portable bathrooms. We have bathrooms that don't work. We have issues with water. We have water intrusion in the evidence room, and parking is an absolute disaster. So we're just asking for your support with RE17. We know that you support law enforcement and first responders in general, and we just ask that you continue to show that support by supporting us with RE17. Thank you, guys. Have a good day.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning. My name is Robert Mallon. I'm representing the Fraternal Order of Police in favor of RE17. As a member of a specialized unit, our unit has had to be moved from the central station to a substation because of lack of space and the conditions. And many of the specialized units are in the same situation. So I'm respectfully requesting that you vote in favor of RE17. Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning. Good morning, everyone. On behalf of the Miami Fraternal Order of Police, we represent over 1,300 active sworn members in the Miami Police Department, and we ask for your support on RF-17. Please provide the resources and all the proper tools that our officers need to continue to service the residents and the visitors of the city of Miami. Please show your support for first responders by voting yes to RF-17. Thank you. Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning, everybody. My name is Anthony Boza. I'm here representing the Fraternal Order of Police in favor of RE17. Our officers live in this community. A lot of them live in this community, serve in the community. Let's give them a safe and clean, acceptable place to work. That's all we're asking. Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning. Good morning, Commissioners, Chair King and Madam Higgins. Maria Gonzalez, 436 Northeast 77th Street Road. Madam Chair, requesting 30 extra seconds. I come to today, unwanting, in reference to item RE7. The naming of Northeast 14th Terrace is Angel Gonzalez Way in honor of Angel Gonzalez's exemplary services. I am perplexed as to why the commissioner of District 1 is wanting to appoint a street after this individual. Gonzalez officially pleaded guilty to exploiting to exploitation of public office. Gonzalez resigned then from his position as commissioner of District 1. Prosecutors claimed and he took a plea deal for using his commission seat to land his daughter a ghost job at a construction company that did not work for the city. His daughter allegedly received nearly $50,000 in just under two years from the construction company yet never did any work for them. But wait, there's more. He served as director of the Alapata Business Authority in 1990. The agency became embroiled in voter fraud in 1997 election. Gonzalez pled guilty to charges. The rap sheet continues, but the dais only allows two minutes. and I am left with cutting things out. Commissioner from District 1, you call this exemplary service. This behavior should be condemned, not applauded. Perhaps that is how governments are run in other countries, but not in the city of Miami. Please break away from this. Madam Mayor, I voted for you. Please get a hold of this status. We elected our officials to represent us, not represent special interests. Perhaps we should name a street after Elvis Cruz, who came out here.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning. I'd like to speak in support of RE10. The West Grove is a very deserving recipient of use of these funds. It's really nice to actually see a provision to, it really is going to provide affordable housing as opposed to some of the provisions we've seen in front of the commission recently. And in terms of providing green space to nourish people that live in that area, it's hard to be against that. I think it's a very deserving cause and I applaud the commissioner who proposed it. Now from the semi-sublime to the semi-ridiculous, naming a street after a criminal is astonishing. It's even on the agenda. I'd be even further astonished if a politician wants to associate their name with somebody who was criminally corrupting this political system. Sorry.

Is it also your intention of the people that we have given names to that also don't have a beautiful past to now take their names away? Because the hypocrisy that I'm seeing here today, especially you people that do not live in the district, number one, this man, former Commissioner Angel Gonzalez, did a lot of things for my district, and he's like a Monty in my district. So please respect me, because when you guys nominate one of your own, and like Jesus Christ said, let the first one that didn't sin throw the first rock. So please give me a break, because you all are hypocrites. Thank you very much.

Thank you. I think he took some of my time, so I'm going to continue briefly. You can finish. Last, RE17. I think there may well be a case for spending money on repairing police stations and fire stations or replacing them, but the case hasn't been made, I don't think. It's too big a number for a bond issue without adequate underpinning and detail to really support issuing that amount of debt to this city at this time. Thank you.

I'm sorry, Chair, if I can have the Speaker's name for the record.

Your name, sir?

Sir, we... My name is Cliff Losh. I live at 2811 South Bayshore Drive.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning. I'm here for RE8 Ultra. Madam Chair, Madam Mayor, Commissioners, good morning. My name is Jens Karpacz. I live at the Marquis Residence, 1100 Biscayne Boulevard. right across from Bayfront Park. I stand with the Downtown Neighbors Alliance. They represent thousands of residents across 20 downtown buildings. I'm here to ask for one thing. Please defer this vote on Altra. That is just a deferral. Here's why. Altra has held one public meeting, only one, and only one because you asked them to. They have not met with the DNA. They have not met with us residents who live next to the park. If they will not meet with us 20-year deal, they will not meet with us after. That is common sense. We're not asking you to end Altra. We're not asking you to vote no today. We're asking for a seat at the table. That is all. Give us a meeting. Let us be heard. Let Altra hear us directly and then come back to vote. 20 years is a long time. A few more weeks to do this right is not too much to ask. So please defer the vote, let the residents meet with Altra, then decide. Thank you so much.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning, Commissioner, Madam Mayor. My name is Zephyr Amarillo, Jr. I'm in 601 Brico Quay Drive. Miami, Florida. I'm here on item RE8. Every time I come here, it's because there's another backroom deal, this time involving another private entity. Year after year is the same pattern, special treatment, last minute changes, and no real transparency. Meanwhile, residents are left out and expected to just go along with it. That's not right. If Vulture wants to be here, then they need to sit down and have a real open conversation with the public, not just the typical backroom deal the city of Miami is so used to. I'm asking for a deferral on this item until there's been real public discussion. Miami deserves transparency, accountability, and fairness, not another backroom deal like all of you are used to. Thank you.

Good morning. Good morning. My name is Catherine Schultz. I reside at 4725 Northeast Miami Court in Chairwoman King's district, proudly. Good evening, Chairwoman King, Mayor Higgins, and distinguished commissioners. Thank you for the opportunity to speak. I'm here in full support of the City of Miami approving ULTRA's contract renewal. I work across corporate events, finance, industrial conferences, large-scale productions, and yes, music events as well. I see firsthand how these events in the industry operate, what makes cities thrive, what makes them lose ground. Miami is in a position that other cities envy, and I urge you to protect that. I also want to take the moment to sincerely thank Commissioner Gabel on his work in helping bring this agreement together. That kind of leadership, willing to roll up your sleeves and find a path forward, that is exactly what our city needs. So thank you, Commissioner. Now, to the matter at hand, Ultra Music Festival brings tens of millions of dollars in the economic impact to Miami every single year. Hotels fill up, restaurants are packed, small businesses see spikes they count on. The event creates hundreds of local jobs, production crews, security, hospitality workers, vendors, real employment for real Miamians. This isn't an abstract benefit. It's a paycheck that people depend on. As someone who works at events professionally, I can tell you that an industry like this is built on anchors with events like Ultra. When a city hosts a world-class event consistently and well, it signals to other promoters and every other conference organizer and every other brand considering a major activation in the city that the city knows how to do business. Downtown Miami has become recognized as a center for electronic music culture, and that carries global weight. The terms of this agreement are balanced and fair. The city receives appropriate compensation. Ultra assumes the risk, operational and financial risk. That's how a good deal should work. It's not a gift, it's a partnership.

Thank you. Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning, Commissioners. My name is Sergeant Duriel Smith. I'm here on behalf of the Fraternal Order of Police in support of RE17. Basically, I've been an officer for the department for 20 plus years. I've seen the department run its course. Problems from molding issues, bathroom problems, relocating officers to different stations because of the constant problems that we have within the department. Officers who serve and protect day in and day out have been forced to work in unsanitary and substandard conditions. Basically, we need a new station, and we would like you guys' support to assist us in achieving that goal. This is to provide officers with a functional and safe working environment. And on behalf of the men and women of the police department, I respectfully ask for you guys to vote in favor of RE17.

Thank you. Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning. My name is Paul Campbell. I'm talking about RE8 in favor of Ultra extending the contract with Miami. I'm a 42-year-old man, but 25 years ago I attended my first electronic music festival, which was Ultra, and it inspired me to dedicate my entire life into events, music, electronic music. From then, I created an event with my friends in Miami that we produced a large paint party that we toured all across the world, and Ultra was a big part of that. In that, we've hired thousands and thousands and thousands of people in Miami for the 20 years that I've produced events. I'm also a partner at a club in downtown Miami. And the impact of Ultra in Miami Music Week is the biggest week for us where we continue to employ thousands of people. We have on salary probably over $100,000 Employees, it's a very important week and somebody who's produced events throughout Miami for the 20 years. I just say as a small business owner, the economic impact is it's it's changed. It's changed. It's life changing for some people. It's a paycheck for other people. And it's very important. So the thousands of people that come internationally to put Miami on the pedestal of all entertainment, I think what that does for Miami is undeniable. And I'd love to see Ultra extend and be an inspiration for the next generation of people who produce events in Miami like myself.

Thank you, good morning.

Good morning, good morning mayors, commissioners, city managers, staff, neighbors. Thank you for the opportunity to speak about ultra today agenda item RE8. My name is Charlie Ratner. I am born and raised Miami native and transactional real estate attorney with offices on Lincoln Road. My grandfather built the Clevelander Hotel. My uncle Nat Ratner was the original broker in the 1950s for Gar Wood on the sale of Fisher Island. Full disclosure, I represent the Alter family and occasionally Alter affiliates as their personal real estate attorney. My sister and I are city of Miami property owners and taxpayers with properties at 127 Northwest 5th Street in Overtown adjacent to Miami Central, which my family has owned for almost 100 years. What an honor to be able to speak to you today. Miami is truly a global city, and the city is no greater global brand ambassador than the Ultra Music Festival, whose mere name is globally synonymous with the city of Miami. My children interned for ULTRA for many years, yes, ULTRA has interns, and have collaborated with ULTRA to raise money for Make-A-Wish, and my family has witnessed firsthand the generous and responsible corporate citizen that ULTRA is. You should be proud that they want to continue their Miami residency as well as their sustainability efforts for your city. I was proud to have my wife and all my three children at Ultra at the same time this year for the first time in my 14-year affiliation with the Ultra family. Not a single company or event in South Florida is an international brand ambassador for the city of Miami like Ultra is. Ultra brands and magnifies the city of Miami like no one in the world, no one, and you get this for free. Actually, they pay you for it. Ultras are held in cities all over the world, as you know, but Miami is the only city that has its own Ultra flag. Ultra waves it proudly all over the world and reminds the world that Miami is Ultra's showcase and home. I've worn this hat around the world for many years, and people recognize the logo and always come up to me and ask about Ultra in Miami. Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to speak today.

Good morning.

Good morning, madam. My name is Anthony Rudiaz, born and raised in Miami. I'm an owner at Midline. We just opened in the Wynwood area, and I'm here on behalf of Ultra in full support of the extension. The question we got to ask is, why are we even discussing this? Ultra is a mainstay in Miami. The whole city has benefited from Miami for over 30 years from Ultra. Downtown Miami has grown in conjunction with the growth that Ultra has grown. Miami Beach to Bayside to Bayfront Park getting rid of ultra and even considering not extending it you're allowing another city to come in and take that venue from Miami ultra is synonymous with Miami as it are the beaches so I I am for extending this, and it's something that would benefit the community by having this for not just 10 years, not 15 years. We should probably be considering it as a lifetime extension of the brand, because anywhere else, it just doesn't sit right. Thank you.

Thank you.

Good morning. Good morning, Madam Chair, Madam Mayor, and our commissioners. My name is Carolyn Donaldson, longtime community advocate for Coconut Grove. I'm also here representing Grace, Grove Rights and Community Equity, and as well Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, which is the oldest African American church in Miami-Dade County. And we're here in strong support of PH7, which is the ACE Theater. The restoration of this historic theater is about far more than a building. It is about reclaiming a cultural landmark in the heart of Coconut Grove, one that has deep roots in its history, its identity, and its resilience of our community. In fact, a number of us graduated from there when we attended Carver High School, because that's where our graduation ceremonies were held. For generations, spaces like the Ace Theater served as a gathering place where culture, creativity, and community life came together. Today, we have an opportunity to bring that spirit back in the way that meets present-day needs. This project will create a multi-purpose venue for cultural performances, community events, educational programming, and workforce development. development. That combination is powerful. It means that we are not only preserving history, we're investing in opportunity. Good morning and thank you.

Thank you. Good to see you. Good morning. Good morning. Laura Okamura. I reside at 50 Biscayne Boulevard, and I am also on the condominium board. I'm here to express the will of many residents of my community that cannot show up today in person because they work. Any agreement with Alter will have a profound impact on our Bayfront community. This item was unanimously deferred at the last commissioner's meeting to respect the need for community input to be reflected in a revised proposed license agreement. No such revised license agreement has been presented. During the one community meeting we had, it was made clear that no one supports a license agreement for a period of 10 years plus a 10-year extension. This is just common sense. It's not good for the city or its residents. A five-year term as currently exists makes more sense and is reasonable. Noise levels are also a major concern. I understand Ultra brings revenues to downtown businesses, and so some residents are willing to a certain extent to put up with additional noise, traffic, garbage, crime, and loss of use of Bayfront Park for over 28 days each year. As the most negatively impacted residents of this event, we are asking to incorporate the existing guardrails that Ultra already agreed to and currently exist in the settlement agreement into the new license agreement. Noncompliance with the guardrails should also have meaningful consequences. The existing major guardrails include limits to noise, especially the base, measured from 50 Biscayne and several other residential towers, limitation on construction hours and construction noise, and providing security fencing for most impacted buildings and traffic management. We believe this is a very reasonable request of the most negatively impacted residents in an effort to coexist with this event Please do not approve this unchanged proposed license agreement. Please allow whatever time is required for Ultra in the City to revise the license agreement to reflect our community concerns and provide it before the next meeting. Thank you very much. Thank you.

Good morning.

Good morning. I'm Dr. Denise Wallace, 3391 Florida Avenue, owner of the Historic Ace Theater, here with my mother.

Good morning, Dorothy Wallace, Dorothy M. Wallace, the wife of deceased Harvey Wallace. And I represented the Ace Theater, which my husband purchased in 1979 just to serve the Grove and to be a part of the Grove. And I just must address our chair. Eleanor, the mayor, and also our commissioner. Now, I didn't want to do this again. I remember that commercial that comes on Stern, but I don't want to do this again. But I must, I must come before you again and say thank you for all you've done and all that I hope you're going to do right now to help us keep that theater, keep that movie house as a part of Coconut Grove. Historically, we can't change what has been, but we certainly can continue with what we have now and make it speak for the past. You travel all over the world. And you go into places that you know they are so old and old, but they speak of what was and speak to the generation that was before them. So let's keep this for the generation. Let's serve our community and not forget from where we came from. And I thank God that he's given me the opportunity at 97 years old to speak to you again. Well, indeed, this is a birthday present to me. My birthday was April the 6th, 1929. And I am the... My grandfather was born as a slave in 1860 in Pocahontas, Arkansas. So I know my history from where I came from, and we want to continue giving back to our community, and we are one. Thank you. God bless you. Thank you. Thank you.

That's my mother, and that's a hard act for me to follow. It absolutely is. Thank you so much, Commissioner Pardo, Mayor Higgins, Chairwoman, and the other commissioners, and we ask for your support on this item, PH7. Thank you so much. Thank you.

Good morning.

Good morning, Chairwoman. My name is James Torres, president of the Downtown Neighbors Alliance, and I'm here on behalf of thousands of residents who call downtown home. I want to be very clear, this is not about chastising Ultra. This is about supporting the residents. It's with all respect and fairness and doing the right thing. Right now you're being asked to approve a 20 year agreement, a generational long commitment without meaningful engagement for the people who are impacted the most. Ultra has had every opportunity to sit down with residents and they have not. One meeting organized by the city is not engagement. It is simply checking off the box. And here's the simple question. If they haven't sat down with us before the 20-year agreement, what incentives will they give you afterwards? A deferral is not unreasonable. It's responsible. It gives you the opportunity to set the tone that in Miami, we respect the people who live here, not just the events that come through the city. We are asking for something very basic, a seat at the table, a real conversation, a chance to address concerns about quality of life, safety, and accountability before locking the city into a long-term agreement. This is your moment to stand with residents. This is to show that the people matter first. Deferring this item is not a no. It is a commitment to doing the right thing. And I'll close with this. It's no secret that I've been critical of Commissioner Damien Pardo and others on this dais. But this isn't about me. This is not about the politics. It's about the residents and the people. I'm asking you to reach your better judgment and give your residents something very simple, a real voice in decisions that will impact our lives for decades. I urge you to do the right thing, to do the fair thing, stand with the residents and defer this item and not do backdoor deals. Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning, Chair, Commissioners, Mayor, managers, staff. My name is Felix Zerozario. I am the Florida District 6 Director for the Fraternal Order Police in the state of Florida, and I'm also the President of the Miami Fraternal Order Police. I am here in support of RE17. I'm not only here talking and speaking on behalf of the men and women that serve as police officers, but I'm talking about the staff members, the administrative assistants, the secretaries, the ID techs, the cleaning people, Everybody that works there, it's just not police officers. And for years, every one of you and those who came before you have known the condition of our police headquarters. You have seen it, you have heard about it, and we cannot allow this to continue. Our employees are working in a building that is unsanitary, unsafe, unacceptable. We have documented cases of mold exposure affecting employees' health. We have had working women in the building go months without access to a working bathroom. A sinkhole now sits in the middle of a parking lot. leaving our employees without parking. And instead of solutions, they are disciplined when they park around the station and not told where to park. I've had public service aides that work in that station have their cars towed and them calling me on how to get their cars out of the towing company. You know, you can read about in the old Crest Program about the flooding that's happened on our basement and how it's damaged a lot of the evidence that our victims need for justice and we have to work with. This is not about the officers. This is about every city employee in that building, every victim who walks through those doors expecting help, dignity and professionalism. Let me be clear, this is not a surprise. This is nothing new. The only question is whether the city is going to fix it. This is not about luxury. This is just about a basic, safe, and functional working condition. It is about doing the right for the people who serve and the community that depends on them. On behalf of the men and women of the police department, I ask you to do the right thing and vote in favor of RE17. Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning, Commissioners, Madam Mayor. My name is Adam Cervera. I'm a shareholder with the Law Firm of Association Law Group, and I have the distinct pleasure of representing the Downtown Neighbors Alliance today on behalf of the thousands of residents who comprise our association and live downtown. Our ask today is simple. The easiest lift of the day, defer our E8. The DNA and the Ultra Music Group entered into a settlement agreement in 2021, which required Ultra to operate their festivals at certain noise levels, certain decibels. It required Ultra to regularly collaborate with our downtown residents and citizens. They have failed to meet that obligation. No community engagement. Continuous noise violations over the years. This is why, commissioners, the DNA filed this lawsuit yesterday in the circuit court of Miami-Dade County in which we will hold Ultra Music Festival accountable for these prior breaches. Approving this long-term agreement undermines the leverage for our downtown residents. With a 20-year deal, there's no incentive for future compliance or engagement by Ultra. Imagine what Miami will look like in 20 years. Imagine what Miami, I mean, we know what Miami looked like in 2006. How different is it today, 20 years later? A 20-year term agreement is simply irresponsible. Here's the good news. ULTRA is willing to sit down and meet with the DNA. Unfortunately, those meetings won't take place until May. Defer this item. Let that process play out. We're not against stopping ULTRA. This is ensuring that the law is filed and our residents and your constituents, Commissioner Pardo, are properly heard and have a seat at the table. Defer this. It's not only reasonable, it's necessary and proper to allow community engagement. Do what is right. Represent these citizens and not the special interests. Defer RE8. Thank you.

Thank you.

Good morning. Good morning, Madam Chairperson and Commissioners. My name is Mercedes Rodriguez, and I'm here to support RE17. All of you were not here back in 2017 when the Forever Bond was approved. Part of $7 million of that $400 million bond was earmarked for its safety, but they didn't address the problems that our fire and our police department has. I've been fortunate to serve for the last four years as part of the CERT program for the fire department. And I've worked closely with them and I've experienced all what they do. They run from one part of town to the other part of town during COVID trying to get a vaccine. They have issues regarding health. They have issues helping us with part of the problem, the infrastructure that was supposed to be created with that bond going into areas like Brico when it's flooding. So I am here to support this, and I'm kind of taken back that our past city manager wrote a letter, Mr. Gonzalez, not advocating on behalf of this bond. And the reason why I say that is because he had an opportunity to come and change it, just like our new elected mayor, which I supported, and our new manager have been meeting with every department, seeing the needs, making an assessment, and doing what is necessary. They're doing a public cry. This is our 911 call. This is our siren. They deserve it. these buildings, the new fire stations, police stations, to be built accurately. And it's not correct that we are looking the other way. Having said that, part of the situation is that we don't have enough funding. Our employees, our fire department, our police department employees are also taxpayers. People forget that. They also have families. I, myself, for 14 years, my father, every time he had a heart condition, we called the fire department. The fire department knew him on a first-name basis. There is no way to thank everything that they did. And as we would say in Spanish, ay, no llegan los bomberos. Part of the problem is that our seniors, most of them live in the city of Miami. Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning, commissioners. Randall Martin. Coconut Grove, 3325 Percival Avenue. I've been here and my family since the late 1800s and I'm a proud resident of Coconut Grove and a member of the Homeowners and Tenants Association of the West Grove as well as Grove Rights and Community Equity who are trying to do some great work in the Grove to bring back some equity and justice in our community. I'm here to support PH7, The institution of the Ace Theater has been formidable in our community, and we'd love to see it continue a great work. I'm also here to speak in favor of RE10. You know, I grew up in Coconut Grove. Things get old, and things need to be repurposed. And I think that the work that the commission is doing in our community is a wonderful work, and we urge you to continue to support it. Commissioner Rosado, I hear them. It was a good work he did at the Nehemiah session with PAC. And I think we'd like to have a talk with him to further develop some concept of affordable housing that are real and essential in our community. So we thank you for your support, Commissioner.

Thank you. Good morning.

Hello, everyone, and good morning. I'm here today to speak about RE17, the Safe and Ready Miami Public Safety Bond. I reside at 2890 Northwest South River Drive. My name is Corey Osset, and I've had the pleasure of serving the citizens of Miami for a little over the last 11 years. I currently work out of our little Havana station as a lieutenant for the City of Miami Fire Rescue. First and foremost, I wanted to thank you all for having me. I stand up here today to echo the sentiments of my fellow brothers and sisters. Serving the citizens of Miami has been one of the greatest and most rewarding experiences of my life. Our fire department provides exceptional leadership, guidance, and a familial-type service to not only our citizens, but to each other as well. We regard ourselves as one large family, and it's hard not to, considering we spend a third of our lives working and living together. This is what brings me before you today. Today, our Madam Mayor has graciously proposed RE17. This resolution would serve to support us men and women that support you day in and day out without complaint. but our facilities are old. We do what we can with buildings that have been lived in and worked in 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, and some for over 70 years, and they need work. We have leaky roofs, moldy ceilings, kitchens and bathrooms that are literally falling apart. I'm here before you humbly asking for your support of this bill to allow us, excuse me, to allow us to have facilities that are up to date and reflect the quality of service that we provide to your constituents. This resolution would improve service delivery and response time by providing new stations, a call center that fits our demanding operational needs, stations that aren't moldy and falling apart, among many other much-needed improvements. We invest everything we have into our jobs in proudly serving the great city of Miami. We humbly request that you now invest in us, push us into the future, and allow us to serve even better. Thank you very much for your time.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning, Madam Chairwoman and Commissioners. My name is Ted Kerr, and I'm an owner and resident at 50 Biscayne Boulevard. And I'm standing here before you asking for the deferral of RE8. I'm a longtime business owner, a certified financial planner with over 32 years of experience. I've built and operated businesses for more than 26 years, including four businesses based right here in the city of Miami. I'm here today to respectfully voice a concern regarding the proposed agreement for the Ultra Music Festival, specifically any contract structure that extends beyond five years. In my professional life, I have advised families, businesses, and institutions through decades of financial decision-making, and one lesson has proven consistent. The longer the contract, the greater the risk of unintended consequences. Markets change, leadership changes, community priorities change. What seems like a strong agreement today can become a constraint tomorrow. As Neil Bohr once said, prediction is very difficult, especially about the future. In my own businesses, even though I delegate extensively, I always require personal approval for any contracts over two years in length. Why? Because I've seen time and again the cost of entering into long-term commitments without the benefit of foresight. No one has clairvoyance, and yet long-term contracts often assume a level of certainty that doesn't exist. This is not a statement against ultra. It is a statement for prudence. A five-year horizon or shorter allows the city to reevaluate performance, adjust terms based on real outcomes, and protect the interests of residents, businesses, and taxpayers. My request is simple. If this agreement extends beyond five years, I would strongly encourage the commission to reconsider its length or, at a minimum, ensure robust review and termination provisions are built in. Thank you for your time.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning, Madam Chair, Madam Mayor, Mr. Manager, and esteemed commissioners. I'm Raul Cernuda, and I rise on behalf of IAFF Local 587, 2980 Northwest South River Drive. I'm the district chief in district number one on the B shift. District number one in the fire department includes fire station one, home to the hazardous material team, station two, three, four, 15, home to our fire boat, and 16. Three of those stations are currently in temporary structures, and all of them are in dire need for major repair. The men and women I have the privilege of leading are the most dedicated firefighters in the world. Every day we run towards danger when everyone else runs away. We save lives, we protect property, and we restore order in the face of destruction. We routinely do more with less, serving with quiet pride and an unwavering commitment to this beautiful city. However, after a challenging fire or a traumatic medical call that will likely stay with us for the rest of our lives, we return to fire stations that are literally falling apart. For example, at Fire Station One, my home station, water leaks from the second floor onto our dinner tables. When I go and take a shower, water from the drain backflows onto my feet. Mold and vermin are common. We outgrew these facilities 20 years ago. To our administration's credit, I'm grateful to say that they respond quickly when issues arise. However, we can no longer place Band-Aids on this gaping wound. Our citizens deserve better. Our firefighters deserve better. Therefore, I respectfully and urgently ask you to support RE17. Give us the infrastructure and fleet we need to continue serving this world-class city with dignity to our citizens and allowing us to continue our excellence through service. Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning. Morning. Morning, Commissioners, Madam Mayor, Jessica Johnson, 5262 Northeast Fifth Avenue.

You can pull the mic down. I'm trying.

OK, there we go. SR1, you are quietly amending chapter 17, our tree protection ordinance, while specimen trees are being removed with falsified permits. We demand a standalone moratorium on all specimen tree removals and independent community chosen arborist assessments. Your own charter says the city shall conserve and protect its natural resources. Any public official who willfully violates this shall forfeit their office. You already violated this charter when you canceled the 2025 election and Emilio Gonzalez sued you and won over $300,000 in taxpayer money. In 2025, I watched the Morningside Oak left on the curb like trash. Five more trees have been murdered in Morningside Park since then. You're permanently dismantling ecosystems that took two centuries to build. It's a metaphor for your general lack of standard of care. Commissioner Pardo, your permits called that oak sick. Your own arborist said healthy. We have the documents. Madam Mayor, you promised an audit during your campaign. Our taxpaying firefighters and police deserve an audit of the 400 million forever bond before you borrow another 450 million more. I love EDM. Festivals, especially ultra, but downtown residents don't want a 20-year lease. Listen to them. Defer RE8. Stop making us sue you to be heard. And Commissioner Gabella, instead of naming another street, just clean the storm drains so Patricia doesn't have to.

We can do both. I'm sorry, Chair. Ma'am, if I could have your name for the record.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Good morning, Madam Mayor, Madam Chair, Mr. Manager, and Commissioners for this opportunity. Thank you. I am firefighter Herbert Roach, address 2980 Northwest South River Drive. I'm speaking in regards to RE17 and the reasons why we need to have this for our men and women of our fire department. I proudly served, I proudly served, currently served 12 years here with the city at Station 13 at the north end of the city. And I'm here to let you know that all of our firefighters uphold our motto, excellence through service. We do this by responding to our citizens day and night in all types of weather, on people's worst days, and we do it with pride. A major problem for us is that when we return from these hard calls, we return to tattered stations that have been in existence for 50 plus years. Remember, most of you go home every night. We're here for 24 hour shifts and in some cases two days straight living in these deplorable conditions. Our stations never get a break from our doors and our trucks and our feet going in and out to save lives. Remember, we run over 100,000 calls a year. The stations have run its course, ladies and gentlemen. And in most cases, our stations look like they're under construction when they're not. There are too many patches to repair, and in some cases, more patches than we put on any of our patients. Roof leaks with slimy green things growing, plumbing that smells, outdated circuit breakers. At night, I stare at holes in the walls with wires hanging down over my bed. It is very distracting when I need to be focusing on my citizens. Firefighters, we can fix almost anything, but some things are beyond repair. These men and women sitting behind me in yellow shirts, this is our home where we train, where we share our meals, where we recover after hard calls and try to sleep for a few minutes before the next alarm. We need new stations. We deserve it. And we want to tell you thank you for your time, and we hope that you vote unanimously for RE17. Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning, Madam Chairwoman, Madam Mayor, and commissioners. My name is Brad Horenstein. I'm here in support of RE10 as a parent, as a father. My son Amos is a member of the Coconut Grove Track and Field Hornets. So it's given me an opportunity to go to Armister Park and to watch the team practice. And I have to tell you that these kids work so hard to achieve greatness. And this park has been the product, has produced greatness. Miami legend Frank Gore, Amari Cooper, Denzel Perriman, to name a few. The program is not done producing superstars. But if you would just look at the park, you wouldn't believe that a superstar has come from there. There isn't a track in District 2. District 2 needs a track. We produce too much pride for there not to be a track. Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning, Madam Mayor, Mr. Manager, and Commissioners. My name is Christian Fernandez, and I work at Station 2, located at 1901 North Miami Avenue. I'm here to speak in support of RE17, the Safe and Ready Miami Bond. I am the captain on the B shift, and also the station commander in charge of the station's overall operations across all three shifts. I have spent most of my nearly 20 year career at Fire Station 2, which serves Overtown, Wynwood, and Edgewater. Like many other firefighters, I consider my station a second home. Our station was built in 1971, when our territory had significantly less citizens living and visiting the area. Throughout the years, our logistics division has made many repairs to our station, but without funding, have not been able to keep up with the demand that a building of this age requires. The current structure has had several issues that need repairs, such as a sagging roof, original windows that leak water into living spaces, and outdated AC units that require constant maintenance to continue functioning, just to name a few. Every day I come to work, I strive to ensure that firefighters working alongside me provide excellence through service, as our motto states. Your Miami firefighters are consistently ready to serve the citizens of our great city and keep them safe. Today, we ask that our city helps keep us safe and ready. Thank you for your time, and I hope we can count on your support.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning, everyone. My name is Kiana Cherry. I'm here to speak on RE10 and keeping the money in District 2. Thank you for allowing me to stand before you and share my thoughts concerning another much-needed improvement in Coconut Grove, specifically on Bristol Park. I know that you have been working very diligently to adhere to the needs of Coconut Grove community and having a functional track at Umbrister Park for our children to be able to get the adequate training needed. For so many years, they have had to practice on grass or be transported to other locations to practice on an actual track. In case you haven't seen or heard, we have some amazing athletes bringing home national titles and All-American titles as well and crossing barriers that some would say are impossible. Our children have overcome many obstacles and adjustments to be productive, but just imagine how much more they can do and become if they had a track right in their own backyard in a community. They will no longer need to cross busy streets like US 1 and Lejeune Road to get to practice. This funding is the perfect opportunity for our children to have a dedicated track facility for our kids to safely practice every day. So again, I ask that you please see it in your hearts to allow this improvement to take place as we can continue to see our athletes thrive. Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning. Good morning, Madam Chairwoman, Commissioners, Madam Mayor. My name is Kelly Angel. I am a born and raised Miami native. I grew up in the city of West Miami. I went to high school in Mass Academy in Key Biscayne and then the University of Florida. And I now am a proud downtown resident for about three years. I am the founder of Humanity Cares, a Miami-based 501c3 nonprofit formerly known as Wave Wave Foundation. Our mission is simple. We blend music, art, and culture with environmental action. We've become known for creating what we call silent disco beach cleanups, where globally recognized DJs contribute sets that people listen to while actively cleaning our beaches. It transforms what many see as work into something people genuinely want to be a part of. To date, we've removed thousands of pounds of trash from Miami's coastline, and we're just getting started. We're expanding into initiatives like Everglades restoration, tree planting, and sustainable food initiatives. But what's important is who we are reaching. In Miami, a city where music and entertainment are deeply embedded in our culture, we realize that if we want to create real environmental change, we have to meet people where they already are. And it worked. 80% of our volunteers have never participated in a cleanup before, but once they came through the music, they stayed for the impact. That is the opportunity in front of you today. The audience that attends events like Ultra isn't separate from our city. They are our city. They are young, engaged, global, incredibly influential, and when given the opportunity, they show up for something bigger than themselves. We believe Ultra Music Festival has the potential to be more than just a world-class event. It can be a platform for lasting impact. By integrating sustainability initiatives, not just during the festival, but throughout the year, in partnership with local organizations, Ultra can help activate an entirely new generation of environmental advocates, because we've seen it firsthand. Music gets people in the door, but purpose is what makes them stay. Keeping Ultra in Miami isn't just about preserving a cultural event, it is about harnessing its influence to drive meaningful, measurable change in our community. So I urge you to vote yes to RE-8. Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning, dear commissioners, show woman. My name is Manuel Perez. I'm a downtown resident. I'm here to urge you to defer RE-8 and vote no on the proposal, 20-year license agreement with Ultra Music Festival. Let me be clear. This is not about whether Ultra should exist. It is about whether this commission should lock out city into a rigid, decades-long commitment that ignores what downtown Miami has become and where it is going. Twenty years ago, downtown was a ghost town after business hours. Today, it is a home for more than 100,000 residents, families, professionals, and seniors who live full-time and depend on this neighborhood as their home, not a temporary venue. A 20-year agreement in a rapidly evolving urban core is not planning. It is surrendering flexibility. It ties the hands of future commissioners and prioritizes the weekend loan event over the long-term livability of an entire community. We are no longer the city that shuts down for events. We are a city that leaves every day. We also need to challenge the idea that the deal is an economic benefit. The relative $2 million that the annual rent for the Bayfront Park sounds significant until you consider what it does not include. It does not account for the disruption to the residents, and it certainly does not account to the real personal cause of the people who live here, because for us, this is not abstract. The noise is not a minor inconvenience. It's overwhelming, unacceptable, and physically disruptive. And when weather delays extend, the hours that burden only increase. No resident should be expecting to endure this year after year, let alone have it guaranteed for the next 20 years. This decision comes down to a simple question. Who is this city for? It is for people who live, work, and vote here year-round, or is it a single commercial event? Thank you so much.

Thank you. Good morning.

Hi, good afternoon everybody. My name is Sergio Nieto. I moved to Miami about seven years ago and I've lived in multiple cities leading up to this. You just heard from my partner Kelly about our nonprofit and how we're combining what we're doing with music and it's making a really big impact. I'm going to speak to you from a business owner's perspective. I've met multiple businesses in Miami, one of which builds businesses in Miami. What I can honestly say is the impact that we have from events like Ultra and other music disoriented drivers is something really special that you don't see in other cities. And not just living and experiencing it, but seeing the bottom line. There's a lot of restaurants, there's a lot of hospitality venues right now that are struggling. They see these bumps, they see these impacts, and they're substantial. What I would encourage everyone to consider is Miami is special for very specific reasons, and people are leaving from other cities to come here. I would encourage everyone to think about these impacts and why they're leaving, and let's not turn Miami into every other city. Just my perspective on things. The other thing is Ultra being such an amazing driver for just not just business during their two weeks or whatever their timeline is there. For example, what they're doing for us long term is they're driving impact. We have now acquired so many new faces that would never be, you know, cleaning beaches or having driving impact on the community that are now coming. And our retention rate is significantly higher than it ever was. And their impact, though it's for the city maybe a month or two months, for us it's the entire year. So I would just think about the downstream effects of having such a big brand and such a big player in the game that is also looking to do good. and driving people on a yearly basis, not just on a weekly or monthly basis. So thank you for your time. I appreciate the consideration. I hope you vote yes. Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning. Thank you for the opportunity to speak. My name is Maria Villa, and I represent Coast to Coast Enterprises. For several years, my company has had the privilege of working with Ultra Music Festival, and I am here today as a strong supporter of keeping Ultra at Bayfront Park. My specific role with Ultra is something that I take great pride in. Once the festival ends, my team is responsible for restoring Bayfront Park back to its original condition. From the moment the festival moves out, we step in with one goal, to complete the work professionally, efficiently, and as quickly as possible so the park can be reopened for residents. We understand how important this space is for the community, and we treat it with a level of high respect. Beyond my role, I have seen firsthand the positive impact of Ultra has on our local community. It supports small businesses like mine and creates jobs for hundreds of workers across different trades. For many of us, this event is not just a weekend event. It is a meaningful source of income and opportunity. Ultra has also made real efforts over the year to improve operations and address community concerns. It has become more than just a festival. It's part of Miami's identity. I respectfully urge you to approve the recommended agreement and allow Ultra Music Festival to continue calling Bay from Park at home. Thank you for your time, your service, and for supporting what makes Miami special. Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning. Good morning, Madam Mayor, Mr. Manager, and elected commissioners. My name is Diana Villa, 2980 South River Drive, Executive Board Member for Miami Firefighters Local 587. I am here today in support of RE17. This issue is deeply personal to me. My mother began her 30 year career as a Miami firefighter back in 1985, at the very same station I am assigned today, in downtown Fire Station 1. As a little girl, I would visit her at the station. I walked these halls and grew up at the station, spent many holidays there, decorating the common areas to bring a festive environment and mask the broken walls. Today, my own daughter walks these very same halls. Only now, they are in worse condition than ever before. Before, my mother and my grandfather served the city for 25 years as a Miami firefighter. When I work at Station 9, I'm standing and living in the very same place where my grandfather began his career in 1960. RE17 is not only about our firefighters and police, but for me this is about family. My husband, my sister, my three brother-in-laws, their father, all seven of us serve as Miami firefighters in these various stations. Our story is not unique. Our department is filled with generational families who have made this job a lifelong commitment. These stations are our second homes. We spend 24 hours there. We take pride in what we do. We want to bring our families into these spaces and show them how we dedicate our lives to. But the truth is that's become harder and harder. Please support RE17 so that when the next generation walks through these station doors, they walk into a place that reflects the pride, professionalism, and commitment Miami Fire has for this city. Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning. Good morning. Hi, my name is Alexandra Herrera. I'm born and raised in Miami. I'm here in support of RE8. I am a student and a freelancer who has been a part of Ultra Music Festival's sustainability team for four years. I started as an intern. Yes, Ultra does have interns. And I want to talk a little bit about the impact that we've had. The sustainability program is extremely impactful, not only to the environment and Bayfront Park itself, but also to the community and young aspiring leaders within the community. Our volunteer program provides incredible opportunities for college students to gain experience in the industry, assisting with over 20 of our 65 total sustainability initiatives. These include food rescue, educational eco-village, audience outreach, and food vendor compliance. Mission Home leaves a lasting impression on the festival and Miami itself, having diverted over half a million pounds of waste and donating over 100,000 pounds of resources to the community. Ultra's commitment to Miami and its people is deep and true, and that's why I urge you to vote yes on RE8.

Thank you. Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning. Good morning, Honorable Chairwoman, fellow commissioners, Mr. City Attorney, Mr. Manager, and Madam Mayor, my name is Alexander Cadenas. I'm president for the Miami Association of Firefighters Local 587, located at 2980 Northwest South River Drive. And I'm here to speak on RE17, the Safe and Ready Miami Public Safety Bomb. As you've already heard for decades now, our firefighters and paramedics have never missed a call. never stopped responding to our citizens during the worst day of their lives, call after call, only to return to dilapidated stations just enough to catch their breath, have a moment of respite, and get ready for the next call. They deserve better. Now, it's important to note that this bond would not only improve our stations' working conditions, but even more importantly, it would add additional stations and resources to help improve response times across the city. I want to thank you, Chairwoman King. for your efforts in supporting and securing Rescue 17. It was meant to address an area of great need. However, Rescue 17 is currently responding from a neighboring station, and until it gets its dedicated fire station, it will continue to see delayed response times. This bond would fix that. Commissioner Gabela, for your support on securing Rescue 18, we appreciate it as well, and for your dedication towards getting a response site for it. However, we recently acquired grant funding for Aerial 10, which can't be housed at Station 10 until that station is replaced. It, too, is responding from a neighboring station, causing further delay in response times. This bond would fix that, and not only that, but that's just a few examples in this bond. Now, commissioners, all that we're asking is to give our residents the opportunity to decide whether or not they'll answer our call, this call. The moment is now, and we can't risk allowing these subpar working conditions to persist and delayed response times to continue. Now, I strongly urge your support on RE17 for a safer and ready Miami. It's what our citizens deserve. It's the least that we can do for our first responders. Let's put away the band-aids, let's put away the patches, and let's solve this problem with an adequate solution. Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning. My name is Christopher Lunding. I live at 3350 Southwest 27th Avenue. I'm speaking on the subject of RE17. I'm asking you to defer a vote on this matter. Why am I doing that? Well, let me start with some statistics. The median household income in Miami-Dade County is reported to be $82,700. That's per household. This particular $450 million long-term debt that you're about to vote on puts $9,000-plus of debt on every man, woman, and child in the city. It is a huge burden. It is not small. It is not business as usual. It's way out of the ordinary. What is that going to be used for? You have firemen here. I appreciate firemen. I know firemen. I love what they do. I visit my firehouse number six. I have ridden in EMS ambulances where the door won't close and the shocks are shot. They need money. They don't need $450 million to replace every firehouse in the city. It couldn't cost more than $100 million. Where's the other $350 million going to go and for what? Totally unexplained, but you're supposed to vote to authorize this today. Trust us, we will spend the money wisely, or our successors were, because this debt will go on for a decade or more, and we don't know who's going to be in charge of the city in the future, and I'm not knocking any of you. I'm just saying it's totally unexplained. The firemen are a MacGuffin, I think is one of the words that's used, or a stalking horse, or pawns here. And as one of the fire department people said, they are taxpayers too. They will bear this burden if it goes forward. So I ask you to send this back, explain to yourselves and the voters where that money actually is needed and where it's actually going to go. conceding all the firehouses get replaced, they could be gold-plated and it wouldn't cost this amount of money. So something else is going on here. One last point. An election in August where less than 20% of the voters will show up is not the time that the voters should be asked to vote on this. It should come in a general election, which is what the mayor has said with respect to you folks. Thank you. Thank you. You'll have to stop me because otherwise I won't stop talking. Thank you very much.

Thank you. So long. Good morning.

Hi, good morning. Thank you, Madam Chairman, Chairwoman, Commissioners, Madam Mayor. My name is Dave Dobler. I'm the co-founder of volunteercleanup.org, chair of the Miami Beach Sanitation Advisory Committee, and co-chair of the Biscayne Bay Marine Health Coalition. I live at 8000 West Drive in North Bay Village. Today I'm here to speak in support of ULTRA. In 2018, when Ultra sought to relocate to Virginia Key, with 165,000 people partying right on the edge of Biscayne Bay, an environmental organization such as mine had numerous reasons to oppose them. Instead, we came together and negotiated. We drafted an MOU with real teeth, eliminating single-use plastics, polystyrene, balloons, confetti, requiring composting, recycling infrastructure, and a Leave No Trace policy. Then we showed up for all three days and graded them on it. We gave them an A. Over half a million single-use plastic items eliminated, 56,000 pounds recycled with 100% acceptance rate at the recycling facility, 190,000 single-use water bottles avoided, and 100% vendor compliance. Their Mission Home campaign has since become a global benchmark for sustainable festival production. You voted last month for plastic-free standards and special event permits. Ultra has been living those standards for six years. I understand residents have serious concerns about traffic, noise, and neighborhood impact, and those deserve your full attention. I'm not here to speak to those. I'm here to speak to the environmental record, and that record is clear. Ultra made commitments to protect Biscayne Bay and delivered on every one of them. Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning, commissioners. Good morning, Madam Mayor. Thank you so much for the opportunity to speak. My name is Fernando Wiener. I am a resident of the city of Miami. I'm an attorney. I represent, I'm in the government affairs space for one of the local health systems, and I'm here to speak as a proponent of Ultra Music Festival. Prior to moving back to Miami in 2023, I had the honor of living all over the country. I was in the military. I was a captain in the United States Army for a couple of years. I had the pleasure of deploying to the Middle East. And I mention that because I've seen what many different cities, many different cultures experience, yet I couldn't wait to get back to Miami. And it's very much because of events like Ultra. It's because of events like the F1 race that we have here. It's because of events like the Miami Open. It's because of the Miami Heat. It's because of the concerts that we put on at the Arch Center, at the Kaseya Center. It is because this city prioritizes cultural events. It's why I don't live in Scranton, Pennsylvania or Little Rock, Arkansas. This is why you draw tens of thousands of residents that are around my age group to live in this special city. I hear the concerns of the residents that live around downtown and have to deal with the inconvenience of traffic and noise. But I think I speak for tens of thousands of residents that say we're willing to put up with that. We understand that to live in a metropolis like Miami, you have to deal with a little inconvenience, little traffic. Even today, we have the Lexus corporate run. Totally blocks off downtown. There's going to be traffic. Next month, when FIFA gets here, guess what? Going to be traffic all over the city. And in Bayfront Park, it will be not shut down, but not totally accessible. There's going to be the fan experience for a year or for a month. So I urge you, please move forward and agree to this agreement with Ultra. Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning.

Hello, Commissioners, Chairwoman, and Madam Mayor. My name is Alison Rousseau, and thank you for giving me the opportunity to stand here before today and speak on behalf of something that is deeply important to me, not just to me, but to the identity and economic vitality of our city, Old Show Music Festival. Ultra is not just a music festival, it is an economic engine, a cultural landmark, and a global system of Miami. Every single year, Ultra generates millions of dollars for our local economy. It supports thousands of jobs, Uber drivers, hospitality, workers, events staff, security, restaurant employees, hotel staff, and even real estate professionals. Hotels are fully booked, restaurants are overflowing, and businesses across the city thrive. This is not hypothetical. I have witnessed it firsthand as someone born and raised in Miami, living just minutes away from Bayfront Park. OCHA brings the world to Miami, and that matters, because Miami is not just any city. We are that city, the city known worldwide for culture, energy, and unforgettable experiences. OTRA is part of a much bigger ecosystem that defines us. Miami, Music Week, Art Basel, Formula One, Three Point, Factory Town, Club Space, Live. These are not disruptions. They are who we are. People don't move to Miami despite these events. They move here because of them. I understand that concerns exist, noise, traffic, disruption, but with all respect, traffic is not unique to Ultra. Traffic is part of daily life in Miami, and for one weekend a year, we have an opportunity to host a world-class event that elevates our city on a global stage. one weekend, for something that brings so much value, so much energy, and so much opportunity. And if we start drawing lines here, if we begin pushing out events like Ultra, where does it stop? Do we question Art Basel next, Formula One, Miami Music Week? At what point do we risk losing the very essence of what makes Miami, Miami? Cities evolve. Miami today is not the Miami of 2016, and 2016 was not 2006. Growth is not something to fear. It is something to embrace. It means we are thriving. It means the world is watching us. And ultra is a major reason why. But beyond economics, beyond tourism, beyond reputation, there is something even more important, the human experience. Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning. Billy Corbin on RE7 and 17. The condition of our police and fire stations in this city are an embarrassment. Our first responders deserve better. The question is how to pay for it. And this bond seems to be the wrong idea at the wrong time. Madam Mayor, you ran on a promise of doing a deep dive into a budget that doubled in the last five years, which you yourself said you have not seen your services double in quantity or quality. We need to figure out why 77% of the budget goes to salaries and benefits. And that's going to be 100% soon. And you're going to have no money. You're going to have to keep borrowing it. But before we borrow that money, what about the deep dive you promised into the Miami Forever Bond? At a cursory glance, I'm not entirely sure how it's being spent. There's $8 million on there for costs. Who are the lawyers? Who are the underwriters? Where is that $8 million going, for example? We should really figure out how to pay for this from the developers, the developers who are creating the strain on our resources. When they want variances, when they want upzoning, when they want permits, they should have to pay. I'll give you an example. Damien Pardo just gave away Watson Island to a developer, and we need a $13 million fire station there for the fireboats. Why wasn't that negotiated as part of the community benefits in that deal? We're failing at getting community benefits and properly spending our developer impact fees. So show some good faith. You're different from the previous administration. Show where the money, the previous money was being spent and then ask for another half a billion dollar loan. I can't believe I have to say it, but we cannot name a street for a commissioner that resigned in disgrace and pled guilty to corruption and pled guilty for voter fraud. It's a Miami mafia mockery. Where does it end? The reason why you need four-fifths of a vote is because he's still alive. We shouldn't name anything for a living person. That alleviates the concern. Where does it end? We rename Bayfront Joe Carollo Park. We rename Cayocho Humberto Hernandez Plaza. How about the new police station in Melrose? Donald Warshaw Justice Center. Or the signature bridge, Arcteal Memorial Highway. Of course, it's ridiculous that I have to say it. You cannot do that, guys. It's an embarrassment. Thank you.

Good morning.

Hello, Commissioners, Chairwoman, Madam Mayor, thank you for the opportunity to be able to speak today. My name is Senator Russo, I'm a resident of Miami, and I'm on behalf of Ultra Music Festival. I would like to begin by saying that there's no place in Miami that brings me more inspiration and purpose than Ultra. I understand that to some in this room it may simply sound like beats and noise, but to me and millions around the world, it represents far more. It is a cultural movement, a source of creativity, and a movement that continues to bring people together. ULTRA is the reason I began DJing, it is the reason I developed a passion for dance music, and it continues to inspire countless young artists and myself to pursue something meaningful. Miami is globally recognized as a city that celebrates music, culture, and large scale events. ULTRA plays a central role in that identity. Each year the festival generates tens of millions of dollars in the local economy, supports jobs, and gives opportunities for workers and businesses during those three day runs. Additionally, ODRA has demonstrated a consistent willingness to collaborate with city officials, addressing concerns, improving operations, and evolving responsibly year after year. Nearly businesses and local residents benefit from the increased visibility and economic activity that the festival brings to the area. Miami's large and dynamic city. While not every event is for everyone, I'm sure residents can find somewhere else to stay for that weekend if they don't enjoy the music. In closing, Ochoa is not just an event. It is part of Miami's identity, economy, and global reputation. I respectfully urge you to consider its value and continue presence in the city. I hope you say yes to REA. Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Good morning, honorable commissioners, mayor, and staff. My name is Kenneth Sims. I am here today to respectfully request you to vote yes on Resolution 8 and support extending extending Ultra Music Festival license in the city of Miami. I'm a resident of the Miami-Dade County area. I serve as a network engineer and IT entrepreneur throughout the South Florida Tri-County area. For more than a decade, I've proudly supported Ultra, not just as an attendee, but as a team member behind the scenes as well. Altra has created meaningful opportunities for me and many others. Through my involvement, I've been able to connect college students from Miami Dade College, Florida Atlantic University, and Florida International University with real world experiences in hospitality, event operations, and technology. For many of them, this is the first step into professional careers. Beyond my personal experience, Altra brings significant economic impact, global visibility, and cultural energy to our city. It supports local businesses, creates jobs, and reinforces Miami reputation as a world-class destination for music and innovation. Extending ULTRA's license is not just about one event. It's about continuing opportunities, economic growth, and showcasing the best of Miami around the world. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Thank you. Good morning. Good morning. My name is Alejandra Rudiman and I'm here in support of RE8. I'm a lawyer by trade and a house music lover at heart. I grew up in Miami and have attended Ultra every year since 2012 when I was 15. I even wrote my college essay accepted by Georgetown on the unifying power of festival culture inspired entirely by Ultra. While some argue only large corporations benefit economically from Ultra, it also creates real opportunities for small businesses, creatives, independent artists, and students, the future of this city. Beyond economics, Ultra has a deeply powerful human impact. People travel from around the world to experience Miami and be a part of something bigger than themselves. I understand nearby residents want to feel heard, but there have already been multiple opportunities for public input, including a full month of discussion. This vote was originally scheduled for March 23rd, and further deferral only delays the inevitable. Importantly, the proposed lease allows for annual revisions, and nothing is permanent. If more reassurance is needed, there are solutions that don't require uprooting one of Miami's cultural pillars. planting trees to reduce sound, offering transportation reimbursements, or even providing residents with VIP access. Miami and Ultra are inextricably linked. Moving Ultra from Bayfront Park would strip away a vital piece of the city's culture and community. I urge you to keep Ultra where it belongs, at home in Bayfront Park. Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning. Good morning.

Jerry Schuman, 2926 Southwest 30th Court. Coconut Grove, a native of Coconut Grove. Today is Bring Your Child to Work Day, so I'm here to talk about track and field. In my lifetime, there hasn't been a track in District 2 and there isn't a track in Coconut Grove, so we desperately need one bad. We're running right now at Armbruster Park slash Carver. I'm an alumni there in 1976, and the track team is amazing. We're running on rocks, and the kids are falling when they're running because they're running really fast. We need a real track. We have an 80-yard track there that's not done. They're redoing the whole Carver field now, so let's go ahead and

Get a track in the Grove. We need one desperately.

Get these kids moving and off the phones, and thank you for having us. My son won.

Good morning, my name is Caroline Rodriguez Salazor and I'm a born and raised Miami local. I'm here to speak as a proponent of Ultra Music Festival. I've attended Ultra Music Festival every year since 2013 when I was 16 years old. I currently work in Miami's hospitality industry since 2019 and I'm currently with Star Hospitality Group at Pastis Miami. I see firsthand the impact events like Ultra have economically. We serve thousands of guests each week, and during Miami Music Week and Ultra, that energy multiplies for the hospitality industry. There are also concerns about property values, but the reality shows the opposite. Areas like Brickell in downtown have seen property values surge over the last 15 years due to growth in demand. You can even see it in the transformation of Cayo Ocho now being rebranded as some West Brickell. Rising property taxes reflect increasing values, not decline. Major events like Ultra make cities more desirable. People choose to live in Brickell and downtown because they want to be near the energy. And if Ultra is removed, that demand does not disappear. It just gets replaced by smaller, less coordinated events without the same level of structure and oversight. Bayfront Park is Ultra's true home. It's central, walkable, and accessible. Removing it from Bayfront Park doesn't solve a problem. It only disrupts a system that already works and that could be further improved each year. Miami has thrived on culture, movement, and connection. Ultra belongs at Bayfront Park because it embodies all of that. Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning. Good morning, Commissioner. Good morning, everyone. My name is Jane. I've been here 15 years. I'm originally from Beijing, one of the busiest, the crowded city in the world. Guess what? When I go down my parents' building, there's a track. I can walk from here to there. There's a track. Guess what? My boys, born in this beautiful city, Coconut Grove, and they're in the track team at Coconut Grove Hornet Team. We have to travel to neighborhood city. I have to go to CDL Coral Gables, and I graduate from UM. I asked for UM, they were so kind, asked us to use the track once a week. But we simply don't have a track, public track, in District 2. This will benefit everyone. Kids, senior, everyone. This is not just public track, this is public health well-being. And everybody will benefit every day, for decades, for generations. So Stone, I have my eight-year-old Stone right here. Stone, you want to say anything?

Good morning. My name is Stone. I like to run track. And I want to go to the Olympics and be a track star.

Oh, okay. Thank you for your time. Thank you for listening. Thank you.

Good morning.

Good morning. First, I'd like to thank the commission and the mayor for you all taking the time to hear all of our input and whatnot. I'm sure it will go into informing your decisions. In any case, my name is David Porter, and I am the president of Store Properties at 3619 Percival Avenue. Our family has been part of Coconut Grove for over 20 years, with a longstanding commitment to responsible development, in particular, the preservation and expansion of affordable housing in the Little Bahamas community. I am here today in support of RE10, which allocates funding from the Public Benefit Trust for affordable housing and parking improvements within the district. From our perspective, this is not a funding decision. It's about maintaining the fabric of an historic community while ensuring that long-time residents are not displaced as property values rise. Affordable housing and well-maintained public spaces are essential to that balance. When I do the math, the data is clear. District 2 has contributed over 50% of the public benefit trust fund. Our proposal is right now is asked to allocate 42% into District 2 while leaving a portion for borrower citywide needs. This to me is a fair approach. More importantly, these funds are being directed toward tangible community focused outcomes from affordable housing initiatives in the Little Bahamas to meaningful improvements in neighborhood parks and playgrounds, which many people have talked about today. We believe this is exactly how these funds were intended to work, reinvesting in the communities where development is occurring in a way that benefits directly. I encourage all of your support. Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning. Good morning, Madam Chair, Madam Mayor, Commissioners. My name is Juan Carlos JC Planas. I am an attorney representing some neighbors here on information on RE16. The issue with RE16, this is an agreement that is completely different than what the Commission passed. In February of 2020, the Commission passes a resolution with a public benefits package with a fire station. Several months later, a commissioner who's no longer here with a city attorney that's no longer here ends up rewriting the agreement. So what is asked to be enforced today is not what was passed by the commission. That agreement had a number of differences that you guys can look up. All the records are there. That agreement that ends up being changed even had a slush fund for the commissioner of that district. I think that the wise thing to do, because the residents are angry that the fire station has not been built, you guys are obviously angry that the fire station has not been built. is cancel the entire agreement, do an RFP on this, and bring in other people, because what would be enforced is not even what was passed by the commission, and I think that a new RFP is probably what should be warranted. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Good morning. Good morning, Mayor and Commissioners. My name's Maddie Kaufman and I live at 3375 Southwest 29th Terrace. I'm the Zero Waste Institutional Change Director at Debris Free Oceans and help lead Zero Waste Miami, a coalition of over 150 people working to build Miami's circular economy. And I just wanted to say how incredibly proud we are to partner with Ultra Music Festival, who has been eliminating waste and emissions to incredible extents throughout the last few years through their award-winning Mission Home program. It really has been amazing to witness them phasing out single-use plastics and using leftover food to feed people and not landfill and more. They've actually diverted over half a million pounds of waste from landfill, and of that, 100,000 pounds were donated as resources back to the community. And they've been doing all of this before, required by local ordinance, permitting, and contracts. They do this operating at very tight margins. And their team has just three days to pull off all of these initiatives that they dedicate countless hours to planning. Festivals really are many cities that have inspired Miami to be better and shown us what is possible. On a personal note, I've been attending ULTRA for 14 years, and the excitement and energy and attention it brings to our city is truly incredible. I've never had any issues with overcrowding or traffic because our public transportation system, albeit its lack of geographic scope, actually serves this event incredibly well. And so I would love to see it operate in Bayfront, uplift Miami for years to come. Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning.

Either or is fine. Good morning, good afternoon. Commissioners, Madam Mayor, Mr. Manager, my name is Sophia Iglesias. I am a supporter of RE8. I reside at 3750 South Dixie Highway. I'm a contractor who serves as the community partnerships manager for Ultra Music Festival. As a Miami native born and raised here, it's been an absolute privilege to support this festival every season in this capacity, specifically through our internationally recognized and awarded Mission Home program. I've been with this program since its inception in 2019, but I have personally witnessed how we've transformed our relationship with Bayfront Park over the last seven years. I recognize that for some, an event of this scale is viewed as a nuisance or an inconvenience. We must also recognize that City of Miami takes immense pride in being a global hub for mega events, and Ultra is a cornerstone of that reputation. We have proven that a world-class event can coexist with deep, responsible stewardship of our public spaces. This isn't just a goal, it's our reality. Since 2019, we've diverted 509,000 pounds of waste from the landfill. We invest significant time and resources voluntarily because we treat this park like our own home. Our impact reaches far beyond the music. Through our rescue initiatives, we have donated over 108,000 pounds of food and supplies back to equity-deserving groups of the Miami community. We're also committed to our young leaders, providing young adults with impactful opportunities through volunteering and internships. We take pride in being a megaphone for our local heroes, partners like Clean Miami Beach, Debris Free Oceans, Love the Everglades Movement, et cetera, along with many others, ensuring that Ultra's platform of millions of people globally strengthens Miami's environmental fabric year-round. While it isn't all about the money, we cannot ignore the economic impact we bring to downtown. As we've seen many other events leave the city of Miami footprint recently, there's a region Ultra has stayed. We are a Miami-born institution. We are loyal to the city. We are committed to the neighbors, the local businesses, and the long-term health of Biscayne Bay. I'm standing here today. Thank you so much. Appreciate the time. Thank you.

Good morning. Yeah.

Good morning, Madam Mayor, City Manager, Madam Chair, and Commissioners. My name is Rob Piper. I'm at 1401 Southwest 17 Terrace, and I'm just here to talk regarding to RE16. As a District 3 resident, I have actually seen the differences between what was voted on by the commission in February of 2020 and what actually moved forward in April of 2020. So I'm asking just to please put this on the back burner for now until there's an actual chance to find out just how different these agreements are and ensure that what went forward on April 2020 actually matches what was actually approved in February of 2020 regarding this agreement with this developer. I am not, I didn't grow up in Miami, I'm a transplant, but I've been here for over 10 years, and it just concerns me how what was agreed upon at the commission at one month, it suddenly changes a couple of months later. So I just urge you to please, let's not go down this road and make sure that the process gets done the way it's supposed to. And on that note, thank you, Madam Mayor, for your resolution to move your election to 2028. And for the commissioners, I just have to ask, why does the commission election need to be extended all the way to 2032? Can it just go to 2030? Not looking for an answer. I'm just asking. Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning. My name is Thomas Kennedy. I'm here to speak out against this irresponsible bond proposal. Now is not the time to saddle the city with $450 million worth of more debt. particularly when we haven't gotten a full accounting of the money left in the Miami Forever Bond, which I voted against because I just don't believe that this commission and city government has been a good steward of the residents' money, and nothing really has changed to prove otherwise. There's an estimated, I've heard, I've read, $182 million left unaccounted in the Miami Forever Bond. You're sitting there, nine years worth of time, losing money due to inflation. Why don't we get a full accounting of what's left before we ask residents to foot half a billion dollars for God knows whatever. And the other thing that I will say is that the Florida legislature right now is pushing, along with the governor, is pushing a proposal forward to eliminate property taxes. We don't know if that's actually going to happen. We haven't seen a specific plan. But it's something that's floated. And property taxes would be a revenue stream that the city would use to repay this debt that we are supposed to take on. So has this been a... factor something that we've we've thought about when when this is being proposed I don't know it just seems really improvised rushed irresponsible and not the right time both politically and economically for the city to take this kind of debt thank you thank you good afternoon

Not quite yet, Madam Chair. Good morning, still commissioners and Madam Mayor. Andy Parrish, 3940 Main Highway. 25 years ago, I attended a three or four day long charrette in Virick Park. And that was attended by Ms. Dorothy Wallace and by the late Thelma Gibson and many, many others from the West Grove. And that Charette ended up producing the Grand Avenue Village plan, vision plan for Grand Avenue, which was brought before this commission and nothing really ever happened to it. The key component of that, one of the key components was the Ace Theater. The revitalization of that as a cultural landmark, as a meeting place, as an entertainment venue, never happened. Here we are 25 years later, so I hope on PH7 and RE10, you'll vote yes. As for RE17 and RE18, we heard the firefighters, we all love firefighters, they deserve a place that's worthy of them. What I have to say, RE17 and RE18, I think are linked, because this bond issue is gonna be, right now, if it was $100 million for the firefighters that he had passed, it's $450 million unspecified, it's gonna be really hard to get that passed, Madam Mayor, even from people like me, who, we love the city, but... There's a lot of trust missing, and that brings us back to RE18, which is Stronger Miami's proposal, which has anti-gerrymandering, even your elections, and also nine commission districts. I think you guys are gonna love nine commission districts because the voters are gonna be closer to you, they're gonna be happier, And happy voters make happy commissioners in a happy city. And they also get bond issues passed because then the voters say, these people really do represent me. They listen to me. They're accessible to me. And I will vote for that bond. Otherwise, I don't think they will. Thank you very much for listening to me. Thank you.

Thank you.

Good morning. madam chair commissioners mayor higgins my name is mia lorenzo and i'm here today representing the archaeological and historical conservancy i'm also a native floridian and a storyteller as a producer i've had the privilege of bringing florida's unique history to audiences nationwide through pbs and i'm proud to continue that work on behalf of the archaeological and historical conservancy i want to express our strong support for re10 specifically to restore Flagler's workers' cottage, an irreplaceable link to Henry Flagler and the founding of Miami. Built in 1897, this modest structure is the last surviving building in downtown Miami directly tied to Flagler's transformative role in shaping the city through the Florida East Coast Railway. The cottage is not only a relic of early Miami, but it sits within a far deeper historical landscape. This riverfront location lies at the heart of the ancient Tequesta Indian settlement, an area of profound archaeological importance where the Tequesta lived, traded, and established trails along the Miami River for thousands of years. The cottage's placement along this historic corridor creates a rare and powerful intersection of indigenous and pioneer history in a single site. So restoring this structure is more than preservation. It is an opportunity to interpret layered histories from the Tequesta Trail network to Flagler's arrival and Miami's birth. With thoughtful restoration, the cottage can serve as a meaningful public space that honors both narratives. We commend the city's leadership in advancing this project and strongly encourage its continued support. Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning. Commissioners Manny Prieguez, 4000 Malaga Avenue. I'm going to remove my lobbyist cap and I'm going to put on my resident cap and that's why I'm here. First reading two. Section 54-56 of the city code has to be one of the most unfair sections that exists in the City of Miami code. The fact that if you are constructing a building on your property, or you are redeveloping your property, and if you pass $100,000 in expenses, you are somehow obligated, legally obligated, as per the code, to have to make all these improvements in the right of way, which, quite frankly, is the responsibility of the City of Miami. After all, we pay taxes, the property owners pay taxes. After all, we pay impact fees on certain projects and so forth. And you would assume, as a property owner, that this is what that money goes to, right? So that the city has, in its budget, enough money to keep up with what it owns, i.e. the sidewalks, the right-of-ways, etc., I do not advocate that you should defer this item. I advocate and I petition my government to take advantage of the fact that you have something before you that can be used in order to try to correct the situation or at least head in a direction to correct the situation. So please don't defer it. Please amend it. I don't think the 250 goes enough with all due respect to my chairwoman. And I quite frankly think that it should be deleted. And the administration should come back in three to six months with a formula that works, that's transparent, that makes sense, and that provides a nexus between whatever improvements are being done on the private side with whatever damage may have occurred on the public side. Thank you very, very much for your attention to this matter.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning, good evening. Good afternoon. Yes. Chaplain Stanley Young, Freedom Prison and Jail Ministry, 500 Northwest 2nd Avenue. You should know me by now because I try to come every meeting. Mayor, I've been trying to contact your office to have a word with you, have a sit down with you and the new city manager. I really have a plan to really help those We're in all of your districts. I have reached out to each and every one of you commissioners. Some of you have been gracious. Some of you, I'm waiting to hear back from you. But I'm here to talk on PH 1, 2, 3, and 4 and RE 10. It's just about housing. Continue building housing. We need housing. You know, The former president once said he was going to be up from the bottom up. I was hoping that that would be the door that we who are those unsung heroes who are down there in the trenches, who walk the streets to see the homeless, who can't go to a music concert, who can't sit inside of a theater. who can't go to some kind of these events that people are protesting for. That's good and dandy, but let's help those. Let's continue to help those. You know, Miami has the highest rate of homelessness in the state of Florida. Why don't we have a shelter to help shelter these people who really do need your help, who really do need you to help them to get off drugs, get off alcohol. They was once business owners. They was once car salesmen. They was once teachers. I have sat and listened to so many different stories from your residents. Thank you.

Good morning. Good afternoon. I'm sorry. Good afternoon.

Good afternoon. My name is Vanessa Conde. I live at 333 Northeast 24th Street in Edgewater, and I am a member of the BNA board. I'm here to speak on RE17 simply because I had a very personal experience recently with a tour that was given to me as a member of the BNA board at the police department about two weeks ago. And I am the daughter of a former New York City detective, And I thought to myself when I walked out of the facility, how sad I would be for my dad if he had to work in an environment like the headquarters of the Miami Police Department. And I'm not trying to throw shade. I'm just saying I think it's time. You know, we're the magic city. Let's give a little magic to the folks that are our first responders and put their life on the line for us. I felt sad for them as I walked through the building and the major, every turn that we took, every room that we went into, whether it was 911 operator section, the communications office, probably the nicest area was where they have the technology with the drones. But every room we turned into, they apologized for the condition of the building. And despite that, everyone was gracious, everyone was kind, everyone was friendly, and they did their best to accommodate us and make us feel welcome while making excuses for the environment because they probably felt slightly embarrassed and I felt embarrassed for them. I encourage us to do something for them, give them some dignity. And how we do it fiscally, I'll leave it to the experts to make that decision. Whether we need another loan, I don't know that that's the best way to go. But I just hope we put our fiduciary hats on and make the right decisions for these folks on behalf of the city. Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning, well, it is afternoon now, but thank you. Renita Samuels-Dixon, Coconut Grove resident all my life. I'm here to speak basically to thank you for bringing the Ace Theater to the forefront It's an area that really is a bomb shelter, if you think about it, and it's a building that needs to be restored, and the family has worked very hard to raise monies throughout the United States to ensure that that building is preserved and that we can use it. Secondly, in reference to the track, we have been lobbying for a track for over 16 years. We know we cannot have an official track, but it would be nice to have a track on Bristol Park so that our youth can continue to practice there. Gerald Tinker, as you everyone knows, an Olympian came out of there. We've had so many others that through just perseverance and the dedication of the volunteers that work in those positions to help these youth. So we're asking that our commission do the same thing for Coconut Grove, West Grove. In reference to the naming of the park, Bristol Park is the correct name, but I would like for you to go over into the building and you will see who that building should be named after. Go into the park to see that. Lastly, I thank you all for what you're doing and my suggestion to the city manager is that there be a An analysis of all of the parks with all of the buildings within the city of Miami so that we know what needs to be done with each structure. Thank you.

Thank you. Good afternoon. Good afternoon, Madam Chair.

Good afternoon, Mayor, Commissioners. Can you hear me okay? Thank you. I thought we'd step aside for a minute and recognize a few things. I've lived here 60-something years. We all live here. I thought we'd take a moment and recognize that the city of Miami is an exceptional city. Out of 50 states, I can't think of one that really compares to the city of Miami, number one. Number two is that the city of Miami has exceptional events, one of which is ULTRA, which happens to have an exceptional name. As a matter of fact, I would consider that the city of Miami might want to join hands with ULTRA and possibly engage in a licensing agreement where it says Miami is Ultra. The name speaks for itself, and it's global, and it's recognized everywhere. What's really interesting is, for the first time, I actually attended Ultra this year, and I walked the footprint, and I have to tell you, it's the perfect place out of everywhere in Miami, and after 65 years, I've been everywhere in Miami. There isn't a place that fits. It's like a glove. I walked the entire event. went for three days and at 71 years old for me to even consider going to Altra and actually enjoying it to the extent that I'd go back. And I just thought I'd tell you that we should embrace it as a city and consider it a blessing that we have it. We're the founding, you know, the home for Altra and we should embrace it put our arms around it and welcome it instead of trying to push it away. That's what I had to say.

I'm sorry, Chair, have I got a speaker's name for the record?

Russ Walters.

Thank you, sir. Thank you.

Thank you. Is there anyone else that would like to speak on behalf of any item on our agenda today? Seeing none, the public comment period is now closed. And gentlemen, it is 12 noon. We have two CRA meetings. Would we like to break this city commission meeting Going to the, yes, to the, okay, so we're going to recess the City of Miami Commission meeting, and then we will take up the Omni CRA and the Southeast Overtown Park West CRA meetings, and following the conclusion of those two meetings, we will break for lunch for two hours. Yes? Okay. The meeting is now in recess. Yes? We'll wait for the city clerk to flip the tape so we can start our CRA meetings. Thank you all for your advocacy and I'll see you after lunch. The Miami Kish Mission meeting for April 23rd, 2026. I believe our city attorney has a statement that he needs to read.

Yes, Madam Chair, thank you. On April 9, 2026, under the provisions of Section 286.0118, Florida statutes are requested that the City Commission meet in private to discuss pending litigation in the case of Joe Carollo v. the City of Miami, case number 2006-014464CA01, pending in the Circuit Court of the 11th Judicial Circuit in and for Miami-Dade County, Florida. to which the city is presently a party. The City Commission approved my request and will now, at approximately 3.10 p.m., commence a private attorney-client session on the parameters of 286.011.8 Florida Statutes. Subject of the meeting will be confined to settlement negotiations on strategy sessions related to litigation expenditures. this private meeting will conclude approximately one hour later the session will be attended by the members of the city commission which include chairwoman christine king commissioners miguel angel gabella damian pardo rolando escalona ralph rafael rosado city manager james reyes and outside council fabian a ruiz a certified court reporter will be present to ensure that the session is fully transcribed and the transcript will be made public upon the conclusion of the above cited ongoing litigation At the conclusion of the attorney-client session, the regular commission meeting will be reopened, and the person chairing the commission meeting will announce the termination of the attorney-client session. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. At this time, the City of Miami Commission meeting will be in recess for the attorney-client session, and we will resume thereafter. meeting for April 23, 2026. Mr. City Attorney.

Thank you. The attorney-client session and the pending litigation of Joe Carollo versus City of Miami case number 2006-014464-CAL1 has concluded and we return you to our regularly scheduled City Commission meeting.

Thank you, Mr. City Attorney. I'm going to wait just a couple of minutes for my colleague to join us.

Madam Chair, if I may, I've had a number of conversations, as the city manager has, about the bond referendum, RE17. I would respectfully ask that we defer this item to the next commission meeting.

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

Aye.

Motion carries.

Thank you very much.

And that will be to the May 14th meeting.

Yes, sir.

While you were gone, the mayor asked if we can defer RE17, the bond item, and it passed to defer it to the next commission meeting.

Is that the only one that was deferred?

Other than the ones from this morning. Okay. I believe we have... Minutes to approve.

There are no minutes for this meeting. Thank you, Chair.

Okay. Gentlemen, of the CA items, is there anything on the CA, the consent agenda, that you would like to pull for discussion? CA 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5.

No.

May I have a motion to pass CA 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, and please note that CA 1 is a four-fifths item.

So moved.

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

All right.

Items passes unanimously. Gentlemen, from the public hearing items, PH 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Would you like to discuss, pull any of those items for discussion?

No. I would like to make a comment on PH7.

I would also like to co-sponsor PH7 with you.

Excellent, thank you. Go ahead. The comment I wanted to make is really directed to the Wallace family. I just really want to thank you for your perseverance. I appreciate what you are going through when you have to go through layers and layers of grants and bureaucracy and trying to do the right thing and preserve something that's so meaningful in our community. So I just wanted to take one second and thank you for that and really standing up. It is so important for our community because it's places like the Ace Theater, when we lose them, we lose who we are as a city. And that's when, why should anybody stay if we're not honoring our history, where we came from, and understanding it and appreciating it. So thank you very much. Thank you.

And thank you for staying to see that this happens for your family. And God bless you, Mom. God bless you. Okay, so may I have a motion for PH1, PH2, PH3, PH4, PH5 as amended and our city clerk will?

That'll be PH6 will be as amended pursuant to a substitution memo dated April 17, 2026, PH6.

And PH7 as amended?

PH7 as is.

Oh, okay, sorry. And you show me as a co-sponsor.

For PH7, yes, ma'am.

Yes. May I have a motion? Motion. I have a motion and a second. All in favor? Aye. Items passes unanimously. Thank you. Gentlemen, from the RE, our resolutions, are there any items that you would like to pull for discussion?

If it's okay, I wanted to pull, Madam Mayor, if it's okay if I can pull RE5 along with RE18, and we can give an instruction to the city attorney to move them to the November-December cycle, group them all together as it was in the past. Maybe you can weigh in on that.

Okay, so that would be, I guess, rescinding the resolution that separated them and put them back together. And we'll bring that question back on the next meeting. And we'll also provide you different versions of it relating to terms and whatnot. So you'll have something to choose from at the next meeting.

Thank you.

So wait, are we deferring RE5 and RE? Yes.

RE5 and RE18, right?

Correct.

So may I have a motion to defer RE5 and RE18?

So moved.

Second.

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

And that will be to May 14th.

Yes.

May 14th. May 14th. Okay. Okay. Gentlemen, are there any items on this agenda that you would like to pull for discussion?

The only one I would like to pull is the RE10.

Okay. I would like to pull RE8 and RE14.

Wait, 8, 10, 14.

14. 8, 10, and 14. Anything else? Commissioner Rosado?

Oh, and RE16, sorry.

RE16. Okay.

And I just have a comment on RE11.

Okay, so I'm going to pull RE11 for your comments. Okay.

Thank you.

Okay. Anything else, Commissioner Rosado?

Oh, by the way, is RE10 related to RE11? Is that the one, the fund that... RE10 is... The Public Benefits Trust Fund.

Yes.

RE10 and RE11.

RE10 and RE... No, they're separate. RE10 and RE...

Okay, so the ones that we were deciding who gets what money.

RE10 and RE14.

RE10 and RE14 are the ones that last time we decided who gets what money. So that's the one I want to pull.

Those have been pulled. Okay. So, gentlemen, may I have a motion to pass RE1, RE2, that will be amended, RE4, that will be amended, RE7, that's a four-fifths, RE 15.

My apologies, sir. RE 9.

I'm sorry. Okay. RE 9. RE 15.

My apologies, sir. RE 11.

It's been pulled for discussion, Todd.

Oh, I'm sorry. I thought that was 10, 8, 14, and 16.

No, it's 8, 10, 11, 14, and 16.

My apologies.

Okay. So let me go this one more time. May I have a motion for RE1, RE2 as amended, RE4 as amended, RE7, RE9, RE15 as amended, RE19 and 20.

So moved. And, Chair, my apologies, just briefly. For the record, Commissioner Rosado will be submitting a DDA resolution. Oh, I'm sorry, that's for RE8. My apologies, Chair. Jumped again.

Okay. I have a motion.

Second.

All in favor?

Aye.

Motion carries unanimously. Mr. City Clerk, you want to read the amendments for...

Thank you, Chair. For RE2, RE2 will be amended. The title in Section 2 of the resolution will be amended for RE2. For RE4, it needs to be amended to correct a typo in the title of the resolution. For RE15, it will be amended pursuant to a substitution memo dated April 17, 2026. Thank you, Chair.

Thank you. I believe our first discussion item will be RE8.

Yep, that was me. So I want to start off by saying that we have listened, Commissioner, to you and to the residents, and at the end of the day, I have decided as long as that... But indeed, we need to go to the five years, five years in. So we're going to have a 20-year contract, but we're going to revisit it every five years. So I just wanted to say that to your public and to your residents and everybody that's concerned with the ultra. So we're doing two 10 years, right? We're doing two 10 years to be visited upon every five years.

Hold on. Okay. Commissioner.

Yeah, I wanted to just get several things on the record for clear understanding. The first piece I want is to discuss the outreach we've done in our office with the residents, which I think is really important. On March 9th, we did an update Zoom. We discussed the ultra RLA. We did a standard Q&A as part of that call. On March 11th, we had a sunshine meeting ultra town hall virtually. We had 151 people attend and register. We had 15 to 20 city employees on that call as well, and press was in attendance. On March 11th, we also did a general ultra survey, and we put it live on the system to gauge feedback from the residents involved. On March 16th, we had a session at 50 Biscayne, a Zoom session at 5.30. It was a collaborative meeting with all the building board and managers. It was co-hosted with Miami PD, and the focus was on the ingress and egress concerns of the buildings, as most of the buildings impacted had street closures and noise. On March 16th, we had a building access plan distributed through Miami PD. The building access plan was sent to all the property managers and approximately 150 residents on the downtown contact list. On March 23rd, we had property manager office hours, Zoom at 3.30 p.m. It was virtual. We had a Q&A with our office and Miami PD. Approximately 30 people on that Zoom. We brought up a lot of unexpected topics, which was great. Everything from seawall issues, drop-off with vessels and the speed of towing services, all that stuff. On March 27th, 28th and 29th, we did WhatsApp group chats with 50 Biscayne Property Management and Board for any immediate updates or concerns as they pertain to the maintenance of traffic or security. On March 27th, we visited resident apartment and we listened to what during the event so that we would better understand the physical context of the resident feedback we were receiving, particularly around how sound travels and the access routes. On March 28th, we did a grounds walkthrough with the sound engineer, David of Ultra, who was incredibly knowledgeable and very concerned and incredibly helpful. Understanding how sound is measured and how it's mitigated, Ultra aims to reduce this by about 5%, receive about a 5% improvement in this in sound year over year. On March 31st, we had an after-action debrief, a post-festival meeting with 50 Biscayne residents and PD to discuss what worked and what to improve. This came directly from a resident's request to have a timely feedback channel rather than holding comments until the following year. And then on April 2nd, Thank you, Commissioner Gabela, and thank you to the executive director of Bayfront Park Trust. We had an open town hall forum where we all attended. We listened to everything that the residents had to say. And what I want to say about this is clearly there is a neighborhood in downtown Miami, and clearly quality of life needs to be considered and needs to be addressed. I wanted to go through the changes in what we are doing now versus what there was originally in the RLA.

Yeah, I was getting to that, but go ahead.

So currently, there's two 10-year terms. ULTRA has agreed to four five-year terms, and at the end of each term, there's a 75-day window where an event report will be placed on the commission agenda for consideration.

On that one, I'm sorry, Commissioner, on that one, 45 days.

45, oh, yes, correct, thank you. Thank you, I had a... Currently, there's 102 decibel limitation on sound measured at 60 feet away from the stage. Alter agrees to an additional limitation for low frequency sound of 97 with a one decibel measurement margin of error based on a one clock hour average at specified building monitoring locations. The remedy is $1,000 of penalty for noncompliance per event. Currently, they are required to remediate the park in 38 days post the event. They're cutting that back to complete the remediation in 28 days, subject to rain days and subsequent park events. Alter agrees to provide fencing for the buildings immediately abutting Biscayne Boulevard for the buildings on Biscayne Boulevard starting at Northeast 5th to Biscayne Boulevard Way. Ultra agrees to conduct two community meetings 45 days prior to the event, and those will be organized and sponsored by city officials. They also agreed to provide annual internships to Olympia Downtown Music School students. There is also a closing time violation, currently $1,000 per minute of closing time violation. They've agreed to increase that to $2,500 per minute for closing time violation. For weather delays, there's still some discretion with the city manager and Bayfront Park Trust on the days where it goes till midnight and there's a one hour kind of latitude depending on that discretion. For Sundays, the extension will be equivalent to any weather delay up to a maximum of one hour added to the end of the show. That would be automatic. While Ultra has not used Maurice for a parking for its event, it agrees not to use the for a parking lot for future events. It also agrees to provide a dog triangle area in the southwest corner of the park to be open throughout all of Ultra's use period for use by downtown residents. What I'd like to say about Ultra is that they want and they understand what it means to be a good corporate partner. In terms of our discussions, and I'm sure Commissioner Gabela, you would agree, they have been very open to resident feedback and they have been very open to wanting to please residents. I think their sound engineer basically has a heart attack whenever the decibel meters go off track. And I did a tour and actually suggested that they do a tour with residents starting next year so that people can understand the sound issues and can really have a better grasp on it. I think Ultra has done a commendable job of listening to this feedback. I think the residents have brought up very valid concerns. I think we have tried to address them as best as possible, both of us and the city manager. So I think we're in a place where I can certainly support this.

Anyone else? Okay, I'm ready for a motion. May I have a motion?

Motion. Second. And Chair, just my apologies. Commissioner Rosado will be submitting a DDA resolution in support of RE8 into the record.

I have a motion and a second. All in favor? Aye. Motion carries unanimously. As amended. As amended. Okay. Now we are on RE10. Commissioner Gabela.

Yeah, so what I wanted to say is that I'm going to leave, so the way this was done, I don't think, because you know, on this particular issue, the way it was done wasn't necessarily, I think, the best. I think we should come up with another method. I've instructed and spoke to the city manager to maybe identify monies that we don't know about so in the future this doesn't happen. However, I do understand your situation that you generated the money and you think it should be kept in your area. I understand it. And I also understand the Chairwoman's situation and mine's also that we preside over two of the most poorest districts in the city of Miami, and sometimes it's not exactly equitable because of the liability problems that we discussed before that we don't need to go into further context. But here on this one, it's a done deal. I just want my 1.5, what I put in and what I'm going to put out, that's what I want. I don't want it from another fund. I want it from this. Commissioner Rosado, You, sir, applied for four-point something. Really, the problem, you didn't put anything in, and you don't have a poverty situation like the chairwoman does, like I do, and to a certain extent, Commissioner Escarona does. It is what it is. It was first time conserved. I'm not going to make, you know, I'm not going to start a fuss about it because I want us to get along and we don't want to appear like we're savages up here sometimes, okay? But we do it to protect our residents. I know we do it to protect our residents at the end of the day. So for me, I want my one point, whatever is allotted to me, 1.5 something, that's what I'm going to take. And you, ladies and gentlemen, figure out whatever's left, what you're going to do among you. And that's where I'm at.

Hold on, hold on, hold on. Put your mic. Hold on, hold on, hold on. Through the chair, I have something to say because I was very clear at our last meeting that I just felt like this was not an equitable distribution of these funds. But this also brings up issues related to the bond because we have identified and everybody has identified that there are so many needs that are unaddressed because resources are so limited. You should not have a park without a proper track. We should not be fighting over money to bring housing to our communities. Now, again, we weren't here in 2009 when they established this fund. And much of politics goes by whose ox is being gored. In 2009, they set it up exactly the way they wanted to. And the only person that was left on this dais knew exactly, and that's how Your district has like $13 million had allocated, was, you know, reached into the fund. But that still leaves us here. My district is not going to be able to contribute $21 million. We don't, I counted seven cranes. in downtown, high rises going up. D2 has always been the donor district. And I'm not saying that D2 doesn't have the need in Little Bahamas, the West Grove, but it's the majority of our districts now. If my colleagues have had a change of heart, that's one thing. But again, like Commissioner Gabela just said, Commissioner Rosado, your district put no money in. So if we're going to use Commissioner Pardo's example where you're the major, D2 is the major donor, how do we justify giving Commissioner Rosado any money?

No, no, but listen, what I was saying is because of what happened happened for this particular set of problems, we do that. Okay. And I said, I leave it on my mind to you. However, going forward, this cannot happen again. Going forward, this has to be fixed. Money like this that we didn't know about, because let's ask ourselves a question. I'm going to just real quick. This is the thing. How did we all end up learning about this probably months after Commissioner Carollo did? Somebody tipped off Commissioner Carollo. Okay. Because I see no other way how he knew about this. And then...

He crafted the legislation. He knew about it. Okay, so he knew about it. And it's because I stumbled on it and grabbed that five that you guys said, oh, wait, wait. And then the problem started.

And so this problem, we have the problem, and I'm saying let's fix this problem. But going forward, I don't agree with this problem. We've got to do it another way. And you, sir, have committed that we're going to look into – If there are those funds that are kind of lost that haven't been told to us, so this is going to happen. So what I'm saying, I don't agree with what's going on, but, you know, and yes, I agree with you, Commissioner, nothing against you, sir, but the fact is that, you know, you show up with five mil and you didn't put anything in and you don't have the same problems that we do is what I think the chairwoman is trying to tell you. I'm sorry, I yield to my colleague.

Madam Chair, I do agree with Gabela. However, this is pretty much in the process already. I know, I believe in what Rosado wants to do in his district. I like the project. Are you, Commissioner Pardo, are you willing to take the offer I made last time?

I absolutely am, and I'd just like to make a couple of comments. Currently, revenue and impact fees are divided by five. They are generated primarily in the donor district. In the public benefits trust fund, these are contributions that developers are making to ameliorate the conditions in the area in which they are building. The noise, the production and traffic, everything that I've already mentioned so I don't need to go back into it, is originated there. And that's why it's important that it stay there and not go to a general fund where it's reapplied in other places. That said, we have not taken our full share, nor are we opposed to any good project that's proposed. I did want to say that I wasn't here in 2009, but I did know about this fund. And when Commissioner Carollo pulled those funds, we checked to make sure he was pulling only as much as District 3 had put in. And, Madam Chair, when you pulled more than your share, we also saw that. And we said, well, you know, there's a project. There's a request. At that point, we were told there was a first-come, first-served policy. We had never heard that before, but we respected it. We already had our projects lined up. So we said, okay, let's go ahead and submit since we have these projects ready to go and have had them ready to go. And so by either way, we kind of qualify under that criteria. Commissioner Rosado qualifies because he submitted a good project and it was first come, first serve. Absolutely, Commissioner Escalona, I'm willing to go with what you proposed.

So you're willing to take 13, 3, 1.5, 1.5? Yes.

Well, 1.5, whatever the exact number is, but no wheeling and dealing, no horse trading, because I can do that. I've been doing that all my life. No, no, not that. I want my 1.5 from this fund. I don't want anybody telling me, well, we'll go ahead and we exceed it, and now we're going to take some money from somewhere else. We've got to stop playing that game that we borrowed from here, and then we got over here, and we've got to stop doing that. And so I'm saying yes. Because of this situation, I'm going to let it go. Again, I do not agree on that. I disagree with you on that, respectfully. I got a good project, too. You know what I mean? Are you guys going to give me $10 million out of your money? No, you're not. I got a lot of good projects that I got to do. But that's just the whole point. His area didn't generate it. His area doesn't have the same need that the chairwoman does, that I do, that Commissioner Carona does. You know what I mean? You two are probably the... you first and then you second in affluent, you know, right? And so that's what upsets me. Hold on, let him finish and do through the chair so we're not talking over each other. For the sake of this commission, okay, and it's a new day here in the city of Miami, okay, with us, for the sake of this commission, I am willing to put my differences aside and Accepting my 1.5, what I got in, that's what I'm going to take out, no more, no less, from this fund. And then going forward, this cannot happen again. And I got the insurance from the city manager, right, Mr. City Manager? Mr. City Manager, I did get the assurance that this is not going to happen again, that you're going to go ahead and identify any monies that are unknown to us, so this kind of situation, and then develop a formula of how it is that we're going to go ahead and divide that money up, so we don't have this squabbling among us. I'm ready to call the question.

Second.

Hold on. George has his hand up.

Sorry, I have a quick question. So in RE10, you have $10 million, $5 million from the Affordable Housing Trust, and then $10 million from the Parks and Open Space.

Where are you deducting the $2 million from?

From the Parks and Open Space. From the Parks and Open Space. And then for Commissioner Gabella, I believe we should have another resolution directing that $1.5 million from the Public Benefits Trust go to you. So we should... vote on 10 with that modification, and then do a separate resolution for Commissioner Gabella.

And me. And me.

Could somebody summarize the breakdown?

Commissioner Escalona. 13, 3, 1.5, 1.5. Second.

So I have a motion and a second. All in favor? Aye. Motion carries unanimously. Now we need to do a resolution. As amended. As amended. Now we need to do a resolution. allocating 1.5 to D5 and 1.5 to D1. Do I have a motion?

Yeah, what you said, you're going to give me half of the money of the 1.5.

No, I didn't.

Okay, we're ready.

I have a motion.

Second.

All in favor? Aye.

And then, Chair, I believe public comment.

Oh, if anyone would like to speak on this resolution for public comment, please come forward. Seeing none, all in favor? Aye. Aye. Okay. Now, to be clear, Mr. Manager, you will be developing a more equitable way to distribute this money moving forward?

Sure, woman. I will be working with all of your offices to develop a more equitable way that satisfies the need of the commission.

Perfect.

As well as we'll also advise of all the funds that have the same discretionary use as well.

Perfect. So that leaves us with RE14, which will be amended. That's what you wanted to tell me?

RE11.

RE11.

Didn't want us to skip RE11. My apologies.

Okay.

I just wanted to make a comment on RE11. And that was the pump station in Edgewater on 23rd Street, how important that is, and the really desperate flooding conditions that are involved in that area. So I'm incredibly appreciative for this item.

Okay. Do I have a motion?

Move. Second.

All in favor? Aye.

Passes.

All right. RE15. Wait, no. RE14 to be amended for three... $3 million. Do I have a motion? So moved.

Second.

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

As amended?

As amended. We passed RE15 already. Yes, you're missing 16. Okay. 16.

Yes, I pulled that.

You pulled that.

Yes, so we're going to be in litigation because apparently the developer went bankrupt, belly up, whatever you want to call it. However, There is a bigger problem here that we have uncovered in our office. We contend that when this vote was taken, there were a different set of rules, and then those rules after So I'm asking the Inspector General to check into this, because what I don't want is that we do stuff up here, we talk about it, and then that's what we think we have in writing, and then we find out later on that that's not what we actually voted on because somebody decided to change it after the fact. And we're not making any allegations, but we see there's a problem here, and we need to address it going forward to make sure that if this did happen, it doesn't happen again.

Do I have a motion?

Motion.

Do I have a second?

Move.

Second. I have a motion and a second. All in favor? Aye. I believe we have addressed all of our RE items. Mr. City Attorney, would you please read the title of the second reading item for the record?

Yes, Madam Chair. All right, SR1, second reading. Hopefully the last time I read it. An ordinance of the Miami City Commission amending Chapter 2, Article 4 of the Code of the City of Miami, Florida as amended city code titled Administration Departments, more specifically by amending... Division 2, titled Planning, Building, and Zoning Department. Division 3, titled Department of Fire Rescue. And Division 4, titled Resilience and Public Works Department. Chapter 3 of the City Code, more specifically amending Article 2, titled Alarm Systems, Burglary, and Robbery Alarms. And Article 3, titled Fire Alarms. Chapter 10, Article 1, Division 1 of the City Code. titled Buildings in General, more specifically by amending Article 4, titled Registration of Vacant, Blighted, Unsecured, or Abandoned Structures and of Defaulted Mortgage Properties, and Article 5, titled Code Relief Program, Chapter 11 of the City Code, titled Cable Television, Chapter 12 of the City Code, titled Amusement Games or Machines, Chapter 17 of the City Code, titled Environmental Preservation, more specifically by amending Article 1, titled Tree Protection in General, And Article 2, titled Environmental Preservation Districts, Chapter 18 of the City Code, titled Finance. More specifically, by amending Article 1, titled In General, and Article 3, titled City of Miami Procurement Ordinance, and Article 8, titled Stormwater Utility Fees. and article 11 titled leases of city-owned submerged lands chapter 19 of the city code titled fire protection chapter 20 of the city code titled flood damage prevention chapter 22 article 1 of the city code titled garbage and other solid waste in general chapter 22.5 of the city code Green initiatives, more specifically amending Article 6, titled Soil Erosion, Waterway Sedimentation, and Airborne Dust Generation Control. Chapter 23, Article 1 of the City Code, titled Historic Preservation. Chapter 32, Article 1, titled Merchandising, Bankruptcy, and Closing Out Sales. Chapter 35 of the City Code, titled Motor Vehicles and Traffic. More specifically, by amending Article 4, titled Parking Rates, and Article 9, titled Valet Parking. Chapter 38 of the City Code, titled... Parks and Recreation. More specifically, Article 1, titled In General, and Article 4, titled Day Care Program. Chapter 39, Article 2 of the City Code, titled Peddlers and Itinerant Vendors, Sidewalk and Street Vendors. Chapter 42 of the City Code, titled Police. More specifically, Article 1, titled In General. Chapter 53 of the City Code, titled Stadiums and Convention Centers. More specifically, by amending Article 1, titled In General. Article... 2. Division 2, titled City, Stadiums, and Marine Stadium. And Article 4, titled Convention Center of the City of Miami, University of Miami, James L. Knight. Chapter 54, the City Code, titled Streets and Sidewalks. More specifically, by amending Article 1, titled In General. Article 2, titled Construction, Excavation, and Repair. Article... six titled sidewalk and street cafes article seven titled news racks on public rights of way and article nine titled coconut grove special events district chapter fifty-five of the city code titled subdivision regulations chapter fifty-seven article three of the city code titled vehicles for hire pedicabs for hire and Chapter 62 of the City Code, titled Planning and Zoning, more specifically by amending Article 1, titled In General, Article 3, titled Planning, Zoning, and Appeals Board, Article 7, titled Historic and Environmental Preservation, Article 12, titled Parks and Open Space Trust Fund, and Article 13, Division 8, titled Planning and Zoning Approval for Temporary Uses and Occupancies. Permit required temporary banners and Article 13, Division 9, titled Planning and Zoning Approval for Temporary Uses and Occupancies. Permit required farmer's market. To remove the requirement for fees to be adopted by ordinance and provide for fees to be set by the City Commission through resolution containing a severability clause and providing for an effective date.

May I have a motion?

Motion.

Second? Second. All in favor? Aye. Motion carries unanimously. Mr. City Attorney, would you please read the first reading titles?

Yes, Madam Chair, FR1, first reading ordinance. An ordinance of the Miami City Commission amending Chapter 2, Article 4 of the Code of the City of Miami, Florida's amended city code titled Administration Departments to create Division 18, Section 2-598 through 2-610 to establish the City of Miami Department of Human Services Department, providing for the department's purpose, appointment of director, establishing department divisions, functions, and duties of the department, containing a severability clause, and providing for an effective date. FR 2, first reading ordinance. An ordinance of the Miami City Commission amending Chapter 54, Article 2, Section 54-56 of the Code of the City of Miami, Florida, as amended, titled Streets and Sidewalks Construction, Excavation, and Repair. Construction, reconstruction, or repair of street improvements required when adjacent property is improved by construction of $100,000 or more in value or exceeding 1,000 square feet in floor area. Restriction to provide for the increase of the construction value threshold that triggers required street improvements, reducing the maximum percentage of required right-of-way improvement costs for property owners and requiring compliance with Americans with Disability Act ADA and life safety requirements prior to the issuance of certificates of occupancy, containing a severability clause providing for an effective date. And FR3, first reading ordinance, an ordinance of the Miami City Commission amending Chapter 54, Article 6 of the Code of the City of Miami, Florida, as amended, titled Streets and Sidewalks, Sidewalk and Street Cafes, to provide for certain establishments the use of the sidewalk in the Flagler Specialty District containing a severability clause and providing for an immediate effective date. That concludes the first reading ordinances.

Gentlemen, are there any of the items, first reading items, that you would like to pull for discussion?

FR2. FR2.

FR2. May I have a motion for FR1 and FR3? Motion. I have a motion.

And Chair, just for the record, Commissioner Pardo will be co-sponsoring FR1.

Okay. I have a motion and a second for FR1 and FR3. All in favor? Aye. Passes. And who pulled FR2?

I have a question, Madam Chair.

Okay.

Commissioner Escalona? City Manager, welcome. Are homesteaded properties exempt from this?

Good afternoon, Commissioner, Madam Chair, Madam Mayor, Juvenal Santana, Director of the Department of Residence and Public Works. So, it's actually creating a lower tier for homestead properties here, which would now be 2%, after $250,000 worth of improvements. So before there was no mention of homestead properties, it was 5%. So now if you're a homestead property, it allows you to be at 2%.

Is there any way we can remove homestead properties?

If that's a request of the body, then that could be something that can be looked at. Yeah, I'll back that up.

I'm sorry, what did you ask for, Commissioner Escalona?

to remove homesteader properties from FR2.

Okay. Gentlemen.

That's a good idea.

Through the chair.

Mr. Manager.

Commissioner, would you want to know the potential financial impact?

I would like to know that, yes.

Okay, we'll get you, can we get you those numbers and like that you can make an educated decision? All right.

Would you like to defer it these days? But here's the thing, here's the thing. Out of principle, out of principle, why is somebody supposed to take care of what we're supposed to take care of. You see what I'm saying? For me, it's based out of principle. Why should somebody outside of their allotted property be asked to improve the area when that's our area? That's why we pay taxes.

Madam Chair, if I could, I agree with those concerns. I would like to request a deferral to the June meeting because I think there's additional work to be done on this. I applaud your work to get this on the agenda. and I think it's a step in the right direction, but I don't think it's as considerate of taxpayers as it could be. So motion to defer? I agree. To the first meeting in June, so that there's time to work on this.

Do you want to make the motion? Do I have a second?

Second.

All in favor? Aye.

And that will be to the June 11th City Commission meeting.

June 11th, okay. Mr. City Clerk, are boards and committees?

Thank you, Chair. BC1, Art and Public Places Board. Mayor Higgins will be appointing Denise Wallace to the Mayor's seat on the AIPB. Commissioner Escalona will be appointing Maria Napolis to a Commission-at-Large seat currently held by Francisco Jerez, whose term has expired. Commissioner Escalona will also be appointing Patricio Suarez to a vacant Commission-at-Large seat. And Commissioner Rosado will be reappointing Christina Cuervo with a 5-5 term waiver.

Motion?

Motion. So moved.

Second, all in favor? Aye. Aye. BC2?

BC2, General Employees and Sanitation Employees Retirement Trust. Ask Me Local 1907 is seeking confirmation of Fernando Acosta.

Motion. Madam Chair. Yes. I have a question. Aren't they supposed to provide six names?

the code does require that the the Ask me local 1907 or 871 provide six names However, the Commission can if it's the will the body except one name, but that's if the body it's no no I also agree with him.

I want I want other names.

No understood I'm just trying to stay with the code allows I do as well Okay, so do I have a motion to defer this motion to defer or We could do a motion to deny and then bring back an entirely new item with the six names.

Do I have a motion to deny?

Motion to deny.

Move. Second. All in favor? Aye.

BC3, Planning, Zoning, and Appeals Board. Mayor Higgins will be appointing Eduardo Fernandez to the mayor's alternate member seat.

Motion? Move.

Second.

All in favor?

Aye. BC3 as well. BC3, Planning, Zoning, and Appeals Board. Commissioner Escalona will be removing Joseph Corral from one of the District 3 seats. Motion.

Second.

All in favor? Aye.

That concludes the boards and committees. Thank you, Chair.

Thank you. Commissioners, I need a motion to hear PZ1 and PZ2 before 5 p.m.

So moved. Second.

Motion and a second. All in favor? Aye. Mr. City Attorney, would you please read the titles for the planning and zoning items into the record?

Yes, Madam Chair. Thank you. PZ1, second reading ordinance, an ordinance of the Miami City Commission with attachments amending ordinance number 13114, the zoning ordinance of the City of Miami, Florida, as amended in Miami 21 Code by amending Article 1, Section 1.2, title definitions, definition of terms to introduce a definition for adult... Ma'am, ma'am, we're in a commission meeting.

Thank you.

Adult Daycare Indoor Activity Area, further amending Article 4, titled Standards and Tables, Table 3, titled Building Function Uses to Include a Cross-Reference to Supplemental Regulations, and Table 4, titled Density, Intensity, and Parking, to clarify parking requirements for adult daycare, and by amending Article 6, titled Supplemental Regulations, to allow adult daycare facilities by right or by process of warrant within certain specified transect zones and when specified criteria are met, providing for criteria, making findings, providing for technical amendments containing a severability clause, and providing for an effective date. PZ2, second reading ordinance. An ordinance of the Miami City Commission with attachments amending ordinance number 13114, the zoning ordinance of the City of Miami, Florida, is amended. Miami 21 code by amending article 1, titled Definitions, to introduce and clarify definitions relating to vessels. Further amending article 3, section 3.6, titled General to Zones, Off-Street Parking and Loading Standards, and article 6, section 6.1, table 13, titled supplemental regulations intent and exclusions to create consistency with the definitions and establish and update regulations processes and by right criteria pertaining to vessels boat slips boat houses and docks piers further amending article 6 section 6.3 titled supplemental regulations commercial uses to establish a new subsection regulating marine related commercial establishments making findings containing a severability clause and providing for an effective date And then we have PZ4, first reading ordinance. In ordinance of the Miami City Commission, amending ordinance number 13114, the zoning ordinance of the City of Miami, Florida, is amended, Miami 21 Code, by amending Article 5, titled Specific to Zones, to allow the use of T3 transect development standards in the construction of single-family residences and two-family residences duplex in higher transect zones, and remove the required additional side and rear setbacks when a development within a T5, T6, or CIHD transect zone abuts an existing single-family home, making findings containing a severability clause and providing for an effective date. That concludes the PZ items.

Gentlemen, are any items on the PZ agenda that you would like to pull for discussion?

No.

Okay. May I have a motion for PZ 1? The city clerk has to read an amendment to that item. PZ 2? And PZ4, the city clerk also has to read an amendment for that item. May I have a motion? So moved. I have a motion and a second, Mr. City Clerk.

Thank you, Chair. PZ1 will be amended to add an asterisk next to adult daycares on page 3 of the resolution. PZ4 will be amended to add PSAP information in the 14th whereas clause.

All in favor? Aye. Motion carries unanimously. There's one discussion item.

Madam Chair?

Update on virtual inspections.

I'm sorry, Chair. I was just kind of replaying in my head our discussion on FR2 really focused on public works and the financial aspects of that ordinance but we didn't really discuss the legal repercussions and I've actually received over the last few days several questions from folks that don't think that the way that it's structured is actually legally sound and so I wonder if we could amend the motion that we made for FR2 to include a legal analysis as well.

We deferred it. So you could just ask

As part of, yes, but as part of the deferral.

You can just direct staff through your agenda briefing or talk to the manager. Yeah, because that's over. Okay.

Discussion item?

Whose item is this?

Good afternoon Madam Chair, Commissioners, Mayor, Mr. Manager. This will be a very quick update. Evaluated the ability to bring back digital virtual inspections. There's also, for reference, our integration with Opal for a future permitting enterprise solution. We'll have that as a rollout out of the box. But in the meantime, we have evaluated whether we do this as we did it back in COVID. or we integrate with a third-party vendor. I think it's in the best interest of the city that we do it as we did back in COVID. We are doing a minor enhancement to our iBuild system so that our customers can request it. I believe we're going to have that rolled out in the next couple of weeks so that we bring it back as we did back in 2020.

Thank you. Thank you. I need to mention that we had a budget item. Gentlemen, do you want a report from staff on this or did you read, were you able to read your reports? Everybody's good? Okay. I have the pocket item. If we can, if I can have a motion for our pocket item.

Motion.

I have a motion and a second. Can I have a second? A motion and a second. All in favor? Aye. Item passes unanimously, and this shall conclude the City of Miami Commission meeting for April 23, 2026. Thank you all for your advocacy. See you again in a couple of weeks.