Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners

>> test miami-dade. >>. >> the meting will begin shortly. >>. >> the meeting will begin shortly. >>. >>chair: let's get started guys. We good? What do you want to do first, do yours first? Let's get started with commissioner steinberg's presentation, special presentation and recognition of women's history month to honor and celebrate dena of value for her historic appointment as the first female fire chief in miami beach which is district 4, take it away on my notes it says district for so my staff needs to step it up. >>commissioner steinberg: it's not just miami beach, he is the first leading the fire department of any municipality here so it's a big deal and we want to recognize, it's a great way to kick off women's history month by acknowledging these amazing trailblazers who are unbelievable in the work field and off vic, do you want to say a few words. >> thank you commissioner steinberg. Digna, your hero, a legend, the original he original og for all of us but more so for the young girls. i think about young girls and how they look at those of us that make it to some places. And you are breaking all kinds of molds and I'm so grateful because I love seeing women in positions that have been traditionally held by men so I can't think of a better way starting up this month where we celebrate women across the board in all kinds of fields and occupations then to honor you as our fire chief so I'm excited, thank you commissioner steinberg for doing this with me. >> the mayor could not be here this morning but it's also personal, as many of you know for eight years I was city manager of miami beach and I have the pleasure to watch digna abello rise through the ranks and I was proud to sign off on her being the first woman deputy chief of miami beach so I couldn't MISS This opportunity to be here. You've got a lot of your great leadership team there and it's just a proud moment and as a native of miami beach to see how you have broken those barriers and in a profession that is historically with men you've risen to the top of an outstanding organization, chief judge dolla I'm not treating cheating on you I promise let's congratulations to what you've accomplished and I can't imagine a more fitting way to get off women's history. >>commissioner steinberg: I'm going to have to read a little bit of this because we have to give you the full breadth of what we're doing, as women have made historic contributions of the strength our nation and countless unrecorded ways in miami-dade county recognizes the importance of women's history month as a time to honor the extraordinary contributions leadership and achievements of women who have broken barriers and paved the way for future generations, from pioneers to the women who today play a significant role in the civic cultural business and professional activities in our community the contributions of women have have had a major impact on the history and development of miami-dade county. Chief digna abello has made history as the first woman to lead the miami beach fire department since its establishment in JANUARY 26 1921 and the first woman to serve as a municipal fire chief in miami-dade county, marking a historic milestone in public safety leadership. Throughout her distinguished career spanning nearly 2 decades which I think I've known her the entire time, chief abello has demonstrated unwavering dedication and integrity rising through the ranks and leading critical initiatives including directing the departments cobit 19 response, maintaining its iso class I accreditation and implementing lifesaving technologies and programs to enhance emergency response and community safety. Chief aello's leadership reflects her commitment to service innovation and excellence while inspiring women and in future generations to inspire careers in public safety and strengthening the protection resilience and well-being of the miami beach community miami-dade county as a whole so therefore on behalf of our mayor, our CHAIRMAN, our entire board of county commissioners and the entire community hereby proclaim MARCH 3, 2026 as chief digna abello day in miami-dade county. [Applause] I like everybody to come up from the department so we can take a picture and I'd like to you to say a few words but this is personal, this is when we talk about breaking glass ceilings, this is what we are talking about so thank you. >> good morning commissioner, vicki, our staff that we have here so this is very honoring, very humbling, thank you chief jidala for coming here and supporting but is bcause we have men that choose to work for me that deserve also this recognition because if I didn't have their support I wouldn't be able to break these glass ceilings but more importantly it's the start of a new generation that they are able to see look, I can do that whether it's a commissioner, a lawyer, a judge, a firefighter but for my department itself the dispatchers, the unsung heroes and anything I can do to pave the way for people here, I hope I'm not last and I hope I will be the first for that. >>chair: here in the middle. >>. >>chair: all right, we're going to move on to our next presentation and on that note, by the way, I'm known for saying inappropriate things. my colleagues, not today please. But while we are on the women's history month I want to say I think it's her first bcc meeting of the women's history month so I want to congratulate my female colleagues on the board, congratulations and our next presentation hca while the ceo is not a female as far as I don't, messing with you, he's my friend there are many powerful women in leadership here today so congratulations to all of you as well. Presentation is for hca florida. Known as kendall regional. You said it. I was going to say known as the only hospital in my district which is true and I'll call the ceo up and he can bring his entire team up in a second and I will talk about the accolades and also I'm not going to read that whole thing she read, I won't do that, so I know you all drove down here and it was great. I'm just not going to do that. He will essentially read all that and it's ingrained in his brain. Every time he sees me he's telling me about this and I said I'm not applying at hca, I believe in you guys, you're a great hospital, I swear by you guys but commissioner when you talk about that presentation being personal to you this was personal to me, it's the only hospital in my district and not just the hospital I go to and I've been to many times but it is also a hospital that has cared for my grandfather, my mom, my kids and who have broken arms were injured themselves so for me is definitely near and dear to my heart so I can't end the ceo been and joe, we communicate often. We you know, the service they give their and I'll say again I'll say what you're not supposed to say but I'll say it a decade ago plus, the reputation of then kendall regional was not the best in miami dade county, it just wasn't. If you needed healthcare literally anyone would tell you don't go to kendall regional and if you were there they tell you make sure you transfer out. Today I would venture to say the exact opposite. I would say make sure you go there to hca for kendall. Ben gets so mad when I say kendall regional but that's how miami-dade was but it is my honor to when I saw this recognition of course I'm going to let you speak commissioner, I'm sure you have personal stories but when I learned about this one of many accolades that you all recently received this year I said something to you and then shares it with me, he's good about that and I said we have to do a proclamation for them because I've never done one since my time here and they are more than deserving. And when it matters most that's when they show up. When it matters most that's when they care and when it matters most this leadership team, some of which are not doctors and nurses, some of which they personally show up and you guys go out there and show that you care about each and every patient and has been MAY not share today and I hope I'm not overstepping but he always reminds me he cares this much because he once was a patient as well or a very long time so I think you need to feel it, you need to touch it in order to understand it and give that in return so before I do the official presentation I let my colleagues say a few words starting from my left. >> as I said to ben this morning I don't have an hca hospital in my district, I used to have one is a state rep, it was mercy hospital and I gave birth to my son 43 years ago at that hospital so it became part of the mainstay and for the CHAIRMAN And others like commissioner bermudez, hca florida kendall, I got it right actually is an incredibly important institution in our community and it doesn't just serve pople in their districts. My constituents themselves have said they've been there because anything can happen anywhere I'm grateful to all of you for the service you provided only to those that represent the district but to those of us that have constituents that have found themselves there so thank you for your professionalism. I love hca and I think you are going places and I'm excited for you. >>commissioner bermudez: I've had relatives that have gone to hca and very few people know this but as a trauma center it was a trauma center in southwest florida which is important and that's really important. I'm not going to get in the story but I wouldn't be here without the help of these people and men and women of this particular hospital when in a time of need for me last year and I will get into the whole story made it possible for me to be here today so I wanted to thank you personally and besides all the wonderful things you're giving you I wanted to thank you personally on behalf of my family, the great service at a difficult time in my life that hca provided to my family and I wouldn't be here without you, there's nothing else I can say but thank you very much. >> I want to say thank you as well, the commitment you have not only to changing the commitment of the brick-and-mortar structure but upping the care and service so substantially and what better testimonial than you the ones you've heard from my colleagues thank you for upping the level of care to our residents and our community and thank you for getting back in so many ways. It is not uncommon for me to be out in the community doing different events and I see hca leadership these community events doing outreach so your commitment is extraordinary and we are thankful for your participation and level of care and I can't think there's a better testament to other than those socks, hca representative socks that is real commitment so congratulations on the proclamation we are honored to deliver to all of you. >> we couldn't be here with the ceo we talk about the critical health of this community but it's rightful that we thank the doctors, the nurses, a full to clean up the bathrooms. The team that cares about the physical health of our community, thank you for what you do. >>chair: with that been if you want to join me first and we will bring your team up right after. With the socks but is joe wearing socks? All right joe, say shame on you. So I won't read the whole thing but I will say it. I'm not doing it. All right, I'll pick a few. It's long. What time is it? We are good on time actually. Whereas hca florida kendall hospital is one of three actually healthcare hospitals recognized among america's 50 best hospitals which is why we are here today, contributing to hca healthcare's distinction of having 44 hospitals named to the healthgrades america 250 best hospitals list for 2026 and whereas healthgrades recognition is determined by patient outcomes, evaluating risk-adjusted mortality and complication rates for 30 common conditions and procedures at approximately 4500 hospitals nationwide. There you go. Look, this is straight off the website. But this guy has everything memorized, I can't even read this. he's going to start correcting the language of the lawyers. This is done by lawyers so all right. Now therefore be it resolved that the mayor of the county daniela levine cava, myself as CHAIRMAN Of the board and my colleagues members of the board of county commissioners on behalf of miami-dade county and its 2.7 million residents at this point, it went down a little bit. Do hereby proclaim today tuesday, MARCH 3, 2026 as hca florida kendall hospital day, congratulations. [Applause] Now a few words from our ceo and as he's speaking you guys can come up as well. >> come on T.V.. Good morning CHAIRMAN Rodriguez. CHAIRMAN Rodriguez, commissioners thank you for having that hca florida kendall team here this morning. We are proud to be the only hospital in mami-dade to be recognized among america's top 50 hospitals by healthgrades and not to be you want with these accolades but it doesn't happen without the tenacity of these folks that are here with me this morning and as commissioner bermudez mentioned we are one of two level ii trauma centers in miami-dade which means we have the privilege of taking care of the most familial adults and pediatric patients in this county and we're so proud we don't just leave the county and patient outcomes, we don't need the state and patient outcomes but from a trauma perspective the hospital has the best patient outcomes of any trauma center anywhere in the united states and I say that to where it's something each of you are proud of this hospital is a part of this community and it doesn't happen without the absolute best partners outstanding governance and when I see chief jidala, what an amazing leader, so important to get the patients to us, the team can do what they do if their patients don't get to the hospital and we're so proud of the hospital and what happens every single day and I expect to announce major expansion here shortly. Tipping my hand a little bit but there are growing demands in the community and you have my commitment we will continue to lead the uk in healthcare in miami-dade county and it's a privilege and honor to be here with you this morning so thank you for having us. >>chair: now for the photo, where do you want everybody? >>. >>chair: let's get started if we can quiet down in the chamber, take your seats in the back, those in the back take your seats, please call the roll. >> good morning to all. >>commissioner bastien: >>commissioner bermudez: >>commissioner cohen higgins: >>senator garcia: >>commissioner gilbert: >>commissioner gonzalez: >>commissioner hardemon: >>commissioner lopez: >>commissioner milian orbis: >>commissioner regalado: >>commissioner steinberg: >>commissioner mcghee: >>chair: >> we have seven members present, we have a quorum. >>chair: start settling in nd if we could all rise for the invocation by pastor steve of the metro life church a the invitation of commissioner bermudez followed by the pledge of allegiance by commissioner orbis. >>. [Inaudible] >> if you feel comfortable doing so bow your heads. We are able to wake up in this beautiful city and it's a great day. On this morning we want to take a moment to thank you for the goodness and like david says bless you and enjoy the life you've called and the land you live in. We are asking for your grace, and I pray these commissioners who are serving in one of the highest capacities which is the well-being and the calling to serve others I pray you would lean in and to guide their footsteps. And as they continue to give of themselves to serve others I asked you would serve them, serve their marriages, serve their church, bless them now as they get ready to do the business we ask for your guidance, ask for your connection and we ask for your blessings. Give them your special and tangible meaning in te rejoice and be glad. In all these things we ask your mighty name amen. >> I pledge of allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands one nation under GOD indivisible with liberty and justice for all. >>chair: be seated, thank you pastor for those nice words. Commissioner gilbert, you are recognized. >>commissioner gilbert: MR. CHAIRMAN if it's appropriate I asked we do a moment of silence for the men and women of the armed services who lost their lives. >>chair: rise as we join commissioner gilbert in a moment of silence for the men and women who have lost their lives in service. Thank you. All right, and thank you for that commissioner gilbert. All right. Not an attorney, can we move into reasonable opportunity for the public to be heard. >> that would be appropriate. >>chair: for reasonable opportunity I have support for speakers and as I call your name please come up to the well and the state your name and address for the record, the item you're speaking on and you will have one minute to speak. Jenny jackson, sharon frazier. Feel williams and kenneth brown. Come on up. >> jenny jackson 11 61 northwest. 50th sreet. Miami florida 33127. >>chair: go ahead. >> I just want t speak about the housing crisis. Our moms, our elders. When is is going to change? We put you all in your places to help the community. And when I look around and when i'm walking or riding, whatever I'm doing I see too many elders. That don't have a living space. And I just wish and pray you guys and girls understand that could be any one of us so you have to do more about these elders. They don't have much time, they are deteriorating by the day. >>chair: thank you MS. Jackson. >> good morning wonderful CHAIRMAN Of commissioners and mayor's office more alice, first I want to thank you chief more alice for bringing your people to the liberty spare housing. Not knowing for 2022 when my mom was living in liberty square, not knowing anybody wanted to join. We changed the name to community concerns /public safety meeting because we've seen a lot of stuff and in liberty square, liberty square has 10 more days you've got the young boys and you've got john doe. We have a big fight with 50 girls that came from lincoln field came to living every square three or four weeks ago, there was a meeting call on tuesday 24th because I asked jimmy to come and help us, I didn't even get the respect as the grand MARCH captain to attend. I couldn't attend because I was in the hospital with kidney surgery but give me the respect to bring my staff to come. So I'm asking you MR. Chair thank you for doing it. >>chair: continue put your name and address on the record for me? >> I am scared, I just told you. I'm not going to have the police at my house? Where's rosie. I know we've got a good major at the north side, my neck within but jimmy I need to see the sheriff before I call the state attorney. Because nobody wants to be the crime watch, nobody raised their hands, I did. >>chair: thank you, appreciate it. All right. Sir. >> feel williams, 95th street. All money isn't good money. I want to know and I live in a district that the rollover $6 million they told us at the meeting old money and good money but when you combine to cra's together and the vote already established by everybody but when I look at the boat is not neither one of us in that community have been pointed to that boat. Everybody now wants to build over us. For what they want. It's nothing personal. I asked my streets, everybody's talking about a street, voter commissioners, I don't know who's responsible. I can't blame commissioner but something's got to be done by these roads on 95th and if not we have to do in order to call washington to help us with the situation class kenneth brown one 2300 northwest. 17th avenue and we had a meeting and this gentleman kenneth kilpatrick was there and he made a bold statement that when the people were speaking he said one why don't you go back to egypt, pretty much go back into slavery and you've got somebody like that representing miami-dade county he should be removed telling people they need to go back to egypt and another thing is nothing is fair for the black people in this community so what I'm deciding is separation by people, if we separate everything and everybody goes there on own way, you put the blocks on the side all the ventures and everything the black people came up with just let them get a royalty of those things and then that way we can control and monitor our own people, we don't have to be understanding like we are begging for everything because the majority of the money that came down to start this commission board funded through the black community but the black community is not receiving anything. >>chair: that is ready reasonable opportunity is close, set the agenda at this time. >> I'm still trying to gather. So we do have some changes or preliminary changes, 2b4, commissioner orbis adds this to the pull list, 8g4, senator garcia is adding this item to the pull list. 8h1, commissioner gilbert adds this item to the pull list. 8p1, commissioner orbis adds the item to the pull list. Commissioner gilbert adds items 8p2 and 8p3 to the pull list. 8p4 commissioner steinberg is adding this item to the pull list. 8p5, commissioner orbis is pulling the item. 8p6, commissioner orbis and gilbert at this item to the pull list and 8p10 commissioner steinberg adds this to the pull list. And 14b1, commissioner lopez is pulling this item and I have additional request for cosponsorship, senator garcia would like to cosponsor 5c, 9a2, 11a1 and 11a3. Senator garcia would like to cosponsor 11a7. Items to be considered at today's meeting will be those listed in the printed final agenda with additions deferrals withdrawals and scriveners errors. The commission will approve all these items by a single vote setting the agenda except item 2b7, cultural affairs, ordinances for first reading, ordinances for second reading, item 8 a1 which is a commercial service airport contract that has to be voted on and has not been polled on the following pull list items, item 2b4, 8g4, 8h1, 8p2, 8p3, 8p5, 8p10, 14a1, this is a first reading item, 14a2 and 14b1, a motion to set the agenda is in order. >>chair: moved by commissioner lopez. >>senator garcia: not sure if I heard it or not, 8g4. >>chair: and you will second the setting of the agenda? All in favor of the setting the agenda signify by saying aye. All opposed, nay. Show the agenda hereby set. And chief more alice, will you be recognizing the appointment of interim director? >> you want do that right now? >>chair: jimmy, give me a minute, you are recognized, can we? In the back? We have to do one at a time? >> we have one aviation item, item 8a1. >>chair: moved by commissioner colin higgins, second by commissioner lopez. Moving? >>commissioner gilbert: it wasn't pulled. >> I received word commissioner regalado wants to pull 14a2. >>chair: soap 14a1. >> 14a1 is a first reading item and I'm happy to do that at your discretion. >>chair: let's do it. >> and ordinance relating to miami-dade county parking code amending section 30 b 49 of the code authorizing parking enforcement entities to issue invoices by mail for nonpayment of parking charges, amending section 30 b 52 of the code authorizing parking enforcement entities to enforce additional parking violations through parking citations by mail, providing separability, inclusion in the code and an effective date, this is an ordinance for first reading. >>chair: motion for commissioner gilbert, second by commissioner lopez. Discussion because we can all in favor. >> it's all call. >>chair: please call the roll. >>commissioner bastien: yes. >>commissioner bermudez: >>commissioner cohen higgins: >>senator garcia: >>commissioner gilbert: yes. >>commissioner gonzalez: for. >>commissioner hardemon: >>commissioner lopez: >>commissioner milian orbis: >>commissioner regalado: >>commissioner steinberg: >>commissioner mcghee: yes. >>chair: I vote yes. >> motion passes unanimously. >>chair: show that I from past. >>chair: my understanding is commissioner lopez as a procedural motion she like to make with respect to this first reading, I don't know if you like me to deal with that now. Commissioner lopez moves to suspend the board rules and wave committee review and the four-week six-week municipal notice requirement as to item 14a1 and aend 14 be want to schedule a public reading in second reading for 14a1 at the 2026 meeting and board of county commissioners to direct the agenda coordinator to send appropriate municipal notices and direct the club to publish all notices relating to this item and if this motion is approved on your pull list it will be as amended so it's been seconded by commissioner cohen higgins, any discussions, seeing none all in favor say aye, show the motion passing. I have my team distributed a motion if you can read mine as well. >> in response to the mayor's MARCH 2, 2026 report on feasibility of creating an airport capable of accommodating cargo commercial pastors and aviation activities as directed by the board in resolution are 10 9624 the report I moved to direct the county mayor's designee to with respect to the three potential sites for new airport identified in the report take all the steps identified in section 13 of the report conclusion and next steps as well as identify proposed funding sources for the airport and provide a status report within 90 days from the date of this motion and every 90 days thereafter, such report shall be placed on an agenda without committee review pursuant to rule.5 06j of this board's rules of procedure. >>chair: moved by commissioner cohen higgins, that's my motion. Commissioner you are recognized. >>commissioner regalado: I have a general question about this, when I read the report as I mentioned when this item was brought up by commissioner cabrera, this has been reviewed several times in miami-dade counties history of time and begin the cargo community is then left out of the conversation so we spent a ton of time and money and they don't want to go because there's a whole logistic issue getting their goods out of certain airports so my only recommendation is this time around let's make a different mistake, can we include the existing cargo community, there is a community like can they have representation before they bring us back something so we don't have to deal with the launch? >>chair: is one of accommodating cargo. >>commissioner regalado: the current cargo users at mia they have a community. let them have input in this because it's not it will go sideways on us, thank you. >>chair: do we have to change something or is that the administration? To the attorneys. Commissioner bermudez. >>commissioner bermudez: there is a florida custom brokers federation. >> all interested parties should have a seat at the table for sure so to the mayor on the motion I'll let you get settled in but it's to continue exploring based on your report the three airport options provided in your report that your administration did just to continue that exploration but include any other stakeholders as part of the conversation. Thumbs up? Commissioner gilbert. >>commissioner gilbert: a question, when it says explore funding options my thought was this would be a proprietary system so it's going to be funded by user fees at some level. That's my expectation going forward, the bonding and all that stuff will come through that and not against the general revenue capacity of the county. >>mayor cava: through the chair, yes. >>chair: do you think commissioner regalado that suffices. >>commissioner regalado: as long as they have the ability, the association, the distributor as long as they have a seat at the table it will save us a lot of time. >>chair: motion by commissioner gilbert, all in favor say aye. Show the motion passing. Commissioner regalado. >>commissioner regalado: I have an amendment 7d that will resolve the issue if I can have the attorneys read it. >> we would need to read the title first, that would be 7d. Doggett, delta? >>chair: but it is a public hearing. >> it is a second reading ordinance. >> and ordinance relating to zoning in the unincorporated area amending section 33 to 84.87 of the code amending standard urban center district regulations to provide certain digital point-of-sale signage in the downtown kendall district under certain circumstances, amending standard urban center regulations to provide certain residential building identification signs, directing the mayor to take certain action and establishing county policy relating to revenue-sharing agreements and arrangements with respect to signage on county owned and county occupied properties, providing separability inclusion in the code and an effective date, would you like us to read the amendment? >>commissioner regalado: yes please. >> commissioner regalado moves to amend the first paragraph to provide for the county policy related to revenue-sharing agreements or arrangements related to county occupied properties adjacent to the underline, any revenue paid to the county shall be used for expenses and operation of the trail connector multi use pedestrian and bicycle path section 33 to 84.63.3 v of the code of miami-dade county. >>commissioner regalado: MR. Chair I got your amendment which is similar and if you remember this item rated a connector between the under , ludlum trail and snapper creek so I'm taking out the underline and using one other revenue could come to maintain that t connector. >>chair: my amendment, I want to make sure it does the same thing, I was trying to listen to your amendment. The way I understood the original item, it encompasses any revenue-sharing from adjacent throughout the corridor work of the underline from a through z. >>commissioner regalado: this is just the day land kendall system one location by the kendall urban center. >>chair: it's a good thing to find revenue-sharing sources, attorneys is that right? >> the amendment is sound. >>chair: good, thank you. >>commissioner gilbert: I still have a problem with the amendment. The connector system not everyone in the connector system is treated the same by the county. So I still, I need to know from the attorneys can money from this revenue-sharing go to the underline? Specifically because they are an independent line item in our budget that siphons off money every year so if this is going to go to all the other things, but if this would be in the underline we have to have a greater conversation about how we fund the underline because as I counted this is something like a $4 million thing that turned into an $80 million thing so I'm not going to b okay with this unless it excludes the underline because we fund them in different ways. I'm going to need that not to question your veracity but I'm going to need that from the attorneys and administration that money from this revenue-sharing can go to the underline without coming back to this. >>commissioner regalado: it goes to the trail connector which is not the underline, if that piece we created inside downtown they land to connect to ludlum trail and the snapper, this cn only go to that connector. >>commissioner gilbert: are not question your veracity but my question is to the atorneys, I need to hear from them how they're going to interpret this, how this will work. Need to hear from them. >>chair: is this a simple answer? >> we are reviewing the definition of the trail connector to see if it's included. >>chair: is the trail county, is the trail county its own entity? >>commissioner regalado: the trail connector is I think it was.8 miles that we did inside day land. >>chair: who manages that. >>commissioner regalado: it would be us. >>chair: is it simple to say because it's dade county. >>commissioner regalado: the idea with the connector is we are going to build it in part with impact fees from the development we did from the land swap that created the connector this money would go to maintain it so we are not taking money from anyone so I created a revenue for that connector. >>chair: you satisfied my piece of the amendment with yours. And I see what you're doing which I commend you, you're trying to find revenue for the time before the amendment for the underline given the environment here which I commend, you're trying to get it in the area. Make sure, I was generally okay with that, I wanted to make sure it was that section. >>commissioner regalado: I appreciate that. >>chair: you want to respond? >> to be clear w would need staff to confirm it, however the definition of trail connector is a portion of 70th avenue that ends at 80th street which is before reaching the underline as far as we can tell from reading the maps and the language ourselves but if you can clarify specifically through a further amendment none of the money would go towards it. >>commissioner gilbert: uncomfortable with that as long as the administration is comfortable with that because the administration would be doing the work, understanding that money will be going towards the underline and all the item specifically which I'll support but I want us to be cognizant of what we are doing. The general model is that we are one community and stuff, if you're a project of a general fund the produced money you can use it anywhere in the general fund. That's the general model. We are moving farther and farther away from that so what we're saying is money generated in specific areas are going to be used in those specific areas. That is the model that we are going now and we ae comfortable with that, I want us to be mindful that the highest form of flattery is imitation. So when other commissioners start to use that model to actually fund things in their district, it becomes a system of greater disparity. There is already disparities. But it becomes a system of greater disparity so consciously I want us to make the dcision that this is what we are going to do, this is the model we're going to use and when somebody says they are creating a funding model is not a unique funding model. There taxes and fees generated from stuff built in certain areas, you want to keep them in that area. That's not something they did when they segregated schools. That's why some systems are underfunded and subsystems were overfunded so I don't want us to think, you're not being brilliant here, it's a throwback. so we can do that but I want us to understand what's being done. >>chair: senator garcia. >>senator garcia: I had issues with commissioner gilbert, I do have issues with it but the amendment suffices end of the end of the day this trail will have to be maintained by tax dollars one or way or another, whatever the case MAY be so creating a funding source that will limit its impact on us I think it's okay. I'm okay with it like you are right now but I do think I do caution being careful when we move forward as we set policy that we put money in everyone's district but on this issue at the end of the day it will have to come from general revenue so allow us to be creative on funding and solutions and I'm okay with this amendment and I appreciate you offering it so if there's a motion I'll seconded. >>commissioner regalado: I will move it as amended. >> for the record I support your ordinance but on section 3 I know it does reference that we are also now outside the kendall urban center that this applies countywide to all county owned properties that were basically canal and maybe I need clarification, are we get in the green light for the administration on their own to negotiate contracts with our districts because I think that maybe needs to be tightened. That's again outside the scope of what we want to do. >>commissioner regalado: from a drafting perspective, this is, there's signage there that's locked by trees that were put by fdo t so that's how we even get into this so I have to change the signing because I can't remove what was planted by fdo t. In order to do that we were told we had to draft it. Though specifically it's this particular thing. So the attorneys, I'm happy to amended. I've had this conversation at length. At length. >>chair: I thought the amendment took care of that. >>commissioner gilbert: the policy applies to everyone's district and that money would go to no one. >> what I'm understanding if there is an additional amendment that clarifies which is your amendment MR. Jarrett clarifies that the revenue-sharing agreements and arrangements related to county own property or county occupied properties egos properties within the downtown kendall urban center district reinvented the monies would be collected only from those properties. >>chair: mine says must be adjacent and that's what the attorneys told me so I wouldn't call out specifically the urban center but I'm happy to add the urban center to if we're going to double down on adjacent. I was told adjacent would be only the dade land urban center because it the only situation where we have signage blocked by trees that now needs to be replaced. >>chair: was the right posture for it passing let's take a vote. >> motion addresses where the monies are going to be applied. And it would be applied to the trail connector within the downtown kendall urban center district. Your amendment would revise where the monies are coming from and it would be from eight agreements revenue-sharing agreement for properties, county own door county occupied properties that are also within the district. So the monies coming from within the district and it would be applied to the trail connector that's also within the district or maintenance and operations. >>chair: moved as amended by the sponsoring commissioner, yes. Then seconded by senator garcia. And clerk, >> point of order MR. CHAIRMAN. >>chair: we just corrected it commissioner steinberg. We just accept, we have a motion to accept both amendments, we haven't voted but she had a real concern addressed right now with the amendment so that kendall downtown, yes. >>commissioner gilbert: point of order, not to say this is a little confusing, why wouldn't we just accept your amendment only if it does that? What does amendment do, why are we protecting two amendments to the same item with slightly different language, that's confusing. >>commissioner regalado: if the money goes to the downtown urban center than the ludlum trail snapper are within the downtown urban center and you said you didn't want the money going to the underline so we allocated it to the connector. If you wanted to go to the downtown urban center there's three trails inside the downtown urban center. >>commissioner gilbert: my problem is we are accepting two amendments, why don't we just change the language incorporate everything that we're saying here. >>commissioner regalado: that's what we did. >>commissioner gilbert: what we did was except two amendments. >>chair: I'm under the impression her amendment was essentially my commitment. Like, we're good on all fronts but commissioner gilbert raises a different point. Is he correct? >> you have narrowed commissioner rgalado's commitment to one change. >> and it takes care of what commissioner gilbert pointed out. >> the item will not include any funding for the item as amended. >>chair: commissioner orbis. >>commissioner milian orbis: the ludlum trail keeps coming up so is it included in the kendall urban district? >> the trail connector spoken of what the money would be allocated for does not connect to the ludlum trail, it connects south of southwest 80th. >>commissioner milian orbis: thank you. >>chair: are we all comfortable? commissioner steinberg you are recognized. >>commissioner steinberg: one last thing to address, not enough revenue-sharing but it does state in section 34 county old county occupied properties including properties outside the boundaries of what we are discussing now basically we are letting the mayor pursue any and all efforts. >>commissioner regalado: we amended section 3, that's what we amended. >>commissioner steinberg: not about the revenue-sharing piece, about her getting the delegate authority to negotiate any sort of signage through our district and county owned property. I just want clarity. That's all I want. >> the directive to the mayor to negotiate is for all properties countywide, if you'd like to limit it within the downtown kendall urban center we can remove the phrase that refers to properties outside of that center. >>commissioner regalado: happy to do it. >>chair: are we in good shape? With that I need a roll call on this. Clerk, call the roll. >>commissioner bermudez: if it is what I understand, yes. >>commissioner cohen higgins: >>senator garcia: >>commissioner gilbert: >>commissioner gonzalez: for. >>commissioner lopez: >>commissioner milian orbis: >>commissioner regalado: >>commissioner steinberg: >>commissioner bastien: yes. >>commissioner mcghee: yes. >>chair: I vote yes. >> motion passes unanimously. >>chair: all right, can we move into public hearing items at this time? >> item 58 is an ordinance related to the naranja lakes redevelopment agency repealing to 1470 of the code providing separability inclusion in the code and an effective date, 5b is a resolution declaring that miami-dade board of county commissioners to be the lakes redevelopment agency accepting transfer and pursuing all rights duties privileges and immunities by the agency at to our responsibilities and liabilities imposed by the agency, urging the mayor mayor's designee to appoint appropriate staff designating the cunty attorney's office as legal counsel and directing the mayor or mayor's designee to provide important, 5c finds and declares a certain geographic area of the county generally bounded on southwest 57th avenue to the east, 76th free to the south, 62nd avenue to the west southwest 67th street to the north to be a slum lighted area and the redevelopment of such area including the development of housing which residents of lower or moderate income including the elderly can afford as necessary and the interest of the public has welfare of the city of south miami in miami-dade county finding a need for the creation of a community redevelopment agency and delegating certain powers to the city of south miami. 5d approves the plat of royal pointe apartments, 5b is a resolution approving the plat of grant me, those are your public hearing items and at the appropriate time I do have requests to bfurcate items 5a and 5b by commissioner regalado. >>chair: so regalado, 5a and 5b. And vice chair. I'm going to go ahead and open up public hearing at this time, please approach the well. State your name and address, neil shriver. Alphonso jackson. Derek lord us. And crypto beaudry. [Reading names] >> I stand in opposition of item 5 a and any alternative I seek maybe a deferral if possible of this item and think there's a good faith opportunity to reach a fair resolution. For the residents of south dade. I requested a meeting with the district commissioner and I have opportunity to meet with our staff who clearly did not have the authority to discuss a resolution so I have no choice but to appeal to this board. Prior to the appointment of a newborn at a time when the county ran the cra, nothing got done. So why go back to those days. The then redevelopment plan didn't even have a definition of slump. The cra was all dormant for 2 to 3 years. >>chair: thank you MR. Shriver. >> my name is pastor alphonso jackson senior senior pastor teacher of the second baptist church, one 1111 pinkston drive in richmond heights. We also have a campus in the southland mall movie theater which actually puts me in both districts eight and nne. I was assigned to be a part of this wonderful you asked me the item, I believe 58. And I was asigned to be a part of the governing board for this project. And I found it to be very very awesome working along with MR. Shriver and other professionals on the board I love the idea of having a part of a I say so in our own community. I've had wonderful relationships. I work well with commissioner Mcgee and certainly this is an item we would like to continue to work on. I believe we can do a wonderful job collaboratively with the group that has been assigned. >> derek lord is 21449 southwest. 88th avenue. Cutler bay florida 33189. I am a bard member of the naranjo legs cra. When it comes to the decisions being made in a town like naranjo whose experience 105% growth since 2010, unincorporated areas like that can be overlooked making decisions so keep them in mind. People's downtown it's miami beach and then we skip to te keys so we want to make sure those areas are not forgotten when people come here. So when it comes to the residence and intimacy of being able to come to the cra board where they can get loans and homes improved. That in mind, thank you for your time. >> good morning, I'm john boudreau at 175 zero north bayshore drive and I'm representing the community of technology industry professionals specifically saying that for eight I am we have a number of wonderful founders and the technologies developed right here in miami and we meet a lot and there's a lot of exciting elements going on. Obviously the growing ai phenomenon in the country in the world is having a big and. >>chair: what item are you speaking on? >> 58. >>chair: does 5a have to do with technology? >> as far as the agency services, this is what I've been offered to think of a new way to provide more representation, more participation for actual citizens by utilizing the power of ai. A lot of the conflicts we have of service that can be achieved can now be achieved with technology and we want to bring that to the forefront. Public hearing folks that signed up to speak so public hearing is closed. We've got to bifurcations. 5a and 5b. Do I have a motion on the remainder? The remainder have been moved by commissioner cohen higgins, second by commissioner gonzales. Commissioner, vice chair you are recognized on 58. Public hearing is closed. I heard someone say public hearing. Vice chair you are recognized on 5a and 5b if they are together which I guess they are, 5a and 5b. >>commissioner mghee: I am curious as to the need of the item of 5a and would ask the sponsor to give us insight as to why this item is needed. >> you also bifurcated. >> there MAY be issues with the cra and would like to know from our attorneys when we use this ordinance to undo cra's. I'm concerned more for other cra's. And I think that if we are going to change the makeup of the, if this is exclusively about the cra's unincorporated we need to change the makeup of all the cra's that are unincorporated, I don't think we should go after one, we should be consistent, and it's the first thing and I'm concerned opening the door to undoing cra's. I know we talked about board membership in the cra's in the past, that was brought up during the committee meeting. And as I said then when I brought this to south miami when I think there's a lot of things we can do to better tailor cra's and ensure they are doing what is a county priority, but I'm concerned and I would like to hear from the attorneys as to have we ever used these vehicles and is this going to start a free for all. Can we now open up other cra's, I don't geon is not here but we got a call from others about this and what the impact could be too other cra's. >>chair: you are recognized. >> to answer the first question commissioner regalado this is the first time we've taken the steps to undo a umpsa cra. To answer the second question it would be too early to do a cra, the board has delegated to a municipality to create cra. >>commissioner regalado: have we ever done it for a municipality? >> we have not that I'm aware of. >>commissioner regalado: so we've never used the statutory vehicle. >> that is correct. >>commissioner regalado: taking on the makeup of the cra might be a better first step but I would like to hear from the sponsor as to why we are taking this particular action and how we can ensure this does not hurt municipal cra's and why we are not doing it for all the umpsa cra's. >>chair: I will ask you to clarify something and I don't know the answer so I'm asking someone with clarification, you have to be careful with the words you use. We are familiar with this, yu said this is the first time we are undoing the cra, we are not undoing any cra so can you clarify because words matter and people watch. >> what you are doing is you are dissolving the special dependent district that is known as the naranja lakes created under 163.56. The second item assumes, designates this board as the naranja lakes cra under a separate statute which authorizes a governing body to take on the role of a cra. although for all intents and purposes the entity created under 163.56 all florida statute will go away. This board under 163, 157 would assume the role of the agency and it will act as the cra. >>chair: commissioner bastien you are recognized. >>commissioner bastien: thank you MR. Chair. I have a question, since the cra's play between two districts eight and nine is it possible to have 2 cra's, has it been done before and if it has not been done before how can it be done legally? And if you know if it's been done in the states of florida. >> I'm not aware of it being done in the state of florida the mechanism for you to say for example because it's two different districts to reduce the boundaries of the cra so you have to first do that. Under florida statute it allows you, the agency can make a recommendation to the board to reduce the boundaries of the cra so if agency made a recommendation to exclude one districts area from its boundaries you could do that. And it's up to this board to approve a redevelopment plan that does that. After that I think then once it shrunk the board could consider creation of a cra in that area that is no longer part of the existing cra. >>commissioner gilbert: point of order. >>chair: commissioner bastien still has the floor. >>commissioner gilbert: to the attorneys that answer was yes. It can be done. >>commissioner bastien: if it is, is yes and thank you commissioner gilbert, it is I guess so if it is a yes when will the process be? >>chair: that was the process, everything he just said. He should have started with yes and here's the process. Thank you commissioner. Commissioner cohen higgins you are recognized for addressing all that. >>commissioner cohen higgins: thank you to my colleagues for the comments and questions and interest in the item, I want to make clear that while I respect and understand the position or articulation of the attorneys and the language used is not my intention at all to undo the cra area is bringing the governing body back to the board because for whatever reason we as a body delegated that authority to unelected members o the community. In miami-dade county we have a total of 16 cra's and out of the 16 only four of them are not governed by elected officials but if you review the mayor's memo JANUARY of this year she talks about cra's undergoes over an overview statewide and makes clear in her report that the naranja lakes cra is a citizen appointed board as our three other cra's in the county but and I quote a vast majority of boards throughout florida naturally existing municipality or county condition meeting the elected officials for the municipality /county are members of the cra board, that's a result and all boards follow the structures so when there are concerns being expressed about what this will do to our municipal cra's, there should be no concern. This is actually modeling the naranja lakes cra after cra's in miami-dade county, this is complementing our municipal cra's for the great work they've done because the vast majority of them are all governed by the elected officials in those areas so for example or the city homestead miami midtown, miami omni, overtown park, miami beach, city center, north beach miami gardens, north miami beach, opa locka, all cra's within miami-dade county where the sum of money that is being collected from the tax incremental funding is being governed by the elected officials. And here with the naranja lakes cra is the largest cra in miami-dade county by acreage, over 4000 acres and is currently under review to add another 600 acres to this cra with a total annual budget of $41 million. I am perplexed as to why we would delegate the athority to improve the slum and blight in the area to other individuals when I believe we are perfectly capable of doing it here as a body and while te question is we should make this a countywide policy I'm very sensitive to district commissioners and what they think is best for their community so this is the cra in my district so I'm bringing this as pertains to my district and if the other commissioners that have unincorporated boards want to do the same thing they are they are encouraged to bring similar policy but I'm not going to encroach on other commissioners and other districts that MAY not have a similar viewpoint on this. I believe when we are dealing with such financial sruggles in miami-dade county and we have our community electing us to manage tax dollars to the tune of $41 million annually we are the best representative voices of how those dollars should be spent so this item is a complement to our municipal cra's, a complement two for example the miami omni miami southeast overtown ad what they been able to do. All being governed by the elected officials of that area and I do not understand why we would do it any different here. The cra has gone dormant for years with no quorum, absolutely nothing being done. We don't have these issues as a body at the bcc whatever slum and blight needs to be addressed will be addressed more efficiently, more publicly the ability for the public to be here will always be available the same way the public has the ability to speak at all our meetings. And from the policy decision is my belief cra's especially with balances as large as $41 million of our residents taxpayers dollars, those dollars should be distributed within the boundaries by the people elected by our residents to govern those dollars. So my item simply removes the governing body back to the bcc because I cannot understand what would delegate that authority to anyone other than ourselves. Thank you MR. Chair. >>chair: vice chair. >>commissioner mcghee: thank you come to commissioner cohen higgins for the explanation and into colleagues who asked some of the questions I had concerns with. But again, the cra is one that houses to commissioners. Myself and commissioner cohen higgins and not to get too deep into the weeds, it is in my humble opinion a better approach that we heard earlier as to why not just split the two. If the issue is really about the size the quorum and some of the issues that we've heard then just split the two. I know in district 9 it's about crime and poverty. And in that particular area is naranja and naranja is one of the fastest growing areas and also was the fastest growing area as relates to some of the prime so if this is what it's about and leave the board doing the work now that has established a precedent as it relates to getting things done, leave that in place. Secondly we talk about undue burdens. What we are essentially asking is folks from the community to drive here to be part of the meeting. We are essentially asking this board have another meeting about the cra's. That's what we are essentially we are asking with this piece of legislation. And third, this is what i believe to be true. On its face it does appear that the fold or sitting on the naranja lakes cra are folks who are just off the streets. With no experience. On its face it does look like that. But if we really understand how they got to the board we really now get a greater appreciation. Each member on that cra is there because either district 8 or nine appointed that person to the board. Let me clarify that. That means either the commissioner from district 8 made a motion, put the item in to have this person investigated by the department and then mde a recommendation to have that person appointed to the board. These are not just people walking off the streets until the board controls the amount of money to help with slum and blight, these are individuals and selected, handpicked by the actual commissioners of those districts. And in this particular case naranja lakes you have to commissioners who been chosen the entire board. Now, I'm not here to have a fight about whether or not this is really about the money or this is really about control. But when I am dealing with is pure facts, there has yet to be any allegations of fraud. There has yet to be any allegation of misrepresentation. We do know tis cra has gone through countless audits and continuously goes through audits. we do know they have put forth one of the great cra chairs and executive director to deal with the issues and we do know for a fact if the administration can help help me clarify this that they don't have an issue with quorum. They have been meeting regularly. As a matter fact both commissioner offices go to those meetings regularly. Are reported back to exactly what happened and we also have the administration representation in those meetings. So again I'm not here to fight work pick one side or pick one side against the other. I'm here looking for a solution and I do believe a solution here could be two ways. One week then again as we heard from the county attorney we can actually separate the two, we can have two separate cra's. Number two another option is it's really the concern that people who we point, we selected to put on the board if they are the concern then I suggest maybe the two commissioners who share the cra that they, those to sit on the board themselves and work with the community leaders who are down in the area and that way it keeps it there but also gives an oversight by the two commissioners. Who oversee those areas. Another thing to is I heard the question about the amount of money the area needs to deal with poverty slum and blight. One of the things we can do is we can actually reduce the tip contribution where now i believe the contribution from the administration if we can clarify what is the contribution to the cra. >> george fernandez, office of management and above it and right now the contribution is set at 95%. >>commissioner mcghee: one of the questions to the sponsor if the concern is about the amount of money that is going towards that particular area to eradicate poverty slum and blight and crime, one of the solutions I would put forth is why not move that number from 95% and move that number down to 75%, that in turn gives the county 20% and we can use that additional 20% to go to the bus rapid system we have in place to help offset some of the headaches people are doing in that community are experiencing that community as relates to traffic, that's one solution and the other I have put on the record, why not simply say we go ahead, differ this item, allow the county attorney to come up with legislation to bifurcate the two districts and everybody will be a happy camper in that situation, that would give us a win-win for everyone but at the same time address the poverty, crime slum and blight currently located in the district commissioner gilbert. >>commissioner gilbert: I was unclear about it but I think to bifurcate them we have to dissolve them. And we have to end one and create two. So just so we are clear as we travel down the road discussing bifurcation, inherent in bifurcation is actual dissolution, not just changing the governing board. That means a new finding of necessity. With slum and blight. The entire process. Sounds like it's something interesting but before we invest a bunch of bandwi