Remarks by Phyllis Smith
334 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 4 of 14
- Play at 1:22:37
“Through the chair, vice chair, I just want to piggyback on that. It's a crime when somebody calls you after eight months of waiting or six months of waiting. They should call the second month. But one thing I want to say is time is money. for these people that are doing additions or renovations or doing something new. And I agree, if the department's so efficient, there should be zero phone calls. And yet that is something we do get a lot of phone calls about.”
City Commission · Aug 25, 2026
- Play at 1:25:05
“Make sure you credit the Vice Mayor. I'm just joking. Certainly, Vice Mayor. Vice Mayor, through you, wasn't that economic development that we are helping residential units to repair?”
City Commission · Aug 25, 2026
- Play at 1:25:19
“Yes. So, I mean, if you're talking about commercial now, that's a different thing, but that's already in place.”
City Commission · Aug 25, 2026
- Play at 1:39:59
“I have a question. Yes, ma'am. First place, I think there was also an award signed up on 163rd Street in the medium between Biscayne Boulevard and the bridge.”
City Commission · Aug 25, 2026
- Play at 1:40:15
“And by the way, Maria happens to be one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. The Golden Glades interchange to Northeast 8th Avenue, that's only on the north side, correct?”
City Commission · Aug 25, 2026
- Play at 1:40:27
“Okay, because the south side, of course, is county.”
City Commission · Aug 25, 2026
- Play at 1:50:27
“I don't know that it would come under this, but maybe the entrance ray, some of the real focal points should have some lighting in the trees because when you go down, Golden Beach or some of the others, or if you go down in Bell Harbor, just having some of that lighting in the trees makes such a significant difference in what the appearance of the city is. So maybe coming across the railroad track, 171st, I don't know where that comes under. I don't know how many blocks. I know they put some lighting in eastern shores. They didn't go the whole way up to 171st. They only went halfway. And I…”
City Commission · Aug 25, 2026
- Play at 1:52:27
“Yes, Mr. Vice Mayor, I just think when you get to communications, maybe they need another 10 million or $20 million just so we can get communications correct. That's my call because I hear more complaints that people didn't know they didn't know. And that's a shame with all the latest technology and all the AI would definitely have room for improvement in that department.”
City Commission · Aug 25, 2026
- Play at 1:52:55
“I'm thinking 40 million now, now that you put it like that. Thank you.”
City Commission · Aug 25, 2026
- Play at 1:53:09
“um and being facetious about the money i'm no i'm disagreeing about the money part uh i know it's not 10 million so if you were serious about that i know i'm being very facetious but but i am when you say it's a department that had very little money the way you were explaining it so let's not think it's going to be that is probably the most important besides the police department we have Because if people don't know, what good is it to have the services?”
City Commission · Aug 25, 2026
- Play at 1:53:56
“I made my complaint come under the headline of budget.”
City Commission · Aug 25, 2026
- Play at 2:07:06
“We actually have an agreement. We have an agreement with the county on maintaining and code enforcement on the south side. The problem is we never enforced it.”
City Commission · Aug 25, 2026
- Play at 2:07:25
“In the third drawer on the second floor.”
City Commission · Aug 25, 2026
- Play at 2:07:41
“It's never been implemented since I'm here and I've mentioned it, I would say at least 10 times.”
City Commission · Aug 25, 2026
- Play at 2:07:50
“and i'll tell you something moratorium or no moratorium the control of that 163rd street should be in our hands i have gone down to where the man made the arch for golden beach and would be a wonderful people getting off the interchange to see a beautiful arch coming into North Miami Beach. The problem is we don't own the south side for control. The problem is you can't just annex 167th, that's 167th over there, you have to annex 166th, the north part of it as well, because the whole block is considered the block facing 167th and the block behind it that's facing 166th. But it can be done.…”
City Commission · Aug 25, 2026
- Play at 2:09:16
“No, I wanted to just ask a question. I'm thrilled that you're hiring for, when we're not hiring and it is a hiring freeze, that you are hiring for code compliance. Yes. Because if you don't have a beautiful city, who wants to spend time there?”
City Commission · Aug 25, 2026
- Play at 2:09:32
“But looking at it, each new employee costs $125,000. That's what the difference was.”
City Commission · Aug 25, 2026
- Play at 2:09:46
“Well, we have to be mindful of that because like now the insurance is going up again, although we haven't discussed it, how we're going to handle that, who's paying. But we have to be mindful of it's not just the higher this year, it's what's going to be for the breadth projected as we go up with the budget. And that's an important thing. It really boils down to a lot of the departments to bringing in more revenue, to bringing in more businesses. It really does not just affect us for this year, but what's going to happen in years to come. Thank you.”
City Commission · Aug 25, 2026
- Play at 2:17:47
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
City Commission · Aug 25, 2026
- Play at 2:38:48
“Thank you. So back to school, I thought some of that funds came under the money that's allocated for the women's group. I didn't know that there was separate money.”
City Commission · Aug 25, 2026
- Play at 2:39:32
“There was always conversation that they got money and why wouldn't I?”
City Commission · Aug 25, 2026
- Play at 2:39:46
“And there goes back the thing about comparing it from city to city, because some cities are flush with money, and they can afford. The Health Walk and the Bike Walk, the Bike 305, we've always said $15,000, but when you go there, you literally see the same vendors You see the walk, you see hot dogs and hamburgers, and you see the shirts. What is the $15,000? What's that money for?”
City Commission · Aug 25, 2026
- Play at 2:40:30
“I'm talking about the Heart Walk and the Bike 305. Last year on both events.”
City Commission · Aug 25, 2026
- Play at 2:40:42
“Well, we have the police at everything. There's the snow fest, there's the manure lighting.”
City Commission · Aug 25, 2026
- Play at 2:41:34
“$25,000, I was at both events. Where's the money from?”
City Commission · Aug 25, 2026