Remarks by Danielle Cohen Higgins
389 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 7 of 16
- Play at 9:23:38
“And final question, and you mentioned the budget hearing come September, because what we adopt in September, I understand that this law does not take effect until. January 1st, but we're going to pass a budget in September that may or may not include. Dollars that may be ineligible come January potentially. So anyway, a lot of questions I look forward to working with you, but I just wanted to make clear that I share the sentiment that I feel like we have a moral and potentially a legal obligation to stand up as a county on this issue and make our voices as heard as possible in our lack of…”
Board of County Commissioners · Jul 21, 2026
- Play at 2:56
“No? Yes, please, Commissioner Cohen-Higgins. Thank you, Madam Chair. On the item that was just added to our agenda, 3D, I'm looking at it for the first time. And so I have a few questions. It's asking for an increase in the professional services agreement by almost $2 million for a total contract aggregate of $5.4 million. Can you just speak to what this contract is for? I know it's for engineering, construction, and inspection services. Is this particular professional service provider getting $5.4 million for their professional services? Or is the $5.4 million inclusive of the actual…”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Jul 15, 2026
- Play at 5:05
“A lot, we have a lot of professional services agreement, and we've had the conversation on this dice a number of times when we had former commissioner Higgins, who is professionally by trade and engineer. She said, we really need to keep all of these contracted outside expert engineers on these contracts to make sure that obviously these projects are built. in compliance with our laws and under the highest level of safety. But when I see a professional services agreement for one project nearing $6 million with an additional ask of $2 million, what is it that they are doing? And why do they…”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Jul 15, 2026
- Play at 6:53
“Sure, and so the term of this contract with this PSA is what, two years? You said 300 and something days, and then there was an additional scope of 280 something days, so roughly two years of work?”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Jul 15, 2026
- Play at 7:08
“Okay, so this one professional service provider, engineering, consulting, compliance, is getting paid $5.5 million by Miami County over a two year period on one contract. What does that work out to monthly? Do the simple math on that, 5.5 million over 24 months. What's the math? I don't know, I'm going to actually put it into my calculator.”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Jul 15, 2026
- Play at 7:29
“Okay, so we're paying one professional service provider $200,000 a month on one project. What's the aggregate value of this one project?”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Jul 15, 2026
- Play at 7:54
“That's what I thought you were going to say. And so that's exactly kind of my point. It has been the practice of Miami-Dade County to accept these professional service agreements based on that general formula. Like if you have a $100 million project, the PSA percentage that they're going to charge us is what's the standard percent? What's the average percent?”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Jul 15, 2026
- Play at 8:48
“Okay, so what is the aggregate cost of this self-date intramodal project? Since it's not based on a percentage, what is the aggregate value from your capital improvement budget for this one project?”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Jul 15, 2026
- Play at 9:06
“And they're getting paid $5.5 million to oversee, consult, and make sure that everything is in compliance. And that's not based on a percentage, that's based on something you all negotiated independently?”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Jul 15, 2026
- Play at 9:36
“Okay, and originally again, they said that they would be paid 3.5M and they're asking for now. That's what this item is because they already got 3.5M dollars. They're asking us to authorize an additional 2M dollars in time and materials, which is an hourly calculation that someone came up with that. They said we need another 2M dollars in order to provide the engineering. Consultation and and and services on this contract. What is the justification for the additional 1.9?”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Jul 15, 2026
- Play at 10:58
“Okay. So the answer on who added to the scope I asked, I know it's us, I know it's the county, but was it the board? Did we authorize an additional scope or did the department internally authorized additional scope?”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Jul 15, 2026
- Play at 11:17
“Okay. But the, the cost of the engineering did not accompany that item. It was just an additional scope.”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Jul 15, 2026
- Play at 11:42
“So I appreciate you answering my questions and I appreciate you answering the questions the way that you did and not saying, I don't know the answer. I'll get back to you. Right. That's number one. I appreciate you knowing the answers to my question. That is tremendous. That is really, really appreciated because we don't always get that. So thank you for knowing the answer to the questions and being prepared on an item that was just added at the last minute on our agenda. The reason I'm asking the question is because I know we've already heard Presentations and we're going to get the budget…”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Jul 15, 2026
- Play at 22:27
“Thank you, Madam Chair. I do have questions on 3C. It has a similar tone. It's a request for additional allocated funds.”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Jul 15, 2026
- Play at 23:01
“Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. Is the requested allocation above and beyond what we've previously authorized simply due to the extension of the term of this pool? Is that the root of the request for the extension?”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Jul 15, 2026
- Play at 23:36
“Okay, and that's what I gathered. And I understand that both of the vendors are waste management or waste connections and waste management who does the bulk, if not the entirety of our waste management in Miami-Dade County. But are there no other companies that can offer these services to us? And I understand that you're making this decision to extend existing contract rates, correct, in order to presumably provide some sort of savings. But are there no other companies that can offer these services to us?”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Jul 15, 2026
- Play at 24:31
“Sure. I understand that servicing a county this size would require a company that is of substantial size. But the question was, are there no other competitors other than waste management and waste connections?”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Jul 15, 2026
- Play at 24:50
“Okay. And when was the last time that we've done any sort of competitive procurement in this sort of waste management space?”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Jul 15, 2026
- Play at 25:19
“Okay, I'm going to look more closely at this item because it has a very large dollar amount associated with it, $62 million through 2028. We're currently in 2026. This item is asking for us to extend it through 2031. I GUESS, LIKE I SAID PREVIOUSLY, TO MAINTAIN EXISTING RATES. WHAT ARE THE RATES THAT WE'RE MAINTAINING?”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Jul 15, 2026
- Play at 26:20
“And where in the item does it state that the current rates are going to be honored through 2031?”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Jul 15, 2026
- Play at 27:07
“I appreciate that, but I also think that a contract of this size, it's currently at 62 million. You're asking for another 20 million. You're talking about $80 million to the same exact people without a competitive procurement process, with a representation on the microphone that the rates are going to be the same. But it's not articulated in the item, at least not that I can see. I'm wondering why we're not giving this opportunity to other companies. That's the question. Listen, I've said before many times on this microphone regarding our waste management problems in Miami-Dade County and my…”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Jul 15, 2026
- Play at 30:07
“So I appreciate that explanation. My concerns remain on this item though. Whenever I see pools that are asking to be extended years before they even expire without a competitive procurement process with dollar amounts as high as this, it gives me great cause to pause. And this item that we are extending was originally procured in September of 2013. That's what the item says. This contract holder has had this same contract since 2013. I mean, I don't want to advance this item. I don't want to advance it. You're two years before the expiration of your contract. The dollar amount is…”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Jul 15, 2026
- Play at 31:59
“What's the urgency? The contract doesn't expire until 2028. It's 2026. What is the urgency?”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Jul 15, 2026
- Play at 32:10
“I appreciate that. I always want the proactive step to be taken. Um, but I'm not sure that that's the, the, um. The proposition that supports this item at this time, I just would like to defer because I have a lot of questions. I want to know why each department needs the additional allocation. I want to know what the rates are. You're representing that the rates are going to remain the same. That's not articulated in the item. I think that this needs a lot of review. If it were a much smaller dollar amount, I would feel more comfortable, but this is a lot of money going to a company that has…”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Jul 15, 2026
- Play at 33:13
“Okay, and it's just to work with you to get the numbers and additional facts and details to at least give me greater comfort before spending this kind of money. So I move to defer this item. Thank you, Madam Chair.”
Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology Committee · Jul 15, 2026