Remarks by Danielle Cohen Higgins
389 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 6 of 16
- Play at 7:10:32
“I guess a newer section of the underline?”
Board of County Commissioners · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 7:10:40
“I see, and so this is to complete the construction that's already underway?”
Board of County Commissioners · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 7:10:45
“Okay, and how much is in your budget aside from this item to complete the underline, whether it's under construction or not? This is 8 million to complete that section that's already under construction. How much is in your budget to complete the underline, whether under construction or not?”
Board of County Commissioners · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 7:11:08
“2.7, that's all that's left in order to allocate to the underlying to finish the construction?”
Board of County Commissioners · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 7:11:31
“Okay, beyond this one and the two million that you just discussed? Yes, ma'am. Okay, that's all I needed to know. Thank you, Mr. Chair.”
Board of County Commissioners · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 7:15:38
“Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you, Commissioner Bermudez, for the concerns that you expressed. I share those concerns, and I wanted to illuminate the fact that this award, and the airport can correct me if I'm wrong, is an entirely new company that has never been in our airport before, right? So talk about allowing new opportunity, not having the same Cabal continue to come back to us to occupy spaces. So I am with you and this is the first time that we have offered concessionaire opportunities in a very long time in this county to an entirely new company. So I echo your sentiments and I…”
Board of County Commissioners · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 7:51:25
“What is this one? This is- Posing. I think this is an extension, no?”
Board of County Commissioners · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 7:51:30
“So to the attorneys, didn't we just pass an item on limiting the extensions? Or was that not? This just seems to be in direct contradiction to the ordinance that we just passed regarding extensions on our infill housing program. And I believe that the original allocation on this was in 2019 or 20. It's been six years. I could be wrong. That's why I'm asking the attorneys.”
Board of County Commissioners · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 7:53:02
“Okay, they submitted the request for the second extension prior- Prior to that, yes. Of the first extension.”
Board of County Commissioners · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 7:53:15
“Okay, thank you. Nothing further, Mr. Chair.”
Board of County Commissioners · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 8:00:43
“Thank you, Mr. Chair. Point of order, what is before us is a report. So I'm just trying to understand procedurally what is before us. It's a report asking. making a recommendation for a 6% increase in fees. Is that accurate? It's a report.”
Board of County Commissioners · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 8:01:12
“I see. So right now we're just having a discussion. We're not taking a vote on this. Is that correct? Are you having someone move? If we move the report as listed, it's not an adoption of the recommendation. I want to make sure procedurally that that's accurate.”
Board of County Commissioners · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 8:12:33
“Thank you, Mr. Chair. Again, procedurally, the item passed flat, correct? Yes. We're discussing it because today essentially is the deadline, and you're basically saying, you're sending us caution, right? Today is the deadline, should there be a discussion about entertaining a potential increase in the solid waste fees, which is what you all have recommended, correct?”
Board of County Commissioners · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 8:12:58
“Okay, so in that spirit, And you all are doing things differently now. I've noticed it. You're doing it on the water and sewer. You did it on solid waste. You did it on waste to energy. You're issuing these memos saying this is what's going to be cut should you not adopt our recommendation, right? And so I would like for you to go over what it is that you all are representing will be cut from solid waste as a result of you all not getting the recommended rate increase that That you all are requesting, because I think we need to understand and digest what it is that you are saying we will, or…”
Board of County Commissioners · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 8:13:51
“Well, that's my point, and I'm going to get to that, because the water and sewer memo is extraordinarily detailed. And again, these are consent decree projects, so Yeah, we're not confused about the necessity of these projects. But you all are messaging differently. I hear you. I understand. But if you're asking us to essentially reconsider what has already been passed, i.e., a flat rate, speak to us specifically about what will be affected should the rate stay flat.”
Board of County Commissioners · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 8:14:52
“And that is as a result of you all still having funds in your carryover accounts that can't cover those costs. I want to be clear.”
Board of County Commissioners · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 8:15:29
“Okay, and what was the percent increase that passed last year for solid waste?”
Board of County Commissioners · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 8:15:38
“It was 0.7, and this year you all are recommending what percent increase?”
Board of County Commissioners · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 8:16:09
“Okay, and the 2% represents the $4.6 million that you just ran off the list of items that would be cut?”
Board of County Commissioners · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 8:16:14
“But service, i.e. trash collection and pickup would not be affected?”
Board of County Commissioners · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 8:16:24
“And the list that you just enumerated is in consideration of what we've talked about on previous budget conversations, i.e. salaries staying flat going into the next fiscal year?”
Board of County Commissioners · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 8:57:30
“Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to my colleagues, and thank you Commissioner Gonzalez for working on legislation regarding these guardrails that clearly we need. But this was voted in October of 2019, if I'm not mistaken, and now we're in 2026. To the attorneys or to the administration, has there been any policy implemented by this board since finding out that this Proterra Catastrophe took place in like, has there been any policy speaking to this issue regarding new technologies? It's not a trick question. I'm authentically to my memory there. I have not seen any legislation. Do you all…”
Board of County Commissioners · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 8:58:35
“But I'm happy to hear that because as our mayor said, I've said many times before, we get lobbied obviously frequently as well. We are too big of a county to be a guinea pig for any company. Yes, we want to implement new technologies, but we can only afford to implement proven technologies. And so I know that there are red flag policies in place that Commissioner Sosa had brought previously. I'm just wondering to Commissioner Gonzalez if you're working on the legislation on whether red flag type of warnings in procurement would be appropriate here where there is some sort of a disconnect…”
Board of County Commissioners · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 9:03:16
“Yeah, thank you for saying that, and I know that improvements have been made since, and I look forward to the strip committee items as they move through the legislative process. I will look into that also, because I just can't understand how something this large got as far as it did, leaving us in this position. And so I look forward to working with you on that, Madam Mayor. Thank you for answering my questions.”
Board of County Commissioners · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 9:19:20
“Thank you, Mr. Chair. To kind of echo the concerns, please don't sue us. I don't know if you saw our county attorney's face when that messaging was being advanced, right? Please, to be clear, don't sue us. But I think the message is one that we need to seriously consider. We are the largest county in the state of Florida. We are a donor county. And more importantly, we are a majority minority county. It is right for our residents to look to us for leadership on this issue. And they're saying help us because this is going to affect us come January. And so I look forward to the conversations…”
Board of County Commissioners · Jul 21, 2026