Remarks by Danielle Cohen Higgins
389 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 2 of 16
- Play at 45:36
“the maker's frustration in saying let's deploy these dollars. I'm not entirely convinced, however, at this juncture that deploying the dollars in this fashion, i.e. giving the money to developers at a zero-interest 35-year term loan is the best way to move taxpayer dollars. I need to be convinced of that. I would feel more comfortable if there was an interest rate attached to it, if there was a cap placed on the amount that they could borrow. Because what's going to happen also if we pass this, and let's say the unencumbered dollar amount is agreed upon at $50 million. Let's say that. I…”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 1:06:05
“Yeah, thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you to my colleagues for the discussion. I am Here's what I would like to see on this item and to the maker and to the administration if they're agreeable. I do think that the universe of the properties that this would actually apply to, I think would help because that would eliminate some confusion. I also think it would be, is this retroactive? So can those who have already paid to environmentally remediate with Miami-Dade County, are they able to get access to these funds?”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 1:06:58
“So if you've already remediated with Miami-Dade County and paid millions of dollars, you're not able to try and recoup those costs through this fund?”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 1:07:17
“But I'm glad that you said that, because this is the part that I need clarity on. The idea that this is spirited in incentivizing remediation, I really need clarification on this, because it's my understanding, and Commissioner Hardiman made this point, that our developers, they don't have to do a damn thing. That's not exactly true, though. It's my understanding. If you are in a lease with county-owned property to develop on it, Durham requires you to environmentally remediate. If there's contamination, is that correct? And that's the universe of properties that we're talking about here. Do…”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 1:08:01
“Yeah. And so they already have to do this. And then there was discussion about what's the price that we're going to pay on the backs of accessing or being able to access potable water. Well, it's already 6%. I mean, our rate payers are paying 6% of their water bills for this environmental remediation. I'm not sure... Why our developers can't pay a premium that they would have already had to pay anyway When they negotiate these deals, so I'm not sure that I understand That way of framing this and I think that this is an issue that affects all of us in Miami-Dade County. I don't think that this…”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 1:09:13
“And that clarification I think is helpful because it's really only geared and targeted towards those that have long-term leases on county-owned land that need to develop and that need to do this environmental remediation um or the county or ourselves the county which we should be doing i think everybody agrees that we should be doing that this this why has there been any and i know that this has been worked on for months have you all received a directive by way of an item or a floor motion by us to say, deploy these funds, go do this work. Like everybody agrees that we want this money…”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 1:10:26
“Yeah. And so again, if our goal is to have this money spent by us or by developers to remediate the land, we could and we should direct the administration to do exactly that. And I do think that having a conversation, especially with a pot of money as large as this $181 million that's being paid by our residents and our rate payers, I think we should have a conversation about how we handle that money and what's in the best interest of the rate payers of Miami-Dade County. If the maker is amenable to changing the terms from a zero percent, it's not a grant because they have to pay it back. But…”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 1:12:41
“You know, I just want to get it done is really the key. Yeah, I don't disagree. And, again, I will hear from my colleagues. I think our previous loan programs, as our chairwoman – adequately highlighted were intended to help residents through difficult financial times. This is different. These are developers that are already very, very successful businesses having access to money being paid by our residents at 0% interest. That's a totally different, those are two different pots of human beings and different interests entirely. And so the struggle for me, like I mentioned, I understand zero…”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 1:14:23
“Yeah. And so how would we to either our chairwoman or to the administration or to the maker? I do think a cap, I think an interest rate is appropriate. And I think, as we've said many, many times before, that committee is where we should do that work. And so I would look to the direction of the maker or the administration to give us some proposals to consider. I certainly don't want to make that proposal, but I do think that those are some amendments to be considered. Thank you, Madam Chair.”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 1:32:10
“If I may be recognized, Madam Chair, I think that the item needs to be amended in committee. It is always repeated at the final board that this work needs to be done in committee. And I don't think that the requested amendments, which I think generally have been accepted by the maker, I think it needs to be amended. and I appreciate the openness by the maker to have this looked at, but I would feel more comfortable having an item that is fully vetted in committee because, again, that's the message that's always being sent at the final board. And to agree with something Commissioner Hardiman…”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 1:34:55
“Through the chair? Yeah, I said that those were the amendments that I'd like to see, but I said that I'd look to the administration or the maker to actually make a proffer, right? So I said that I wanted to see an interest rate and a cap, but I haven't heard an interest rate and I haven't heard a cap. So we could do this here now, or we can amend the item and bring it back. I'm certainly not going to propose it. I'm not the maker of the item. Those were just the concerns that I had expressed on the record. Thank you.”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 1:40:50
“Thank you, Madam Chair. To the maker, I mean, are you in a position to propose these now? Yeah.”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 1:42:33
“Thank you, Madam Chair. So I misunderstood then. I thought when these amendments were proposed earlier, you were amenable to them. I'm hearing something very different now, and I will vote accordingly. Thank you, Madam Chair.”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 1:44:44
“Madam Chair, if I may, thank you for that. I'm sorry that you feel like you're in the twilight zone, Commissioner Hardiman. Typically, when I raise a concern and a sponsor of an item is amenable to whatever the proposed change is, mind you, this literally was handed out to us as we walked in today, the amended item. I'm not, whatever our precedent is on setting interest rates, I'd want to hear from the administration. I'm not currently prepared as someone who hasn't worked on this item to throw out an interest rate. Everybody has said that this is a small universe of parcels. I, as the…”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 1:59:03
“I believe that's correct. Thank you, Madam Chair. And the amendments... Are they going to be determined by the administration before the final hearing or just to be determined by the administration at some future time? So the way that you worded it made it sound extraordinarily open-ended, meaning that the item that's going to come to the board that would advance out of this committee would be exactly this item with the caveats that you just mentioned and that you just read. That is not my intention at all. It is my intention to have an interest rate that is not zero. determined by this body…”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 2:03:20
“Madam Chair, if I may, is there any time sensitivities on this?”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 2:03:29
“That $150 million, that needs to be deployed ASAP. But regarding this particular loan program, are there any time sensitivities to make the board aware of?”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 2:06:48
“Yeah, Madam Chair, it was moved and it was seconded, and then I asked the attorneys for clarification, and they confirmed that my understanding was not the way that the amendments were worded. So I need clarification from the attorneys on what was moved as amended and some sort of an articulation on the record that what we are advancing is going to provide that information before October 20th.”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 40:12
“Good morning everyone and welcome to Port Miami and our Seaport Committee. We are going to have an invocation led by Commissioner Gonzales followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Commissioner Millian-Orbis.”
Aviation and Seaport Committee · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 41:18
“Good morning to the attorneys. I don't have any public hearing items on our agenda. And so at this time, I will open the reasonable opportunity for the public to be heard. I don't have any speaker cards. Reasonable opportunity for the public to be heard is now open. Now is your opportunity to approach the podium on any items on this morning's agenda. Seeing no one approaching, reasonable opportunity for the public to be heard is now closed. To the attorneys, any additions, edits, or changes to this morning's agenda?”
Aviation and Seaport Committee · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 42:00
“Is that 3B or 3- 3D as in delta. 3D as in delta, okay.”
Aviation and Seaport Committee · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 42:15
“I'll entertain a motion. Motion. It's been moved. It's been seconded. All those in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. Anyone wish to be recorded? No. This morning's agenda is set. Before we take up any bifurcations or discussions on this morning's specific agenda items, I would like for our Miami International Airport Director to approach. Yes. I'm sorry.”
Aviation and Seaport Committee · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 42:46
“Yeah, I think that's absolutely appropriate, Commissioner Millian-Orbis. So if you would like for us to stand, or would you like for us to just bow our heads? Yes, can we please stand for a few moments of silence? Thank you.”
Aviation and Seaport Committee · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 43:23
“Thank you for that, Commissioner Milliano-Orbis. And I was having our director approach because I want to have a conversation with our director and take things a little bit out of order as a result of the tragedy that occurred this weekend that I know everybody is very familiar with from the perspective of hearing from the press. And maybe some of us were briefed, some of us maybe were not. um but but welcome director thank you for being here and again thank you commissioner orbis for the moment of silence i think it was entirely appropriate you know thankfully what happened this weekend is…”
Aviation and Seaport Committee · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 51:49
“Thank you, Director. To my colleagues, any questions or comments for our Director? Commissioner Gilbert, you are recognized.”
Aviation and Seaport Committee · Sep 8, 2026