City Commission - Regular Meeting

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The City of Miami has some great news we want to share with our local businesses. If your business has been a part of Miami for over 10 years, the Office of Zoning wants to give you the recognition you deserve. We're launching a new initiative where qualifying businesses will get an official Certificate of Recognition from the City. It's a celebration of your dedication, your long-standing service, and the positive impact you've had on our neighborhoods and economy. Here's a quick guide to getting yours. head over to the website link, click on the print button.

Welcome to the City of Miami Commission meeting for May 28th, 2026. Thank you all for your advocacy. We are going to get our meeting started. I am joined today with my colleagues, Commissioner Ralph Rosado, Commissioner Escalona, Commissioner Pardo, and I understand that Commissioner Gabela is walking into the building now. We are also here with our mayor, Eileen Higgins. We are going to start with recognitions. Today, we are recognizing the 60th anniversary of the villagers. If you are here for that, please come forward. My colleague Commissioner Rosado has thought it necessary to recognize the villagers on their 60th anniversary and we are happy to do so as a city. Commissioner Rosado.

Thank you, Madam Chair. So I'm very pleased today to be joined here by the mayor and my colleagues to recognize the wonderful work done by the villagers for the last 60 years. This is the original historic preservation organization in Miami-Dade County. And there you go. And over the years, they have helped to preserve or designate or restore almost 100 different buildings and landmarks through our community. They first started by trying to preserve and restore Douglas Entrance, which, although not located in the city of Miami, is right across from District 4, so it's something that I see every morning on my way to City Hall. And I'm just absolutely thrilled at the work that you all have done, the hundreds of volunteers, the tens of thousands of hours that you all have put in. In the City of Miami, you've helped to restore and preserve Vizcaya and the Miami Women's Club and a number of places that are really essential to the history and the architecture of Miami. So thank you all for your tremendous efforts. I know at least one of my colleagues, perhaps several, would like to say some remarks.

First of all, of course, I want to thank you because even every day there's more and more pressure about retaining the character of our neighborhoods and the identity of our neighborhoods. And your work makes that possible. Your work brings it to life and keeps it with us and helps future generations appreciate where we come from. So thank you again, really from the heart. Your work is very valuable and please keep doing it.

And as one of the commissioners that has historic districts, in my district, it is so important that we continue to preserve the beauty of what was. And while we are moving forward with development, it's good to see what was. Because in Miami, we have so few historic spaces. We're such a new city and we don't have what you would see like in San Francisco or New York. And I love that we are starting to cultivate that history and that we could look upon structures and say, ah, that was a hundred years in the making. So thank you for all of the work that you do.

May I make a statement? Is that fine? Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Gina Guilford and I am president of the villagers. As mentioned, we are the oldest historic organization in Miami, started in 1966 to save the Douglas entrance. Talking about history and beautiful spaces, I feel like the city of Miami City Hall is one of the most gorgeous spaces.

Happy to be here.

And I hope it is preserved in some way. The villagers organization has been dedicated to the preservation of Miami-Dade's historic sites since 1966. We are proud to be celebrating 60 years as champions of historic preservation. Our group annually awards grants to historic sites and projects to further our cause. We believe that the conservation of landmarks and historic neighborhoods is essential both economically and culturally. In fact, the villagers founded the Dade Heritage Trust in 1972. Despite what you may have heard, Miami-Dade County has a long, rich, and diverse story to tell. The villagers applaud the City of Miami's recent historic preservation projects such as the Miami Marine Stadium, the Flagler Worker House at Dallas Park, and the Freedom Tower. The commission's dedication to saving our Miami's history is commendable. If there are any eligible historic grants that would benefit from grant funds, please let us know so we can assist them in the application process. Our recent villager grants in the City of Miami include Georgette's Tea Room, the Warner House Hispanic Ballet, and the Black Police Precinct. Thank you very much for honoring the villagers today.

Our next presentation is going to be done by Commissioner Gabella, who are recognizing some special people from his district.

Thank you, Madam Chair. So now, we're as the City of Miami proudly recognizes educators whose dedication, compassion, and commitment to student success help shape future generations and strengthen our communities. And whereas Lourdes de Almagro has devoted more than three decades to the field of education, beginning her career at Kensington Park Elementary School, working with pre-kindergarten students with learning disabilities and continuing her service as a dedicated first grade teacher. And whereas throughout her career, Lourdes de Almagro has demonstrated extraordinary patience, professionalism, and care in supporting students of all abilities, helping young learners build foundational academic skills while fostering confidence, curiosity, and a lifelong love of learning. And whereas her commitment to education has extended far beyond the classroom through her continued involvement in school activities, events, and programs that enrich the experience of students, families, and colleagues alike, and whereas the lasting impact of Lourdes de Amarillo's kindness, leadership, and unwavering dedication will continue to be felt through the countless students, educators, and families whose lives she has touched throughout her distinguished career. Now, therefore, Mayor Eileen Higgins, Mayor and Commissioner Miyagi, I would like to hereby recognize and honor Lourdes de Amago for her exceptional service, dedication to education, and lasting contributions to the students and families of our community and extend best wishes upon her retirement after an extraordinary career in public education. Thank you, Ms. Amalgo. And we're going to now say the names, so we don't say the whole thing. But this is for Yvonne Lobet. Adriana Ramirez. And last but not least, Maria Reynoso.

You guys want to say a couple of words?

Thank you. We want to thank all of our teachers because without dedicated teachers, who give of themselves, none of us would be here today. I'm still in touch with some of my teachers who particularly gave me a love of reading and to be curious, and it's not an easy job because you deal with the little ones, then you deal with the kids in middle school going through puberty, and then you have high schoolers who know everything, but you... Never give up. You come every day with a purpose. And because of you, all of us are here today. All of us are here today. Thank you for being wonderful teachers. Thank you, Commissioner Gabela, for recognizing your awesome work. At this time, we are going to have Bishop George Sand lead us in prayer. Good morning, Bishop.

Please stand. Proverbs 3. five through six says, trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, submit to him and he will make your path straight. Lord, we pray that you will guide us as we make decisions today. Help us to trust in your wisdom and seek your direction. Grant us insight and vision into the future as we make decisions today. help us to consider the long-term impacts of our choices and lead us towards sustainable, positive outcomes. We pray that you will help us work together in peace and unity. May our words be gentle, our hearts open, and our spirits aligned. Bring a sense of calm and understanding into this space, and may it foster collaboration and mutual respect. Guide our thoughts and our words so that we can contribute to discussions in meaningful and productive ways. May we be led by wisdom and discernment. And may every choice we make lead to a positive outcome. And above all, let us conduct ourselves in decency and in order in accordance to your holy will. This we pray in the name of God, the Most High. Amen.

Commissioner Escalona, would you please lead us in the Pledge of 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. Amen. Mr. City Attorney, would you please read your statement for the record?

Yes, thank you, Madam Chair. George Y. Song, 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.munico.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 so 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. 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For planning and zoning items, PZ items shall proceed according to Section 7.1.4 of 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 at City Hall to be sworn in by oath of 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 286.0.115 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 recommendations they may have. Please silence all cell phones and other noise-making devices. This meeting can be viewed live 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 Clerk, would you please provide your statement for the record?

Thank you, Chair. 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 at City Hall will be sworn in by me, the 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 provided testimony for planning and zoning items and or quasi-digital items. Commissioners, are you comfortable with all notice provisions set forth in these uniform procedures we have established for this meeting?

Yes.

Chair, may I administer the oath for the PZ items?

Please.

Thank you, Chair. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. If we would be speaking on any of today's planning and zoning items, those are the PZ items, may I please have you stand and raise your right hand? Do you solemnly swear or affirm that the testimony you're about to give at today's hearing is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? And your response is? Thank you, Chair.

Thank you. Mr. City Manager, are there any items on this agenda that will be deferred or withdrawn?

Good morning, Madam Chair, Madam Mayor, and Commissioners. At this time, the administration would like to defer or withdraw the following items. RE3 to be deferred to the July 9th meeting. RE3 to be deferred to the July 9th meeting. RE10 to be deferred to the June 11th meeting. RE10 to be deferred to the June 11th meeting. RE11 to be deferred to the June 11th meeting, RE11 to be deferred to the June 11th meeting, RE7 to be deferred to the June 11th meeting, RE7 to be deferred to the June 11th meeting, FR1 to be withdrawn, FR1 to be withdrawn, and FR4 to be withdrawn. FR4 to be withdrawn. That completes the list of items.

Gentlemen, do you have any items that you would like to defer or withdraw from this agenda? Commissioner Gabela?

No, I don't have any items.

Commissioner Escalona?

No.

Commissioner Rosado? No. May I have a motion to set the agenda?

So moved. So moved.

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

Aye. And my apologies, Chair, if I may. Would you like the city attorney to read the District 3 pocket item into the record before we begin public comment? And I'm sorry, one last thing. Commissioner Rosado will be co-sponsoring RE9 for the record.

Thank you. Yes, Mr. City Attorney, would you please read the title of the pocket item?

Yes, Madam Chair, thank you. A resolution of the Miami City Commission with attachments authorizing the city manager to negotiate and execute a revocable license agreement in a form acceptable to the city attorney between the City of Miami and Extra Credit Inc., a foreign for-profit corporation whereby the city grants user temporary access rights to use the city-owned lots located at 939 Southwest 8th Street, 955 Southwest 8th Street, and 965 Southwest 8th Street, Miami, Florida. as more particularly described in Exhibit A, attached and incorporated collectively properties for the sole purpose of hosting a marketing and promotional soccer event with terms and conditions as set forth in the agreement, further authorizing the city manager to negotiate and execute all necessary documents, including but not limited to amendments and modifications to set agreement all in a form acceptable to the city attorney. Thank you.

Thank you. At this time, if there's anyone that would like to speak, On behalf of any item that is before us, please come forward.

Good morning. Good morning. Thank you for having me. My name's Katrina Morris. I live at 4130 Liebayer Avenue in Coconut Grove. Firstly, I support PH1, 2, 3, and 4, and RE8. These are the sorts of public goods that enrich city life and strengthen the fabric of our community. Thank you. For RE10, which was deferred, I do have a question for when it comes up, is what would that change between what we already have in Miami TV? That's it. On PZ3, I was surprised to see the city manager request to what amounts the nullification of the carve out of NCDs from the proposed TDD legislation, which was passed unanimously at commission. As it is, the pace of development is out of control. We are being gobbled up by concrete. We have a waste crisis, a dwindling aquifer, and frequent flooding and pollution from runoff already. We're asking for $450 million in a bond to fix infrastructure that we've deferred over and over and over again. If we're building at this pace and we can't pay for what we already have, why is more building, more density... the prescription, especially considering that the COVID boom is over. We're growing at less than 1% per year now. So I don't understand. I would love to hear the rationale as to why the pace of building needs to be at such a breakneck speed when we have blown away a normal pace already over the past 10 years. So it seems to me like right now would be a great time to take stock. Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning, Madam Chair, Commissioners. My name is Mel Meinhardt, and I come to you today as the volunteer chairman of Friends of the Commodore Trail. That's the five miles of potholes and life-threatening crosswalks that run through Coconut Grove. And I'm speaking on RE2, the Bicycle Master Plan, because we all enjoy a school holiday, right? And why? I personally enjoy the school holidays because of so little traffic on the roadways. We all see that, right? In the summer, on holidays, you can just get around town. Friends of the Commodore Trail is the sponsor of Bike to School Day. And I want to tell you that when we have Bike to School Days, the traffic to our schools goes down 25%. That's enormous. That is a way to get traffic off the streets and put safe ways for kids to get to school. When we ask parents what they care about, they want their kids safely to be able to get to schools. And it's the facilities, the bicycle facilities, that make that possible. And now, you guys read the reports about safety, but I hear the phone calls from the parents that have had their children bounce off car hoods. Reports that never make it to the police stations because they're not that serious. But they frighten people and they keep the kids off the streets. With the bicycle master plan, we have the opportunity over the next ten years to prioritize safe ways for children to get to schools. And we will all benefit from that. Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning. Alejandro Martinez at 2525 Southwest 3rd Avenue. I'm here to speak about RE4. As a resident of District 3, I encourage you to vote yes on RE4. Residence of Brickell Bay Drive has been waiting for many years since Ken Russell's days for the Baywalk improvement, and it's great to see this item on the agenda. Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning, Elvis.

Good morning, Commissioners. Item PZ3 is yet another gift to the developers who do their best to manipulate elected officials with campaign contributions. There are already ways to create affordable housing without this latest gift idea, including tax credits, tax exemptions, vouchers, and subsidized projects. Please vote down PZ3, or at a minimum, carve out NCDs, historic districts, and include a 500-foot buffer from T3 neighborhoods. Also, among the worst of all developer gifts, and there have been many, is the infamous Live Local Act, which prevents local governments like this one from enforcing certain zoning laws and allows enormous buildings with high density along any commercial corridor, hopefully not next to Coral Gate. It is among the worst laws ever passed by the state of Florida. Twenty-five cities across the state have joined a lawsuit to stop the Live Local Act. It only costs $20,000 to join the lawsuit. Please, please join that lawsuit. Lastly, could everyone here in opposition to PZ3 as proposed, and in favor of joining the lawsuit against the Live Local Act, please raise your hand and be recognized. Thank you, everyone. Thank you, commissioners. Thank you, Mr.

Manager. Good morning, commissioners. Randall Martin from the working class community of Coconut Grove. Many of us would be here besides myself, but like I say, we are a working class community of people that have come from the Bahamas like myself and have been here since the late 1800s. But we love what you did. at your last meeting when you carved out the NCD so that we won't be bombarded with all the development. One man's treasure is another man's junk. It may look like junk to you, but the area over there is our homes that we enjoy, and we'd love for you to leave it like it is. Commissioner Pardo, thank you for your effort for us to preserve our home. And commissioners, you heard our passion. You voted unanimously to carve us out. Do so again. We thank you.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning, Commissioners and Madam Mayor. Andy Parrish, 3940 Main Highway. I don't know what to say whether I'm supporting or opposing PZ3, because I don't know what's actually written, because apparently you have a substitution ordinance that I haven't really studied. I do know that I was there for the PZAB when they spoke for hours to debate this, and I thought it came up with a reasonable Anyway, nine years ago when I was appointed to the planning board, which I served on for eight years, we saw Miami 21 as a respectable document because it protected neighborhoods and business districts and everything with its restrictions on density, height, and parking. They all work together. Gradually, I got to see Miami 21 being whittled away sometimes, usually by ordinances passed by this board, And as a result, it's become a form in some ways of legal spot zoning. And George and I have talked about that. I think that's terrible for the city. Finally, I just reiterate what Elvis just said. I don't think the premier city in the state of Florida should be intimidated by either the county or the state. And hopefully you would join the 25 other cities. And I also think you should stand up to the county with their RTC and say, we are in charge of our zoning laws. We know what's best for our citizens. And we're not going to be bullied by you. So thank you very much.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning. My name is Randy Alonso, address 157 East Flagler Street. I'm the owner of Lost Boy Dry Goods. I'm speaking here on RE9. For our event taking place on Flagler Street during the World Cup tournament, we're excited to bring a soccer community experience in the heart of the Flagler District alongside the Miami DDA's open-air soccer pitch, adding another layer of the amazing happenings across our city during the global event. But we're even more excited to finally utilize our Flagler streetscape the way it was intended by those who designed it. Special thank you to Mayor and City Manager for opening up the East First Avenue intersection earlier this year. Downtowners have long awaited completion of the Street State construction, and we look forward to the remainder of the project following suit. We look forward to many more events on Flagler Street, giving organizers and groups a chance to create, attract, and show off why we love downtown Miami. So thank you Commissioner Pardo for sponsoring the item. Thank you Commissioner Rosado for co-sponsoring, and we ask your support on this item. Thank you in advance for the continued progress in the Flagler District.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning, Honorable Mayor, Honorable City Commission, Brett Bebo, Managing Director of the Miami River Commission, 1407 Northwest 7th Street. The Miami River Commission respectfully recommends approval of RE2 with a condition to please extend the Miami River Greenway's current position within the top ten priority list to include three blocks of unfunded city-owned Miami River Greenway. This is the 2001 City Commission resolution adopting the Miami River Greenway Action Plan. The City of Miami's adopted comprehensive plan, which is law, states, quote, the city shall continue to work to complete the Riverwalk and the Miami River Greenway. Thankfully, eight of the planned 10-mile Miami River Greenway have been constructed so far, with remaining future sections to be constructed in the districts of Chairwoman King and Commissioners Escalona, Pardo, and Gabella. Over the past 25 years, the City of Miami applied for and was awarded millions of dollars in grant awards to construct miles of the Miami River Greenway. The Miami River Commission respectfully recommends the City of Miami continue applying for any and all potential grants, including but not limited to the Transportation Alternative Program, Sun Trail, etc., to secure outside funding to construct the few remaining unfunded sections of the Miami River Greenway. Please reinforce the City of Miami's continued efforts to complete the public Miami River Greenway by inserting at least three blocks of unfunded Miami River Greenway into the draft bicycle plan's top ten priorities to be constructed over the next five years. Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning, my name is Mauro Dallagnese. The address is 2468 Northwest 35th Street, Miami, Florida, T3142, and I come for PH1. And I've been involved in the soccer landscape of the city for the past 15 years. FIFA, comic ball, broadcasting. And I've seen how the sport can change lives. The sport is growing very fast in the city, very, very fast. But it's not affordable anymore. And it's not the way it should be, really. We have people that can help, volunteers, families that want to support. But we need a safe and affordable soccer field for the community. And this project would help the Alapatha community for kids, for children, for teenagers to be able to play it safely, to play it, you know, affordable for parents, and to keep them away from the streets and from the screens, which, you know, are both very dangerous. And if you support this initiative, you know, you give young people a safe place where to play and where to grow. So, thank you.

Thank you. Good morning. Good morning, commissioners, Madam Mayor. My name is Rebecca Hauregui on behalf of PH1. And I'm here today to ask you to activate the municipal property at 850 Northwest 23rd Street in Alapata. With the 2026 World Cup coming to Miami next month, we have a historic window to transform this abandoned lot into a structured soccer field for our youth, families, and neighborhood. There is much more than just an athletic facility in this. It's a multi-layered investment. First, for public safety, it regulates and replaces what is a neglected and high vandalism place with a safe, supervised outlet that teaches our kids discipline and teamwork. Second, for our local businesses, weekend leagues. You know, they bring a lot of hundreds of people walking around hungry, right, in our neighborhood, so they're going to go to their local cafeteria, to a family-owned shop to eat something. And lastly, for our youth's future. For kids and young people, this field is a pipeline to college scouts and athletic scholarships and mentorships. Our local coaches, nonprofits, and neighbors have already volunteered their time to clear truckloads of debris from this site. We are providing the vision, the heart, and the hands-on labor. We just need the city to partner with us. Therefore, we respectfully urge you to approve this request today, and thank you so much for your time.

Thank you. Good morning. Yes.

Good morning.

My name is Jacqueline Wells, and I'm a resident of Town Park Plaza South in Overtown. I lived there for six years, and I'm here today because of the conditions many residents are living with and have become unacceptable. Residents throughout our community have been dealing with ongoing leaks, water damage, and mold inside our homes. When it rains, many of us worry about what's going to happen inside of our apartment. This all stems from public funding, roofing renovation project that was supposed to have improved living conditions for the residents. Instead, many families are still living with the consequences of work that was never properly completed. We've seen temporary fixes, but the problem continues to come back in an even bigger way. Efforts were made. addressed this problem directly with HA Construction Corporation and the roofing subcontractor, A1 Duran Roofing, after repeating requests for repairs. The community was left with no choice but to file a lawsuit to hold the contractor and the subcontractor accountable and push for a just and fair resolution that residents deserve many of these roofs are so bad they need to be replaced. Hurricane season is here and families should not have to fear what will happen every time it rains. This is our home. We need the contractor and the subcontractor to properly complete the job so the residents can move forward without continuing leaks and damage in their homes. We are asking for help from anyone who might be able to accomplish our goal. Thank you for your time.

Thank you. Is there anyone else here that would like to speak on what she just talked about? That item is not on our agenda, but I was not gonna interrupt her because she's a senior and she's earned the right to come here. Ma'am, I will have staff reach out to you for the issue that you described that sits squarely with the Southeast Overtown Park West CRA. They are having a meeting today, but I'm gonna have my staff come and get your information so that they can speak to you about all of the concerns that you just raised, okay? Thank you for your advocacy and thank you for coming. If my staff can hear me, please come to chambers.

Good morning. Good morning, my name is Henrietta Schwarz, 2627 South Bayshore Drive. I'm speaking on PZ3 and RE2. Please assess what is broken before approving more density. We do not need more height, we do not need more traffic, nor do we need a strain on our already groaning infrastructure. Broken roads, endless construction, lack of enforcement, these are not public benefits. These are warning signs of a broken city, one that doesn't care about the people who already live here. Our natural environment is the very thing that lures people here. This Cane Bay behind you cannot breathe. There are too many motorboats and almost every manatee wears scars on their back from their propellers. In healthy cities, they don't destroy specimen canopy trees that provide us with shade and help mitigate flooding. They do everything in their power to preserve these trees from being slaughtered by developers and the city, by the way. Meanwhile, we are bombarded with wellness messaging while residents navigate sidewalks closed for years. Has anyone here ever heard of pedestrian sheds? Every rule seems to bend for one customer, developers. Residents voted for you because you promised to end corruption. The appearance of impropriety can be just as damaging as the impropriety itself, Madam Mayor. Cute social media videos cannot erase the public perception that something stinks here. We entrusted you with our glorious city, yet residents keep watching one bad decision follow another with even more on the horizon. Stop moving the goalposts. Please listen to what residents are saying loudly and often. The system is broken. Exclude NCDs and historic districts from the worst of pernicious overdevelopment and vote yes on RE2.

Thank you. Good morning.

Hi, everyone. My name is Caroline Orlando, and I'm at 2575 South Bayshore Drive. I wanted to speak about VC3, which you just did very eloquently. So I just want to make a couple of brief points. One is there was new language that I saw yesterday in a memo from you. And I just think it shouldn't, I thought this item would be pushed over because if public comment statements can't be put in for seven or 10 days before, why should new language be introduced that I'm not a real estate attorney. I can't parse it. I have no idea. There's a sentence in there. I have no idea what it means. Another thing is that it's called the Affordable Housing Unit Resolution. And this is sort of a mockery of affordable housing because all it's doing is it's like a shell game. You take away units from an approved affordable housing project and allow it to be given to a development where there is absolutely no requirement, no minimum, no nothing that there be affordable housing. So I don't understand that. It also increases density, which a lot of people have spoken on. We don't need more density in a lot of these places here in this city. I also want to just say I urge you to oppose the Live Local Act also. And then on RE3, the safety bond of $450 million, I have yet to see a breakdown of the spending, and maybe I just haven't looked close enough. We are, you know, there's that saying, you eat an elephant bite by bite. That's how you eat an elephant. We are being forced to swallow an entire elephant and with appeals to public safety. And I think it's a huge number. I don't understand why. And details matter.

That's it. I just wanted to tell you that that item has been deferred. We're not taking comments on that.

Great. I'll see you next time then. Okay. Thank you. Thank you.

Good morning. My name is Christopher Lunding. I live at 3350 Southwest 27th Avenue right up the street here in Coconut Grove. I first want to associate myself with Mel Meinhardt's comments on the bicycle master plan. It's time to implement it now. My other part of my comments are going to be limited to process questions on the substituted language that has just been dropped after the close of business last night on PZ3. I associate myself with Henrietta Schwartz's comments, Andy Parrish's comments, Elvis Cruz's comments on the substance of this. On the process, having substitutions drop after the close of business on the evening before legislation is to be voted on is the very opposite of representative democracy. This happens again and again. It happened going from five stories to eight stories in Coconut Grove under prior administration. None of you were involved. There's now a lawsuit going on about that, which is likely to succeed because of the process errors involved. Don't repeat them here. Don't consider this substituted bill if you wish to do so now. Defer the matter. Think about it. I read it over breakfast this morning. It is not well-drafted legislation. I'm sorry, Mr. City Attorney. You use the term within 500 feet of T3 without defining what T3 is. In a different place, you say 500 feet of a... single family residential zone without saying that's the T3. It's internally inconsistent and as a lawyer, another lawyer will look at that and say there was a reason for it and create litigation. This needs to be at least redrafted before you consider it. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Good morning. Good morning. Good morning, Commissioners, Madam Chair, Madam Mayor. My name is Jacqueline Coleman. I am a fourth-generation Miamian and a Center Grove resident on Mary Street, and I want to speak to the additions to the PZ3 that were added last night. Miami has an affordability problem. I support building more affordable housing, but what I do not support is using affordable housing as a vehicle to expand density transfers into historic districts and conservation districts and areas adjacent to single-family homes in order to pad developer pockets through more unnecessary ultra-luxury housing for billionaires. This does not build a healthy community. The language in this proposal creates the appearance of protections while still leaving pathways for increased density and sensitive neighborhoods. Residents were told these areas would be protected, yet the proposed ordinance, updated yesterday, still allows eligible receiving sites under certain conditions. The contradiction undermines public trust and misuses serious concerns. about how these policies will be implemented. Miami absolutely needs affordable housing and workforce housing, but we also need transparency and honest zoning policy. Developers should also be incentivized to fully utilize their density in appropriate areas to create genuinely affordable workforce housing, because that is what our city desperately needs, not a luxury for second, third, fourth homes for billionaires. Once neighborhood scale and character is gone, that is very hard to restore. I urge the commission to slow this down, close the loopholes, and create clear protections for historic districts, neighborhood conservation districts, and properties near T3 residential zones, which is the single-family homes. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you.

Good morning.

Good morning, esteemed elected officials. My name is Andrea Marsh and I'm here to speak on behalf of PH1. I work with students every day. I see a decline in mental health every day. I see the struggle of the children every day. We have increasing stress, anxiety, depression, emotional, um, decrease and we're here to speak on behalf of promoting more soccer like we said we know that FIFA is coming it is a boom in our Miami area we see a lot of tourism coming here and we would also like for our children in our community to be able to use this benefit and this boom for their own benefit knowing that sports And physical activity is beneficial to all our children, our students, our community. It can help not only emotionally, but mentally. So we are asking if you can please consider this project not just as a recreational, but more as an investment into our next generation. Thank you.

Thank you.

Good morning.

Good morning.

My name is Geraldine Ordenes. I am a resident in District 4. Thank you very much, Commissioner Rosado. I am here to ask for your support for RE2, the proposed bike master plan, and it be approved today. I want to thank Commissioner Rosado for his support on the item. As a resident of District 4, I am deeply appreciative of your leadership. This plan has already been scaled into something practical and achievable, protected bike lanes, mean safer roads, less traffic, healthier residents, and stronger local businesses, less cars on the road, and better connectivity to our public transport, which is something that we're all fighting for. Miami has the climate, it has the flat landscape, it has the potential to become a truly bicycle-friendly city, but plans on paper do not save lives. Please approve this plan and move from discussion to action. Thank you for your time.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning. Elisa Margulies. I live in Rice Street in Center Grove. Regarding PZ3. For weeks, residents were assured that the conservation and historic districts would be excluded from the transfer of density program. But less than 16 hours before this meeting, the city inserted substitute language that effectively reverses these protections. The timing appears deliberately calculated to deprive residents and even the commissioners themselves of adequate time to review, analyze, and respond to a zoning change that contradicts the recommendations from planning and zoning. Was this last minute release so the public would have to spend the night deciphering legal language, which is mumbo jumbo to us, for a vote that impacts the scale and character of our neighborhoods? If NCD residents don't want this, ask yourselves, who with more clout does? Regarding RE2, since developers have hijacked our sidewalks and density keeps doubling, We need the bike master plan approved so we can get from here to there safer and faster than by car. Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning. Gary Ressler with offices at 161 East Flagler Street. Good morning, Madam Chair, Commissioners, Madam Mayor. I come before you in support of RE9 today wearing three hats, as it were. as Board Member and Quality of Life Committee Chair for your Miami Downtown Development Authority, as Founding Chair and current Treasurer of the Flagler District Business Improvement District, and as a caretaker of the city's only Art Deco skyscraper, the historic Alfred I. DuPont Building. RE9, authorizing the extended closure of one block of Flagler Street for Lost Boy Clubhouse, will serve as a further catalyst of the burgeoning Flagler Street revitalization. still recovering from the city's prolonged and, frankly, disastrous Flagler reconstruction project. On behalf of all three organizations and the community, I respectfully request approval of RE9. Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning. Good morning, everyone. I'm here to support PH1 for the project for Alapata for funding for a youth soccer field. I'm also here in support of item FR2. We have plenty of public in District 1. down Northwest 17th Avenue and Northwest 12th Street. I'm here also in favor of FR4 regarding the abolish of the Bayfront Park Trust. And that can be seen as a little bit of hesitation, but I think it's a refreshed conversation that needs to happen. The city of Miami for a long time has a committee structure that maybe it should not be a committee structure of CRAs or the Bayfront Park. The Bayfront Park has grown. We've done, I've personally served on that board.

I'm sorry, that item has been.

Yes, but due to sunshine reasons, please.

I'm sorry, that item has been withdrawn. So we're not having, it's not on this agenda.

I understand, but I have come here and I'm here, so I would like to, yes.

Ma'am, the item has been withdrawn. That's fine.

Okay.

Thank you. All right.

May I have the speaker's name for the record? Yeah, Raymond. No, no, no. Your name for the record, ma'am.

Mercedes L. Rodriguez.

Thank you.

My name's Raymond McElroy. My address is 1808 Southwest 11th Street, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. You're going to say that's kind of weird. So there's talking a lot a bit about affordable housing. I grew up in Coconut Grove. And if you ask any of my friends, my generation, you're not going to have Coconut Grove addresses anymore. People from my generation, I live in Tampa. They moved to Ocala, Atlanta, Georgia, Cape Coral, Fort Myers. No one of my age is buying homes. So I don't know what the affordable housing element was. I just walked into the room and heard about it. But we need to be real about what the housing situation looks like for people our age. and for the working class people of this city that grew up here with parents, and I can go on in multiple generations. In terms of bike lanes, I applaud everyone that got it to this point. City manager, if you're in the room, if you're listening, please carry this torch and bring it forward. Mayor, I appreciate your leadership and Pardo and everyone else on this. If you go in the back of any retail store or any restaurant right now in this entire city, our workforce housing I mean, our workforce, our people who work in the city, they use scooters, e-bikes, and buses. This is directly keeping them safe out of harm's way. And I hope next year we can all clap of how much good progress we did and that we add another 10 projects. So thank you, everyone.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning. My name is Marcos Bandera, and I'm on behalf of PH1. Many young people in our community are growing up with our strong guidance at home. When young people do not have positive spaces, they can easily be influenced by gangs, drugs, and violence. Sports programs can make a big difference. Soccer gives young people discipline, mentors, and healthy friendships. This project is more than soccer fields. It is an opportunity to help save lives. Please support this project for our youth. Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning. Good morning. My name is Vindi Martinez, and I live in Alapata. And I see many young people with nothing to do after school. Many of them stay at home all day on their phones and video games, and others end up with bad influences because there are not enough positive activities in our community. Soccer brings young people together, and it teaches teamwork, discipline, and friendship. Right now, soccer is becoming very popular in Miami, but in our neighborhood, there are almost no places to play. Two years ago, this property was approved to help our community, and we are asking you to finally make it happen. Please support this project, thank you. On behalf of PH1, thank you.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning, honorable commissioners. My name is Jao Marsh on behalf of PH1. Two years ago, this commission approved the use of this property to help the Allapattah community. Today we're asking you to help us finally bring this vision to life. We do not want this property to stay empty while the young people struggle without safe places to play and grow. We want to see this place filled with children, families, hope, and community life. Alapata is not asking for charity, we're asking for opportunity. Please help us create a safer and healthier future for our children and youth. Thank you very much.

Thank you. I love that the youth is here advocating for their community. It is absolutely the new localism. Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning. My name is Elisa Aguilar on behalf of PH1. Good morning, honorable commissioners. I am a mother from Alapara, and every day I worry about my children. There are very few safe places for kids to play in our neighborhood. Many children end up playing soccer in the streets close to traffic and danger. Two years ago, this commission approved the use of a vacant property to help our community, but for some reasons we still do not understand, the property has not been opened yet. Today, Commissioner Miguel Angel Gabela is bringing a proposal to finally make it useful for our children and youth by creating two soccer fields. We're not asking for luxury, we are asking for opportunity. Sports keep children active, healthy, and away from gangs, drugs, and violence. Please help us give our children a safe place to play and grow. Thank you. Thank you.

Good morning.

Good morning. Good morning, commissioners. I came here today to discuss PH1, and my name is Armani Alcantara. I'm one of the youth that would like to be able to play in that field. Many young people want to do good things, but sometimes there are not a lot of opportunities. I've seen kids start playing soccer in streets or parks, but parks are getting full. And later get involved in drugs and gangs because there was no safe place for them to play. When young people have no purpose, the streets give them one. That's why these soccer fields are important. But this project is not only about the soccer fields or any about sports. It's about changing the future and changing their lives. Please help us open the property and give young people a better future. Thank you.

Thank you.

Hello, greetings. Good morning. Hi.

I am Amy Herzog. Hello, Mayor.

Hello, Commissioner Pardo. I'm standing here in front of you, which are a political system. And in my eyes, in my feeling, I live at 3564 Linden Lane on the corner of Kumquat and Coconut Grove. And what I've witnessed and what I've experienced is extreme of what's happened in my neighborhood. And there's a lack of concern for what I see the future and children. for history, for community, for nature, for creativity. It's like they're trying to take the wild out of Coconut Grove. Last night at 2 a.m., I took a walk with a neighbor around the neighborhood, and we had some pretty cosmic experiences. If you know, at night, a lot of the flowers bloom. You can walk around and just have this scented tour of Coconut Grove. And we saw two coyotes. At first we were like, what are those? And then we saw it was coyotes. And coyotes represent the trickster energy. I thought that's interesting how Peter Tosh called politics polytricks and a shit stem, excuse my language. But I'm here to remind you that we're not just a political system. We are an ecosystem. We are an ecosystem. Wake up, everybody. We're not going to survive unless we start embracing that. I'm watching what's going on around me. It's insane. It lacks a voice of reason. It denies the reality of the situation. It's just total fantasy that you're putting up these gigantic institutional-sized concrete buildings that create more heat, displacing trees that have food sources of nutrition. It's just insane. It's ludicrous. It's turning our neighborhood of utopia court into dystopia. I need people in the government to remember we are the people. That's why you're here.

Thank you.

Thank you. The encroachment and the invasion and the noise pollution.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning, my name's Noel Cleland, I live at 5990 Southwest 50th Street, and I'm here in support of RE2. I just wanted to go ahead and state the obvious. Miami Dade County and the city of Miami are in unprecedented growth, and along with that comes an unprecedented level of traffic. So it's unreasonable to think that there's any way that we can pave our way out of a car-centric solution to this. So we need alternatives. Mass transit's a great one, but so is alternatives with a pedestrian and bicycles. A longtime bicycling commuter, and I will tell you that as the price of gas gets up to $5 a gallon, people start looking for another way to keep their car at home. And so we need solutions that are going to make it safe, because safety is the number one reason why people will not try commuting on their bicycle. And that's up to you guys to make it safe.

Thank you very much. Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning, Chairwoman James Torres. I'm here on my personal capacity, not as president as the DNA. I want to point something out that kind of raised my eyebrows when we were looking at the agenda. PH4, which is an item that Commissioner Ralph Rosado has where he wants to execute $31,000 to create a scholarship under his family name. Let that sink in. That's completely wrong. Unless we're going to turn around and say Escalona Fund the King Fund, the Gabela, Pardo, or the Higgins. The man is not dead. Maybe you turn around and do something a little bit different and say the Manolo Reyes Scholarship Fund to FIU. But it's an embarrassment that he wants to take $31,000 and create a scholarship fund. So I would kindly ask when you guys get to this item, PH4, that you look at it and really address because it's requiring a four-fifths vote. Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning. Good morning, Chairwoman, Governor, Commissioners. Good morning, Madam Mayor. I am today wearing my helmet because I got to ride my bike here today. I'm here 2150 Coral Way, Catio Santos, Executive Director of Transit Alliance Miami. I'm here today in support of RE2 to ask you to please, please vote yes and let's get this plan in. The only reason why I was able to bike to City Hall today is because there is a bike path that connects me to City Hall. Let's take that further into the rest of Miami. We have 12 priority projects that are going to connect us, that are going to take us further, and finally give us a clear vision of what the city of Miami can achieve in terms of mobility and connectivity to save lives, to save time, and to save money for our residents. So thank you Commissioner Pardo and Commissioner Rosado for sponsoring this item, and we hope we can bring it through finally today. Thank you.

Thank you. Good morning. Good morning, my name is Lurian Lobo and I'm here on behalf of PH1. I actually live near this abandoned property. When places stay empty for years, the community feels forgotten. Vacant places attract problems instead of families. But when children are playing, families come together and communities become safer. These soccer fields can bring life, hope, and safety to our neighborhood. Please help transform this property into something positive for Alapata. Thank you. Thank you.

Good morning. Good morning, Madam Chairwoman, Madam Mayor, Honorable Commissioners. Melissa Tapanes with the offices at 200 South Biscayne Boulevard. I'm here on representing the applicant of PZ1 and PZ2. At first reading, Chairwoman King mentioned a community benefits agreement. I wanted to make sure it got into the public record, so I'm just here to enter it formally. Thank you.

Good morning.

Good morning, Albert Gomez, 3566 Vista Court. Pope Leo recently reminded us that government must serve the common good, protect future generations, and ensure that the gift of the earth do not benefit only the select few. The principles matter today because many of the agenda items, while technical in appearance, directly affect the neighborhoods, environment, and public trust. RE10 and 11, I support searchable public data portals as long as no legacy information is lost. To that point, data is accessible from the commission's level. Right now, the board, the CRC, has requested tree removal permit data that is not being delivered to them in a unanimous vote. So effectively, I would like to see if someone at the commission can instruct staff to please put that forward. On RE4, Commissioner Pardo, I appreciate Resilience Florida funding on Brickle Bay Drive. It's a long time coming. I would appreciate it if we can move the park in North Grove forward. It protects 80 homes and 300 residents. I would really appreciate it on flooding and storm surge. It's written, it's stamped, it's ready to go. We just need someone to put it on the agenda for budgeting. I support the Miami Greenway and safer cycling information, like basically connecting all the paths. But effectively, I don't want to put paths in the way of trees. There are technologies like root bridges and engineer technologies that serve on protecting specimen trees in the way of bike paths. Let's work towards that. PH3, affordable housing. I just want to point out that That SG Little Havana, when you look it up and you look at the back end company that owns it in Tallahassee, it's actually a foreign national company. It's a foreign for-profit company. So we're going to give $4 million to a foreign million for a for-profit foreign country. We should look into that. PH4 on the scholarship thing. i've given 250 000 to the fiu foundation and i can tell you right now we need to do better than that he can do better i know he can and then just thank you very very much for attending and supporting the biscayne bay marine health summit you care about the bay and you show it thank you good morning

Good morning, Chairwoman, Commissioner, Mayor. My name is Pedro Aquino. I'm here to support PH1. I have not only served the Alapata community for a long time, I was also born in the Alapata. I have seen sports change lives, and I wish that this would have been available for me when I was growing up. I've seen sports help young people and not only stay active but focus and stay out of trouble and be in a positive matter. I have been here two years ago in front of you where this community have given us this abandoned property to help our community but here I stand before you today and nothing has been done. It's still empty and we're not only here bringing you a problem. We're bringing you a solution to the young community. And we ask you to please help us in this matter. Thank you for your time. I appreciate it.

Thank you. Good morning.

Good morning, Chairwoman. Chaplain Stanley Young, Freedom Prison and Jail Ministry. Young son hero that is on the streets of Miami talking to an engaging 500 Northwest 2nd Avenue Miami, Florida. I assist inmates coming out of prisons and jails here in Miami to try to help and assist them going in the right direction so they won't go back to crime. But there's still the same problem. There's not enough affordable housing. I'm a little surprised to hear about some of these developers. But we hope that you will work that out and work out this problem with affordable housing here in Miami-Dade County. I'm for PH3. We just need housing. We need housing. It's clogging up the entire system. We can't get people on the street in the shelters because the shelters are too full. Shelters too full because the people in the shelters can't leave because there's no affordable housing. I have contacted everybody on this diocese, including the mayor and the deputy mayor, about the set down to talk with you a plan that we could do that will help alleviate a lot of what's going on on the streets of Miami. We can reduce crime, we can reduce poverty. If we could come together to really come up with a comprehensive plan with someone who sees this. Every week I go on the streets of Miami and talk to the citizens that cannot come down here and voice their opinions concerning their plight in life. There was once teachers, there was once city workers that I would talk to so many people in our community. Thank you, God bless you for what you are doing.

Thank you. Is there anyone else that would like to speak on behalf of any of the items before us today? Seeing none, public comment period is now closed. Gentlemen, may I have a motion for our pocket item?

So moved. Can I interject? So I just want to say I was going to put a pocket item on that has to do with the police department. But if you guys don't allow me today, it's okay. I'll put it on as a, you know, thing. I see the chief is not here. There was an incident that happened, okay, that's a disgrace to the police department, okay? And I talked to you about it, sir, Mr. City Manager, and you know what I'm talking about. But since I don't see the police chief here, since I don't see the police chief here, that's okay. Today's fine. Maybe he got word that I was going to do this, maybe not. But this is going to come to a head, and we are going to talk about it. I just want you to know. Okay, so if you guys don't want to put it on for today, as a matter of fact, you know, he's not here. Nobody's here from the police department, oddly enough. So, you know what? I'm done. I didn't realize that there was nobody here.

There he is.

Oh, he is here. Okay.

Wait. May I proceed or should I go through the order? Wait, let's address this pocket item because I don't know. So, I have a motion for the pocket item. I had a motion. I need a second.

Second.

All in favor?

Aye.

Motion carries unanimously.

Okay.

Commissioner Gabella.

Yes, sir. Yes, ma'am.

Do you want us to run through the agenda and pick that up as a discussion item?

Real brief, I just got to ask the Chief a couple of questions. Okay. Chief, last week there was something leaked to a person that I'm not even going to name because I'm not going to give him any more fame, but he always shows up here. But I'm not going to do that. And he spoke a couple of things that were, you know, kind of odd, and the only way that that person could have known to go get those public records is through a leak through your department, because it's an ongoing investigation, right? It's an ongoing investigation. Now, I'm not going to sit here and talk about, you know, go into detail, but I want you to know, okay, this is a disgrace, okay, what's going on here, that this information was leaked, and then they ran it, and then they edited the situation, and we're talking about a gentleman here that is now, you know what's going on with this gentleman, because he, I think you know that he was, right now he's been relieved of duty, because he was trying out to be my sergeant of arms, okay? And now he's being punished, I think, because he had an accident, okay? Let me put it that way. He had an accident, and anybody that would have had this accident, it was a tree, and there wouldn't have been a problem. But since the gentleman is associated with my name, now they want to harm him. They want to harm me. And this gentleman, this gentleman, before he came to try out to be my sergeant of arms, which he wasn't yet, he was in the SIS unit. You don't get to be in the SIS unit unless you put your life on the line or you or somebody saw him special, something special about that kid. He's 30 years old. He's busted people selling drugs to our kids and poisoning our youth. He's arrested prostitution rings and human trafficking. And I think that, you know, he was six years on the job, and just to be clear to our men in blue, because I, you know, I'm going to tell you something, the police department fire, you know, I can't let this go by. I can't let this go by, and I was quiet, but I can't let it go by because they're persecuting this kid, and the only reason they're doing this is to get to me, okay, and he shouldn't have my political problems. He shouldn't have my political problems. This kid has gone out there and arrested, again, drug dealers, prostitution rings, and they criticized him because he had a tattoo. They called him a thug. When half of our military men and women are serving with honor that have tattoos, and who cares if you have a tattoo? Who cares, okay? They're keeping us safe at night. When we sleep at night, they keep us safe. And this kid is being run through the ground now because of my political problems that I have here. Okay, and this was a leak from your department. Somebody did this from your department because the general public doesn't even know about this because right now it's under investigation. So that's a breach. That's a breach right there. When somebody is under investigation, you're not supposed to talk about it. I'd like for you to find out where that leak came from, okay, because this is very unprofessional. This is very unprofessional what they're doing to that kid and the way they're in the street. And by the way, for the record, I wasn't even there, okay, because Channel 7 made it look like I was there. The night of the accident or whenever he had the accident wasn't there. Me and Aguero was not in that truck, so it has nothing to do with me. Okay, that's number one. But you're doing it, they're doing it, because this kid again, okay, is associated with me. He was going to be my sergeant-at-arms, and they started talking a lot of malarkey. Did not say another word here. a bunch of malarkey about the kid, that he has tattoos, that he's a thug, that he's this, but they don't see that that kid has a daughter, and he had a second job while he was trying out to maintain his daughter. And they don't understand that he's got a mom and he's got a father. His father is in law enforcement. Half of his family, they're either firefighters or law enforcement. His brother is TSA. And I got a file here of people that have had accidents in the department here in the city of Miami. that are commanders, that are commanders, 50 and 60-year-olds that have had this kind of thing, and they've been brought back to the force. But I'm not going to mention their name because I'm not out to get them, sir. I'm not out to get them. What I am out to get is, yes, if he did something that, you know, wasn't right, I understand, reprimand him, do whatever you want to do. But not this that you guys are attempting to do. Not this, because then I'm going to talk about what's in here. I'm going to talk about what's in here. And what happened about four years ago, that some people, there was an accident with commanders, with two commanders. They were kicked out of the force by the previous chief, and you brought them back. And they did far worse than what this kid is accused to be doing. So I want a thorough investigation, sir, with all due respect, of this matter here, who leaked it, and what's going on. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Gentlemen, may I have a motion for CA1?

I move. Second.

All in favor?

Aye.

Gentlemen, are there any items from the PH items that you would like to pull for discussion?

Yeah, I want a good bowl of fun.

What?

I want a good bowl of fun.

I actually do want to pull PH for, I have a few questions about that. Any other items anyone want to pull? Seeing none, may I have a motion for PH1, 2, and 3?

Motion. Second.

And also, Todd, may I co-sponsor PH1? Commissioner Gabella and I share the district. Thank you, ma'am. I'm so in awe of the young folks coming to speak up for your community. So if I may be a co-sponsor for that.

Absolutely. Thank you. Okay.

I have a motion.

Second. Second.

Second. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Motion carries unanimously. Congratulations. With respect to PH4, I just have a quick question. Can we donate money and name it after ourselves?

All right, so we took a look at that, and it's a scholarship fund. I don't know if I would have named it after myself, but it's not inappropriate to do a scholarship fund, name it after yourself.

And then is it only for your district, or is it for...

It's open to the city, but I didn't want to give it a city name and make the assumption that it was like a citywide initiative. That's what made me uncomfortable about giving it a more generic name.

But it's open to residents of the entire city.

So it's for the entire city, but it just carries your name.

But, Madam Chair, I thought the question you were going to ask was, because you are an adjunct professor at FIU, should you be voting on the item?

That too.

Yeah.

I'm just, you know... It just, it seems as if we would be opening ourselves up to, before I could even get it, I see people shaking their head, you know, being accused of having a slush fund kind of thing. I don't know. Listen, I don't want anything named after me. I don't want a street named after me. When I'm dead... if my children care about it. But me, I don't care about that. And as a matter of fact, I do have a scholarship fund, but I fund it personally. And I didn't name it after myself. It's the Second Chance Scholarship Fund for folks that find themselves in trouble and need a little assistance and maybe not be able to get financial aid because they got a bad grade or something like that. And I established that long before I got elected to... public office, but I was just concerned about that. Not that you don't have a nice name. You very much do have a nice name.

Madam Chair, though, if I could add something. So the funds would be transferred directly to the FIU Foundation for them to make a determination about whether a student is an FIU student residing within the city. The idea is to give out $31,000 scholarships that are need-based, and the funds come from this office, I didn't want to presume that everybody else would like to contribute funds from their offices and create a city-wide pot. I mean, if you all would like to, that's fine, but I didn't want to make that a presumption. But the funds are not distributed by my office, per se. They are given to the FIU Foundation. They make a determination.

We have several scholarship funds that go to FIU. We have for STEM and not just FIU, FIU University of Miami, Florida Memorial University, Miami Dade College. We have a couple of scholarships that are available. I just wanted to ask that question. And as a employee of FIU, I will refrain from the vote.

That actually brings up a good point. I've been an adjunct in the past. I'm actually going to be an adjunct again in the fall. Does that pose any sort of a challenge? I have no involvement with the administration of the scholarship, clearly.

You know, the typical term that comes up, and I think a speaker mentioned it today, in an abundance of caution or an appearance of impropriety, whatever, I would recommend not voting. And so the question is, then, it's a forfeits item, right? So how do you have a forfeits item with only three commissioners? But the code goes on to say that it has to be unanimous among the remaining members. So it can still be approved with both of you abstaining. And then, of course, we'll hand you the vote disclosure form to fill out within 15 days.

Can I have a motion?

Motion.

Second.

All in favor?

Aye. Aye. So the motion passes 3-0 with Commissioner King and Commissioner Rosado abstaining, correct?

Correct. Yes. Correct. Gentlemen, of the resolutions, are there any items that you would like to pull for discussion?

Madam Chair, I have RE2, and on RE1, I just wanted to make the comment that on a previous agenda, we had a, I think it was about a seven million dollar instruction or transfer going to FIFA, and this is the reimbursement of that. And I know a few people in the city believe that we were just giving this amount of money out there to FIFA, and it was really to reimburse for safety, for fire and police, and RE1 is that reimbursement. So I thought we should just make that clear.

Okay, so I'd like to be... a co-sponsor on the bicycle master plan. I'm filling up the air in my bicycle. I think I've said this a lot during the pandemic. I'm riding my bicycle flip over because the car is about to run me over. I flip over the handlebars. I break my right hand. And ever since I've been terrified to ride my bike, but now with this new bicycle master plan and making space, For bicyclists, I am going to get back on my bicycle. I used to ride to work before I was elected. I would ride to work. I love riding my bicycle. And I'm so excited to be able to get back on the road with my bicycle and join you guys in getting cars off the street. So thank you for that.

Madam Chair, on that item, I wanted to take a moment of personal privilege as possible. Director Santana, just wanted to say thank you for the level of engagement that we've had on this item. This was brought up many months back, and we had many folks from the community reach out, so thank you for really including the community on this. Folks have a lot of passion about this and a lot of very detailed thoughts, and I know you all have worked closely to accommodate as many of the the comments and requests as possible.

And Madam Chair, we're discussing this item now then? We're pulling it? RE2? No, no, I'm done. Okay, so I was pulling RE2.

With the bicycle plant?

Yeah.

Oh, okay. Oh, okay, go ahead.

No, and actually I had asked Director Santana if you could kind of just explain that so the public would understand how, you know, the number of projects, the timeline, things like that.

Absolutely. Good morning, Madam Chair, Commissioners, Madam Mayor. Juana Santana, Director for the Department of Resilience and Public Works. So we have been working on bringing this to resolution and adoption since late last year. It was a bicycle master plan that had kind of been put on hold for some time and we dusted it off and last year was the right time to bring it back. We got some additional direction to seek additional public input and make sure that our priorities were aligning with the desires of the community. And as part of that, there was basically a number of 10 projects that was basically put in as an offers. I look at being able to prioritize 10 projects and seeing what our ability is to be able to complete them within the next five years. So we did, we received over 300 public additional comments. We had a public meeting here in front of, in chambers. and through that public input and looking at priorities that we had as far as ongoing projects and projects that we thought would be able to be fit in within that window of five years. Obviously, everything's subject to being able to have that money there. And actually, we also were able to align with the Vision Zero. As part of that priority, we also found overlaps in some projects that helped us prioritize what those projects would look like and being able to implement connection points which was very important is being able to use the infrastructure that we have to create connections and we were able to find those opportunities and some of them were really on a cost-effective basis some of the projects are actually going to be more expensive but that just happens in normal infrastructure when we put these projects together so yes there's a there's a list of priority projects we're folding them into our capital plan over the next five years and looking for opportunities both funding them through the city and through grant opportunities and Again, some of the Safe Streets for All are these projects, and we're already working on them. We have projects that are going into construction within the next couple years, so we look forward to that.

I also wanted to thank you for your work. I think it's great. I think we did get a lot of community input. I think it made everything better. I was also happy to see that the TPO, I think it's Safe Streets plan, where it shows where there were deaths actually involved with those kinds of accidents and micromobility with pedestrians. And also serious injuries were also considered. So I think that's all really good. I want to commend you for your work as well.

All right. Thank you. Absolutely. Any other questions?

Thank you.

Madam Chair, before I forget, I'd like to give a directive to the city manager for that investigation to happen, that there can't be this kind of targeting through the police department. And there is something on the books that this kind of thing cannot happen. And it was actually done by Commissioner Garroyo I don't know how many years ago. So I'd like to give you a directive to give the chief so he doesn't forget. to have a thorough investigation because I consider this targeting. Targeting at the gentleman that was trying out to be my Sergeant-at-Arms and targeting at me. Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

May I have a motion for RE1, RE2, RE4, RE5, 6... eight, nine, 11, nine, 12, and 13.

So moved. Chair.

I have a motion and a second, all in favor?

Chair, chair, chair, my apologies. Briefly, so for RE2, RE2 will be amended pursuant to a substitution memo dated May 26, 2026, in addition to adding Exhibit A as attached and incorporated in the body of the legislation, RE6. It's my understanding that there may be some proposed floor amendments, Mr. City Attorney?

Yes, there's a substitution that basically in Section 5 limits the amount of time that the noise waivers will go through. So I can read them off, Commissioner, if you want. Saturday, June 13, it would be 12 a.m. Tuesday, June 16, 12 a.m. Friday, June 19, 12 a.m. Tuesday, June 23, 1 a.m. thursday june 25 1 a.m saturday june 27 1 a.m monday june 29 12 a.m tuesday june 30 12 a.m saturday 12 a.m it was previously written that they would all go to 2 a.m and right it's been modified downward so that there's less disruption to the neighborhood and that's if the matches go that long to begin with but yeah at least we're cutting back on all that great thank you

And so my apologies, Chair, I interrupted you, so I didn't get to a motion and a second that includes the amendments for RE2 and RE6.

Who was the... You need to know who was the... It was Commissioner Escalona.

I seconded.

And Commissioner Gabela was the second.

Thank you, Chair.

All in favor?

Aye.

Motion carries.

With RE2 and RE6 as amended.

Yes. And you show me a sponsor as RE2.

Yes, ma'am.

Good job. Okay, Mr. City Attorney, would you please read for the record the titles of our second reading items?

Yes, Madam Chair. Second reading item, SR1, in 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 to create Division 18, Sections 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. SR 2, second reading ordinance. An ordinance of the Miami City Commission amending Chapter 54, Article 6 of the Code of the City of Miami as amended, titled Streets and Sidewalks, Sidewalk and Street Cafes to provide for certain establishments the use of sidewalk in the Flagler Specialty District containing a severability clause and providing for an immediate effective date. And SR3, second reading ordinance and ordinance of the Miami City Commission, amending Chapter 38, Article 1 of the Code of the City of Miami, Florida, as amended, titled Parks and Recreation in General, by creating Section 38-42, titled Naming of Silver Bluff Dog Park, to provide for the naming of the property consisting of approximately 5,250 square feet, located at 2201... Southwest 26th Street, Miami, Florida as Silver Bluff Dog Park, further directing the city manager to take any and all actions necessary to effectuate the name of the park, containing a severability clause and providing for an immediate effective date. That concludes the SR, the second reading item. Motion. Second.

For all of them? Yeah. Unless somebody has one.

Okay. No one has a comment for SR 1, 2, or 3?

No.

Okay. May I have a motion for SR 1, 2, and 3? I have a motion, a second. All in favor? Aye. Motion carries unanimously. Mr. City Attorney, would you please read the first reading ordinances It's only one, two, for the record.

Thank you, Madam Chair. First reading ordinance, FR2. In ordinance of the Miami City Commission, amending Chapter 37 of the Code of the City of Miami, Florida, is amended City Code titled Offenses, Miscellaneous, or particularly by amending Section 3711 of the City Code titled Public Urination or Defecation Prohibited, Exceptions, Penalties, Providing for Revised Definitions, Prohibited Acts, and Repealing Exceptions containing a severability clause and providing for an effective date. FR3, first reading ordinance and ordinance of the Miami City Commission with attachments amending Chapter 35, Article 5 of the Code of the City of Miami, Florida is amended. City Code titled Motor Vehicles and Traffic, Coconut Grove Business District, Design District, Wynwood, Wynwood Norte, and Downtown Flagler District Parking Improvement Trust Funds. More particularly, by establishing Section 35-241, titled Little Havana Parking Improvement Trust Fund Established. Section 35-242, titled Funds Made Available Financial Report. Section 35-243, titled Schedule of Fees and Charges for Little Havana Parking Improvement Trust Fund. Section 35-244, titled Parking Waiver Certificates Revocation Refunds. to establish the Little Havana Downtown Parking Improvement Trust Fund containing a severability clause and providing for an effective date. That concludes the FRs.

Thank you. Gentlemen, would you like to pull FR 2 or FR 3 for conversation, discussion? May I have a motion? Move. Second. I have a motion and a second. All in favor? Aye. Motion carries unanimously. Mr. City Clerk, do we have any board or committee appointments today?

Yes, Chair. BC1, Miami Tree Ordinance Advisory Committee. Commissioner Gabela will be appointing Andy Parrish with a four-fifths residency waiver. Commissioner Pardo will be appointing Chris Baraloto and Ian Wogan. Commissioner Escalona will be appointing Maria Benfeldt with a four-fifths residency waiver and Megan McLaughlin. Commissioner Rosado will be appointing Dean Abel Llewellyn and Thomas Lawrence. And Commissioner King will be appointing Mariela Lopez de Alvear and Arba Jean.

Do I have a motion?

So moved. Second.

All in favor?

Aye.

Motion carries unanimously. Save our trees.

And Chair, BC2, General Employees and Sanitation Employees Retirement Trust. AFSCME Local 1907 provided a list of six names pursuant to the city code. Fernando Acosta and Ann Marie Sharp have both been proffered from the list of six names as a potential appointee to the Local 1907 seat currently held by Olga Torres. A motion will need to be made for one of the two names that have been proffered.

Tell me the two names again.

Fernando Acosta and Ann Marie Sharp.

Correct.

Do I have a motion?

I would like Anne-Marie Sharp to have this position.

I second that. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Aye. Anne-Marie Sharp.

And is that unanimous? 5-0? Yes.

It's unanimous.

And that concludes the boards and committees. Thank you, Chair.

Thank you. Okay. Mr. City Attorney, would you please read for the record the PZ titles?

Yes, Madam Chair. PZ1, second reading ordinance. An ordinance of the Miami City Commission with attachments. Amending ordinance number 10544 is amended the future land use map of the Miami Comprehensive Neighborhood Plan pursuant to small scale amendment. Procedure subject to section 163-3187 Florida statutes by changing the future land use designation from duplex residential and major institutional public facilities, transportation and utilities. Two, low density restricted commercial of the acreage described herein of real property at 145 and 151 Northwest 60th Street, Miami, Florida, as more particularly described in the attached and incorporated Exhibit A, making findings containing a severability clause and providing for an effective date. PZ2, second reading ordinance, an ordinance of the Miami City Commission with attachments amending the zoning atlas of ordinance number 13114, the zoning code of the City of Miami, Florida, as amended, Miami 21 code, by changing the zoning classification from CI, Civic Institution Zone, and T30, Suburban Transit Zone, open to the public. to T4L, General Urban Transact Zone Limited, for the property generally located at 151 Northwest 60th Street and 145 Northwest 60th Street, Miami, Florida, as more particularly described in the attached and incorporated Exhibit A, further recommending to the City Commission acceptance of the voluntarily proffered covenant attached and incorporated as Exhibit B, making findings containing a severability clause and providing for an effective date. PZ3, second reading ordinance, an ordinance of the Miami City Commission, amending ordinance number 13114, the zoning ordinance of the City of Miami, Florida, as amended by amending article 3, titled General to Zones, to modify the affordable and attainable mixed income transfer of development density program, making findings containing a severability clause and providing for an effective date. PZ4, second reading ordinance, an ordinance of the Miami City Commission amending ordinance number 13114, the zoning ordinance of the city of Miami, Florida, as amended in Miami 21 code by amending article 5, titled specific to zones to allow the use of T3 transit 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. PZ 5 is a resolution. PZ 6 is a resolution. PZ 7, first reading ordinance, an ordinance of the Miami City Commission with attachments amending ordinance number 13114, the zoning code of the city of Miami, Florida, as amended, Miami 21 code, by amending article 3, titled General to Zones, section 3.3.1, to clarify when lots may meet an exception from lot size restrictions, making findings containing a severability clause and providing for an effective date. That concludes the PZ items.

I need to pull PZ1 and 2.

And PZ3.

You're pulling PZ3? Okay. May I have a motion for PZ4, 5, 6, and 7?

So moved. So moved.

All in favor?

Aye.

Okay. For PZ1 and 2. It's an easy one. I have an amendment to the covenant. One thing about covenants, I find that the teeth of them are insufficient. So I would like paragraph 10, noncompliance, change that from $250 a day to $1,000 a day, noting that we never want to collect a penalty. But a penalty has to be a penalty. So $250 a day, I can do that. But it's $1,000 a day. And because this is a project in District 5, the Affordable Housing Trust, it's to go into the Affordable Housing Trust, but I want it designated for District 5 use only.

Chairwoman, that's acceptable, and I would encourage the city to review their boilerplate template because that language is for density.

Right, I understand, and I'm sorry because I'm looking at this while my head was down a bit. I'm reading it. It's going to be a great project. We talked about that. We've worked on this, but the community benefits are fantastic. But in terms of the teeth of it, I'd like that to be $1,000 a day, and Any money that is gotten because of non-compliance would go specifically for District 5 affordable housing and or improvements. Can we make that amendment on the floor?

To the covenant? Yes, I've accepted it. That's a voluntarily proffered covenant, so as long as they accept it and will do it.

Okay. I'll work with Ms. Ketterer on that language. She's reviewing it on behalf of the city attorney.

Okay, so there I'm ready to move. May I have a motion for PZ1 and 2?

Motion.

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

Aye. Thank you. And Chair, just for the record, PZ1 passes as is and PZ2 passes as amended.

As amended. And Commissioner Pardo, you pull PZ3.

Yes, on PZ3 I'd like this to go as is, not with the substitution.

I have no problem with that.

Motion.

Second. That's what we passed before. Correct. Just making sure. And the PISA passed. And just let's be clear that that takes out historic districts. And NCDs. It takes out the NCDs. It takes out everything that we agreed upon. I'm not sure.

And the 500 foot buffer from single family residential or T3.

I'm not sure how we got a substitution. We get it when you guys get it. I didn't get it before you got it either. So thank you for that. Do I have a motion?

Motion. Second.

Second. All in favor? Aye. Motion carries unanimously.

And again, that's as is.

As is. And that shall conclude the City of Miami Commission meeting.

Madam Chairwoman, sorry. Before we conclude, City Attorney, I would like to request a shade meeting in regards of Boll and Shane and Joe Carollo.

Okay. So we'll read the notice at the June. Yeah. The first meeting in June for the second meeting of June is when the shade meeting will take place. Okay. Thank you.

Hey, hang on. Speaking about this and the Shay meetings that you're talking about, from now on, and I said this before, when it was pertaining two years ago, we've been at this, there was a point we'd have the Shay meetings upstairs, and then they gave us separate Shay meetings, okay? But I don't like that kind of system, because I want to know what you all are thinking also. I don't want somebody to tell me that you're thinking that, and then you're thinking something else. So from now on, Nobody come to me and tell me that we're going to have a shame meeting per individual because it ain't going to fly with me anymore. I want to hear from the horse's mouth, from you commissioners, what you're thinking on any given matter regarding shame meetings. Just wanted to put that on the record. Thank you.

Okay. And I want to make just, before we conclude, do one presentation. Just quickly. It's not really a presentation. It's more of an announcement. Please, everyone join me for full moon yoga at Legion Park on Sunday, May 31st. It's the blue moon. It's free. Come out drinking the energy of the full moon and get some good yoga in. All of my colleagues, I hope to see you at full moon yoga. You're coming? Okay, Commissioner Gabela.

I'm too serious. My character doesn't allow it.

I just wanted everybody to know that we are having full moon yoga, Legion Park on the bay. It's free to the community. Come enjoy yourselves. Let some of the stress go. Get some good energy and movement. It's good for our mental health.

I'm going to get there by bike.

Amazing. Amazing. And now that shall conclude the City of Miami Commission meeting for May 28, 2026. We are going to jump into our CRA meetings. We have two, the Omni CRA and the Southeast Overtown Park West CRA meeting as soon as...

Which meeting would you like to begin with?

Let's do the Southeast Overtown Park West CRA meeting first.

Just a moment, Chair.