Remarks by Danielle Cohen Higgins
389 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 1 of 16
- Play at 45:58
“Madam Chair, I'd like to discuss item 3B.”
Intergovernmental and Economic Impact Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 46:49
“Thank you, Madam Chair. On 3B to the administration, I certainly am supportive of the item. I just have questions regarding the details. It's a $19 million spend for defibrillators, the lion's share of which I think a little over 18 is going to our fire rescue department. Again, I support the item, I support the spend. But the item doesn't break down the $18M in any way, shape or form. How many defibrillators are we buying for $18M? When was the last time that you purchased defibrillators for the department? What's the cost per defibrillator, etc.? I know that it was competitively procured,…”
Intergovernmental and Economic Impact Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 48:14
“Okay. And when was the last time that you bought defibrillators?”
Intergovernmental and Economic Impact Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 48:19
“So this is an end of life situation. The last time you made a purchase similar to this was 12 years ago.”
Intergovernmental and Economic Impact Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 48:25
“I understand. So- And I just want to be clear. You said it's not only defibrillators. It's, I guess, equipment that accompanies the defibrillators.”
Intergovernmental and Economic Impact Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 48:40
“Defibrillators are what you all use to resuscitate someone that needs to interpret heart attacks and other abnormalities that are going on with the heart.”
Intergovernmental and Economic Impact Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 49:02
“Okay, and so there's no question that you need this there. Like I said, I want to be clear. I'm supporting the item. I just wonder I see striker and I guess this is more to our procurement department is $40,000. The going rate for these machines. Is that industry standard to pay that kind of a price tag for this equipment that I completely understand that our department needs? But is that price the going market rate for this equipment?”
Intergovernmental and Economic Impact Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 49:49
“And I know that this was competitively procured instead of one the but there's not much detail in the item it's only 7 pages regarding what the price of these products typically are from an industry standard so I'd like to take a look at that just because 3040 $50,000 for defibrillator Seems extremely high and maybe again, this is not my industry. It's not something that I'm familiar with, but I would like to see similar to there were contracts that we had not long ago. I think it was Motorola and I had a similar discussion. I said, man, this really kind of blows my mind from a price point…”
Intergovernmental and Economic Impact Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 51:09
“Thank you. I'd greatly appreciate it. Nothing further, Madam Chair.”
Intergovernmental and Economic Impact Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 24:00
“Move the agenda with the exception of 3C, Madam Chair.”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 27:30
“Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you to the sponsor for being here. I certainly have a number of questions on this item, and I'll start by asking, first of all, I understand the spirit of the item. I'm not in opposition to the item in its spirit, but there are a lot of details included within the item that I do want to go through. And ask some specific questions on, because I think the point is well taken that if our department hasn't previously used this money. We're going to, I think the spirit of this item is to release the money to be utilized for its intended purpose, which is…”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 29:05
“Okay, so out of the 180, you say 125 is programmed, but within the 125 that is programmed, that is not inclusive of the waste to energy facility that we may or may not build at some point in the future. Of the 125, no dollars are programmed to the environmental remediation that we know that we'll have to do at some point in the future, at some location, assuming this board decides to build that campus.”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 29:42
“Okay, well, if that were to be included, would that program the entirety of the $180 million?”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 30:43
“Okay, so 125 plus 23 takes us to $150 million. The reason I'm asking is because the way that the item is written, it speaks to allowing for money that is unencumbered and available. So even though the pot is at $180 million, $150, is that considered what's encumbered? So then only the balance would be available for lending? No.”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 31:35
“Yeah. And so this is why I'm asking, because if I'm a developer and I want to take out a loan and I make an application, assuming that this passes and I find out there's $180 million, environmental remediation in Miami-Dade County is extremely expensive, especially in parcels that are in excess of 10 acres or more, which is what this item speaks to. So the loan amounts are going to be for high dollar amounts, I'm assuming, in the millions of dollars per application. So my question is, do we not even know what the dollar amount is as we sit here today that we would actually make available to…”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 32:32
“Okay. And so then that leads to my next question. So how long has this money been aggregating? How long has it been collecting to reach the 180?”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 33:10
“Yeah, and so it's always interesting to me when there is a status quo that has been maintained for an extended period of time, and then some disruption to that status quo gets introduced. And then all of a sudden, you know, there is we need to use the money. And that's what it feels like right now. But I don't understand because I would like to have seen that money utilized for environmental remediation. I'll give you an example. One of my municipalities had to, you know, remediate a parcel of They spent $16 million doing what Durham required them to do just to prep the land in order. And…”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 38:42
“Thank you. Commissioner Cohen-Higgins. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you for answering that question. To the administration, regarding the $25 million for the Doral site, is there a plan to have Doral pay for that? And so would that lower the programming allocation or the unencumbered allocation?”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 39:21
“Okay. Um, who normally pays absent this loan program advancing this environmental remediation is required. It's been required for years. Who would norm who pays, for these fees absent this loan program existing?”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 39:39
“That's a great question. Who pays for the environmental remediation should this loan?”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 39:45
“Okay. And so we're using, the way that this is proposed, we're using developer paid fees. Who pays into this program? Where's this money coming from?”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 39:59
“So rate payers of the water and sewer department?”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 40:07
“Okay. So we are collecting this money from rate payers and residents of Miami-Dade County to then give it to developers at no interest for them to pay for something that they already have to pay for? I mean, is that what this is essentially doing?”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 40:25
“Okay, so that's what I have a question on because, again, whether I refer to the municipality in my district or the many conversations we've had with the developer community on Durham environmental remediation and the cost, I'm just not understanding. These developers pay for this through loans that they get on projects, but one thing I can assure you is that those loans are not at a 0% interest rate. So I need help understanding why we would have our rate payers of Miami-Dade County pay a 6% fee that they are paying by mandate or by policy of this board to then give that money to developers…”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 43:45
“I agree on the Doral issue, and if you want to take that up, I couldn't agree more because I remember those conversations in intimate detail. But whether that Doral site gets remediated and we pay for it entirely and whether it costs $25 million, I am – what I'm trying to understand is the financial – um why this is beneficial to miami-dade county i have and i'm very clear on this like i don't like us making deals that are not that i don't think are in the best interest of the taxpayers and i know you're going to say of course this is in the best interest of the taxpayers but the fact remains…”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Sep 10, 2026