Board of County Commissioners Special Meeting

>> we need to clerk to call the roll. We have speakers on the items and we have a request from commissioners to try to finish this meeting as soon as possible so I'm going to try to honor everybody's request. So if the clerk can do the roll call, we would appreciate it. >> commissioner diaz. >>. >> in the great district 3. I am here to speak on the special item number four. The reallocation of decisional funds to the mime dade nonprofit support branch at this time stand here with a few members of my community and educational staff to demonstrate our support of this grant. The miami children's initiative is a grass roots organization that was legislated, created, and supported by this commission to aid in the moving of the needing forward and pod at this change and advance as for the children and families of libby city. I stand here today representing one of 77 nonprofits and more special -- miami's urban core who qualifies for this program but has a status lacking available funds. This grant len sure that we will continue the necessary work on behalf of our most vulnerable population, our children and not only for our organization but other community-based organizations that are -- to the residents on behalf of miami-dade county. We need this relief. I implore this board to favorably support this special item number four and as always I thank you for your are support. So the next one has two minutes to speak. Please state your name and address for the record. You're more than welcome. >>. >> good afternoon, commissioners. I'm lauren bara. I'm the director of public affairs for the miami foundation at 40 northwest third street. I'm here to express my support or special item number four. The reallocation of defined funds. In deep partnership with Mr. Michael liu and the entire public housing department the foundation developed an application process developed guided tors in three languages viewed over 600 applications and successfully -- this reallocation before you today will ense that the county will have funded 100% of eligible nonprofits who have applied for this coindividual relief program. It would allow the pending and eligible 77 cbos and faith based organization -- for the holidays. Thank you for your time today and willingness to always serve your communities proudly. Thank you. >> thank you very much you're more than welcome. You have two minutes to speak. Please state your name and address for the record. Welcome. >> good morning. Thank you very much for the opportunity to speak in favor of special item number four. My name is paola, and I am the executive director of the autobahn society. Tropical was one of the fortunate nonprofit organizations that received the one time funding from the relief fund. And for that, we are extremely grateful. Which has had more than 300 people from miami-dade county sign up to it. In is an advocacy program that will help democracy in this community as advocacy for the environment. Keeping the nonprofit sector in miami-dade county strong allows them to continue to offer critical services for the community. I urge you to give your approval to special item number four to support the item -- that were not as lucky as we were. Thank you for your time. >> if you. And now I have casey dresser. You have two minutes. Please state your name and address for the record and welcome. My name is casey body, community engagement project. I am here on behalf of our organization 2103 coral way which provides services across almost every district represented in this chamber today. We work to ensure swimmable, fishable, and drinkable water for all of south florida. I'm here to speak in favor of special item number four because -- the reallocation of additional funds to the nonprofit support granted program. Miami water keeper was one of the hundreds of organizations able to receive one time immediate relief funds allowing us to keep our lights on in the office, ensure staff payment, and supporting the continuation of our clean water efforts. We perform weekly water quality monitoring testing for bacteria levels in biscayne bay. As a smaller organization we did not have the capacity to apply for much of the relief that became available. This program was a true life saver for us. I hope you'll give the other deserving nonprofits the same chance by approving special item number four. Thank you for your time and consideration of this resolution. >> thank you very much. We really appreciate it. I think we have tina brown who is the last speaker. Tina, you're more than welcome to speak. Have you two minutes. Please state your name and address for the record. >> hi. Good afternoon, commissioners. My name is tina brown. I'm here on behalf of the overtown youth center at 450 northwest 14th street. I'm here to speak in support of special item 4. The reallocation of decisional funds to the miami-dade nonprofit support grant program. My organization since this pandemic has been bridging social emotional and financial gaps for many of the constituents residing in our community. We have provided over 2,000 meals per week since the pandemic started. We have also provided digital assistance, financial assistance, and other immediate needs to assist our families during this pandemic. My organization has applied for these funds and unfortunately have a pending status due to lack of funds. This grant would ensure that my organization can don't provide critical services during this pandemic. I implore this board to pass special item four not just for my nonprofit but for 76 other knob profits located here in miami-dade. Thank you. >> thank you very much we really appreciate it. With that, we close the reasonable opportunity for the public to to be heard. We thank you. Madame Attorney, do we need to set the agenda that's going before we move on? >> Madame Chair, this special meeting has been called to consider matters relating to the covid-19 pandemic. The items to be considered at today's special meeting are special items number one through five listed in the printed agenda in accordance with the rules of procedure regarding special meetings. No other business shall be transacted other than the matters provided for in the notice. I also have a few requests for cosponsorship if I May say these now. >> special item number three commissioner heyman and senator soto wish to be listed as cosponsors. Special item number four commissioner heyman wishes to be listed as a cosponsor. And on special item number five, senator soto wishes to better if listed as a cosponsor. >> perfect. Thank you very much. And with that do I hear a motion to set the agenda for the special meeting on covid? >> moved. >> and seconded. >> let's move to the next item which is the mayor's update on covid. Madame Mayor, are you going to do the update or do you have a designated person to do it? >> thank you, Madame Chair. I have a few brief remarks and then chief finance officer marquez is available to answer any questions. He presented a memo earlier this morning with the summary of the status of the cares act funds. But I wanted to take this opportunity just to provide you with a brief update. We have north of 240,000 cases in miami-dade alone. Our 14 day average positivity 18 matlock 5% and we're over 25% of all the new cases in if state of florida. Positivity rated jackson is at about 10% and we have seen a notable increase in hospitalizations at 35% in the last 14 days so this is a source of grave concern. It is going to potentially overwhelm our health system capacity. We held a press conference with the ceos of the hospitals on friday. Thank you Madame Chair woman for joining us and speaking again. So this is we're all together making sure that our healthcare workers are protected. That will be critical to being able to handle this surge. So as part of the efforts, we have a messaging campaign that will be launched tomorrow at 1:30. We invite all of you to join us for a press event. The campaign is called we can we will. It will be very positive. And focused on the actions that each of us can do. Businesses can do ah. Families can do. A clear actionable information what we can do especially over a holiday, how these are not holidays as usual. So it will be up lifting stories to keep us on the right track. They are now providing masks to chattys so the very first step that we want to implore certain to take the precaution. We don't want to punish people. We want to support people and so masks are being distributed as well we're helping the city's police department to participate as well. They are able to stay home because of the food we serve them. If we abandon them I'm afraid we're going to suffer for many of them that might be placed at a higher risk. So one of the things that I don't know how my colleagues feel about that. When I think that our elderly population should be and must be are a priority for all of us. And whatever is necessary to extend the meals from the funding from the cares actna is still there, I think that, that is a priority at least I'm bringing that to share with you because many of them have called me crying that they don't want to go to a supermarket that they don't have the money to do it,na they are going to an incredible experience with the covid and that the only thing that is helping them is the meals that we're sending them. So I would love to see what we can do to p protect our seniors because if worst part might be ahead of us. >> ma'am dam chair. >> I'm going to recognize my colleagues and then I'll come to you, Mr. Marquez. I have regalato, I have soto first. I'm sorry. Regalato, diaz, garcia, and gilbert. Go ahead. >> good morning. My dear colleagues. Well, very well said, Madame Chair. In addition to what you've been saying that I support wholeheartedly. We've been talking about this since the pandemic started. Way back in had -- I remember my memo to the mayor in March, at the end of March when was that? About a year ago right? >> time flies. In the midst of all of that, we have lost friends, relatives, this is incredibly tough on most of us. These are times that in one has seen before and I hope we never see again. We'll see what happens and I hope that I'm wrong and that God sends us in another direction before things get better I think they're going to get worse. I believe Madame Chair we just came out of a political time with a lot of campaigns. You could not get the radio on without listening to some jingle or some sort of message from one candidate or another. At all levels. I think that we need to engage in some sort of campaign like that. I mean, the county and the state, we have to get off from this thing of, well, we need to be tough and take off our masks and pretend that nothing is happening and lit go away. That kind of mental situation I think we need to get out of that very rapidly and I I think we need to convey that to everybody and I think I need to get into the peg that this is for real and we're going to lose a lot of people that we know and love at all levels because of all of this scene we better get into a heavy duty campaign of all sorts to try to prevent what is called the coronavirus or covid-19 or whatever you want to call it doing to us in the world. Not only here but in the world. I think we better engage into a heavy duty if we have to coit alone, we'll do it alone. I try to do my stuff in my district and you see more things. And I believe that we, ourself, and the county, and the state, we need to engage in this heavy duty thing. If we first of all if we don't get this thing the economy won't get any better. Period. The economy and you say the dow jones improving here and there and then the amounts of money we've been pouring out is a huge amount of money and people are spending it because they need it for food and things. But once this money drys out and once I don't know what we're going to do. So we better take control of these little bug that looks so pretty on television with the red colors and the little red things that is killing humanity in general. So it's not our thing. It's human kind. So I highly recommend from this little guy here that we engage into a heavy duty campaign locally and I would like to send a message to everybody that we need to be very responsible, especially, especially with the younger folks, teenagers up and that segment of the population that I see them out there everybody where, you -- everywhere, you know, being irresponsible and sometimes are, well, you know, it goes on. And the party continues and the drinking continues and this continues and the other thing continues. And, you know, the more these people spread -- they're vectors. And then of course those subject to -- with the low levels of immunity, some people were doing I know a guy now who is on round two of the covid and he's about 50 and round two of the covid is usually worse than round one. Because these are people that they don't take care and who get -- it is the guy is probably from teen analers up to 30s or 40s and so on and men and women. I'm saying guys but it's guys and gals. It's everybody in that range that they believe that they're immune. And, again, you know, if we want to be out of the economic situation that we're going to -- that we're facing and we want to be rather difficult in the future. We need to control this virus. >> and we need to send a message. Look at all who are here. We cannot remove our masks. Everybody in this chamber has to be with social distancing seated separated because we're setting the example and we're sending that message to the community. So that is something that is very important and I thank you senator for bringing that up because now with the christmas ahead of us it's going to get worse. >> commissioner regalato and then vice chair diaz and then commissioner gilbert. >> thank you. Thank you for having this meeting. I know at our last meeting we wanted to talk about certain things specifically about how the cares act money was rolled out and what happened with the different programming so we welcome that opportunity. Really quick before I get into that. I want to second what you were saying about the meals. And really explain to people what we're talking about when we talk about senior meals. we're talking about last time I checked with the documentation that ed provided us it was actually a surplusna that program so there's still money in that account and our question is how can we use it past the December 31st date. We're not talking about the drive up understood that you're seeing. We're talking about frozen meals being take on the seniors at their homes with masks and with care to make sure that they stay home. It's been very effective. It has prevented them from coming outside of their homes and becoming contaminated at different places. And it is really an important component of the cares act funding. Now, that being said, I think we should probably talk about it when we get to the item that has to cowith property taxes but my concern is what is happening with evictions and what we can do in terms of whatever funding is available that has not been applied to other programming if we can apply it to rental assistance. If we can raise the caps on that rental assistance and provide it for more people and I know that everyone here has a million things that we would like to help with. My concern on this point comes from my 18-months on the value adjustment board that commissioner diaz was forced to suffer with me and I just want to make a quick point on that. You know. When we talk about the media in the long term and commissioner soto mentioned our committee -- I want to commend the homeless trust and the great work that they've been doing to place folks and we can talk about that later too. But we're going to go off a cliff. It's very concerning. And then there's going to be the second part. First we're going to deal with the homeless issue and then the property value issue so I hope that we sincerely consider moving somewhere -- looking at the long term impact that this is going to have on our government structure. Thank you, ma dam chair. >> thank you. And that is very important. You have heard the other extension and now you hear about helping with paying rent. Right if the so those are two items that we will have to work together to make them happen because they will make sense. Commissioner regalato, I'm going to make a motion to defer item number five because they are working with the staff and -- to make it'd even better and it's going to come to the December 15th neating because it's fair to give everybody the opportunity to bring something better just for everybody's information after everybody has finished this part of the meeting then I'm going to be doing that. I want to recognize vice mayor diaz on this one. >> thank you, Madame Chair. And based on your discussion, senator soto and commissioner regalato, continue to -- very, very important. they served their time. Paid their taxes. They've done everything at this time to help them in making sure they stay good in the future. So I'm extremely supportive of anything that can be done with them and continue forward. Mr. Marquez, on the cfo, marquez, I apologize. With that, on the issue with the way this is paid out, it is my understanding from the talks that we've had in the time that we've been together that it is procured for the first until the 31st. Iblth everything that follows after that will fall within the county's provision as to all the other things like you stated in the last meeting. Or whatever it is to be filled or the cities they'llses, they acquire and we give money to them as needed. I just want to make sure that that's very clear because that could send the wrong message to a lot of people. Thank you. >> commissioner, May I address that a little bit? >> you want to hear from him now or -- >> yes. If he could just answer that. >> because of the conversation that we had at the last board meeting, we made sure that all of the programs that the county counties -- right now we're planning on accepting applications and approving applications until December 15th. The reason why we have that is because there's a standing resolution from the board that says December 15th is the date that we're going to send moneys to cover expenses of the county that we have incurred that we could get reimbursed for. And so that's the date that we're operating in so our marching orders right now is that county control programs we stop approving stuff on the -- and the business on December 15th. Process that -- those numbers and report back to the board of what can be reallocated to other county expenses to cover county expenses pursuant to the resolution on that matter. >> well, Mr. Cfo, I understand that, but I also understand we can understand that some maybe didn't get the message or they're away or on duty and are coming back in, in December now to spend time with their family and they get notice about this, for instance, maybe a smaller amount, very small amount, that it could go up to December 31st. That's all I'm saying. I know the bigger amounts and everything, I agree with you. We did say that we wanted to have but what we wanted to do by December 125th is allocate the moneys that were not being used for anything and move them to the proper needed area. So that's the way I saw it'd. I don't know about my colleagues but that's the reason I voted in favor of it to make sure that no money goes back if possible to the federal government. Madame Chair I want to make sure ina case that we go to December 31st. I mean December 30th. I apologize. But the attorney wants to say something. >> let's try to continue organize everybody wants to leave this building. So you can go and have lunch and everything since we cannot remove our masks here for anything. But, jerry, you need to guide us with something. >> if I May, I would like to work with commissioner diaz's office or commissioner diaz to draft an appropriate motion to accomplish that. Cfo marquez is correct that there is a board policy with the exception of the municipalcy and the daycares et cetera to stop accepting applications on the 15th so we can work with you before tend of this meeting. >> can we just do a nest motion saying that the military, the three different levels that we did could those three be viewed through the cfo and adjusted that we have until December 30th just like with the municipalities. >> if you would like to do that for all three -- let's make that motion now. >> thank you, ma dam chair. Just a couple of points. The entire board agrees with the septemberments with regard to seniors but we should be clear that it's going to end on the 31st. So we're not going to be able to pay for it with cares act dollars to my understanding. My question with regard to that and I have several questions but is there something that you can do right now that maybe we're paying for out of general fund with our dollars that we could pay for as care as act eligible that we could pay for with the cares act dollars and we can do that right now so that after December 31st, we could then actually pay for the meals? >> the exhibit that I'm showing, okay, will show you that you have incurred over $100 million worth of expenses for within our county operating budgets at the moment we're not covering with crf allocation. It's a deficit number in here. That's why this whole thing presents itself as a balancing column on this. Our senior program sending December 26th. Every 30 days they up that. At any point in time they can stop so if there's a condition an urging that we can make or talk to our legislators to ask fema to give us a longer time period so we have more. >> I'm going to make that motion at the proper moment. They're going to do the one for the military but we -- I want to bring everybody something so we can expedite the meet soing that's why we're going to get back to that very soon and we ask gary to start preparing the language for that. Go ahead. Have you the floor. >> and also in your statement previously you just said that this week that's going to be con county control programs. It's a suite just for county control programs or is it for all programs that's not relating to children and seniors and all the cares act dollars. >> nest an excellent question. And I've -- we've wrestled with that and I think we need to do a little more research. For instance, and the dade county federal credit union we treateded that as a grant. Money we moved x amount of money into their cofferers and they are modifying their loan terms issuing their loans out through a period of time. The resolution does say that child care, adult care, and cities right now are the three exceptions. I've viewed it as what's under our control right now. Money that we've given to the credit union under a certain contract and that's the part that I need to do a little bit of research on. A lot of what there getting reimbursed is payroll. We're also talking about an easier way to document police and fire payroll so that it can make their jobs of paperwork easier and that's built into this memo. We're work, the cities. Our anticipate is that they can -- our anticipation is that they can incur expenses until December 30th and we have a period of time afterward to document. >> okay. I think that's all I have. >>. >> okay. R thank you very much. I appreciate everyone keeping this in the forefront. Mr. Marquez, couple of commission meetings ago I had something brought forward lee land solomon and someone from jackson medical who is our primary medical facility brought it forward. There's a group doing the research -- they already partnered with umnfiu medical that's tied to jackson and we put in a request that said if money is left over because I understand the timeframes. I understand the guidelines from cares act. We've all been voting on it and within those constraints, we set it out to the cities and to others. And we're hearing that there's more requests for money and that the money we have and then specifically, I in the language presented and passed it was put forward that said if money is not spent within the criteria set so whether it's the deadline set by treasury or congress for the cares act bill my question is if we're still fluid and moving things around and I support I'm a cosponsor on helping the hospitality or helping another group if the money is not going to be used from the pot we put out there if we're finding the money is there and this is eligible why not be considered for medical treatment now. >> if I May, our response to the issue for that program -- >> it was up to 5 million. >> up to 5 million is because of the resolution that we had okay naming the 15 theas as the date that all money should be swept and discussions with the county attorney's office we determined that basically we don't have anything available until such time as the board takes further actions. So that is why we said what we said. >> I apologize but I'm absolutely beyond comprehending your statement. >> okay. If I don't know who you're pointing to. >> okay. >> Madame Chair, if appropriate I could address that. >> go ahead. >> thank you. So ed's memo this morning laid out the two guiding resolutions. One that commissioner martinez sponsored to say that anything left would be swept into uncovered county expenses and I don't recall -- I'm sorry. I'm not looking at it. Another one. So since that time, other people are bringing motions. I would say that they are in conflict with the item that commissioner martinez brought. It doesn't mean that in board cannot change its mind. There was a vote taken specifically for the uncovered items. Some of which would be assisting our seniors and it's in the memo that our cfo presented as well the importance of looking ahead to the feeding for seniors. Clearly there's many, many priorities that we have and I want to underscore that we're working very hard to get additional dollars from washington and we already have passed an urging to that effect with the heros act. >> Madame Mayor, excuse me. Wait. I got you but what I'm having trouble on is as you said at any time in board can change the mind or anything but I think we voted on certain things. What I have a problem on is I supported money going on the martinez resolution I think it was. My question -- my concern is to have a subject matter on medical treatment that already has a partnership here dismiss is because I was told there's no money available and now we're hearing other suggested movement of money if it's unspent how could that happen if a couple of weeks ago we've already been said oh, no, there's more money requests or, no, it's already been taken that anything unused will go into this pot. Well if that's the case then why isn't everything else shut down also? I'm the first one to say let's help these individuals. I don't know whether it's food or if it's seniors. But that also included the medical attention that they'll need. So I'm just concerned that that a couple of weeks ago it was shut down. >> the county attorney wants to address this but this is the vote of the board. I was there when it was passed. >> Madame Mayor, I appreciate -- [Cross talk] [Indiscernible audio]. >> I'm not talking about today's kent changes that is even open for discussion. Before a vote certain things were shut down to say we've already voted on a sweep that anything left be put into commissioner martinez and I north which one it was and that was fine but to hear that is where it's going that should be the end of it and now suddenly it's like well no if there's acomply money let's put it here here here and this is one more passed by the board. If there was money up to five million so that's where my concern is. If that predated this meeting or the meeting before last on covid. That's what I'm trying to get at. >> what I am trying to tell you, commissioner heyman is that as soon as we finish this part we have Mr. -- waiting to speak to us sona will be a moment that if you want to expand your question, that will be great. Okay. Commissioner garcia monastime -- >> I just know there's -- I had a question in reference to the testing. Maybe you can wait -- for the [Indiscernible audio] [Cross talk]. >> because that is the item -- it's not about the rack vaccine. It's about the testing when the major was talking about the coronavirus and what we're implementing and not doing the campaigns that we're doing. The problem is I had a question with regard to the rapid testing. I think testimony virus is being promull gaited more because we're getting too many false results on the rapid test so I would like to know when we can have a discussion about that. >> I think we can combine the person three can answer that. Thank you. Commissioner monastime and martinez. ` d d d $db d t "d@b t pb t | t d t d$d$d $d$d $d tb b t b t$d b t@$t $db@$d bb d@$d d@ db b@p t @ t tp@@ d b @@p@ b@ @ d @ b @b b @ b @b d b@ @ $d@ @ d@ "d@b b d d @ b@ d @ d @ b d@bbb b d@ d d@ $d$d@@ d @@ b@ @b $d d bb $d bb d $d@@bb bb $d@@ d @b d$db b db b d@b @ b@ $d d"d @ d @ d d b@ is there still room to, I know you are saying that something could be done about some of these programs, is that why you are raising your hand. We did an update from last meeting because the available column really doesn't change. Since the last meeting with we had shown $672,000 worth of disbursements to the drivers, we're now at almost $2.2 million dispersed. T d t t t t t d d I'm going to ask my office to reach out to the county attorney's office to see if we can amend some of these things. We need to divert these funds. Per an article back in May, american billionaires got $434 billion richer during the pandemic. Again I'm a small business owner. I don't have a problem with. That what concerns me is the inability of us to make sure that these referendums disturbersed to the people that have problem paying rents, managing small businesses and people that have lost everything because takes drivers and jetny drivers. I'm very concerned because what we couldn't do in the span of the last two months or three months, I'm not sure we're going to be able to do within the next couple of weeks or within the next week before the deadline of the 15th. It is extremely difficult to understand that. And that's exactly part of the reasons why we have so many people in food lines, so many people calling our offices and trying to get these things. I hope the mayor is still listening and I suspect she May have the authority to do something administratively to make sure some of the funds are being disbursed. In regards to the rental assistance, how does that work? Obviously calls from the cities. >> on those programs that fall under the $25 million covid programs, the municipalities are working with our consultants and they are doing multiple different ways of attacking this thing. Some of them are doing marketing efforts and directing their people towards our program because we've had it established. The other ways we're dealing with. This do I have a consultant on the line that can speak to this matter more about their interactions with the city and they can give you a better hand on how these new covid programs will r being implemented. >> that's fine for me. >> the constituents to the county for the rental assistance program. >> some of the cities are doing that. >> there are some in my district that have so much need that we should expand that. So I know we talk about reallocating funds and apparently this is one of the programs where we've been successful. Is that something that the administration currently considering or something you would like the board to. >> is that an item we have today? >> no, ma'am. If you want me to continue. >> change the rules of the $25 million program will take board action. The board set aside this $25 million for new covid programs to be administered by the city. They all applied for it and we even exunder thed out another million dollars program for the smallest cities. If you want these moneys to be used to help cities operational expenses beyond the 75 million, if that's the intent, that would take board action. I would be happy to work with you on what we can do. But it's just a matter of board policy. >> will you bring the item to the table spokane. >> yes. I want to work with you on. That do you mean that the course of experience by the county for people, for their employees only or does that include funds that are distributed to the people that actually need them? >> there are rules we must follow with federal money. When we send the memo -- when we issue when we issue checks, we have to ask for a w2 or w9 so that we know that all our disbursements are -- enter do the same rules apply to all the programs across the board? >> yes. >> let me say there thought process. There are programs we've been successful at by the way. I want to with that Madam Chair. For example emergency rental assistance program. All the programs are affecting the needs of less affluent individuals. People that don't make that much money. People that are laid off. People that have not been able to reach these individual. That's a concern. But I'll be happy to work with you on that to see how we can solve hopefully municipalities can help us out. >> in your memo, what does in progress insane. >> most of these are basically they have applications, they expect applications to come in as well as applications on hand. That money still not on the other side we're guessing. The available balance should be more this board is going have to raise taxes. If we keep taking it out, you are going to have to raise them more. Based on the projections we have about how much county covid county funded projects and issues that right now we don't have the money for. >> when we first started working on the resolution when we were working with you, we had spent just under -- we had spent just under $100 million. Now we are projected to spend $100 million more than what has been left for county operations. County operations is the employees that are doing the enforcement that are enforcing the emergency orders. It's the ppe that's been purchased and given out to peopleful it's all the things the county was doing to support mitigate gating the spread of the disease. We said we're not going have enough money to cover that expense if all the money goes the these other programs. What you see on the exhibit one to the memo is if you look at the bottom line, phone all of the programs you see there that have available balances f all of those available balances are not spent add are allowed to accrue to cover as much county cost as possible, there is still $36 million worth of estimated expense that will have to be covered by either reserved. Reducing expenditures in county budget, which will likely mean reducing services or generating additional rev no. It's all general fund. It's specifically large think unincorporated ar because it's the activities of the police department. That $36 million will have to be covered by the budget essentially. For those who have been listening. $36 million we're going to be short? >> yes. >> areas that will be hit will be police services. >> yes. >> we raise taxes to cover it or defund police. >> I did not say that. >> I know that. But what who will be impacted? >> there are -- you could go to reserves. >> you could go to reserves. You could reduce expenditures elsewhere. But at this point that 36 million will have to be covered. >> or we could do like the resolution said and instead of continuing to take money outlet it go for the county services. These are services we already provide to our residents. We already provide it. We're just trying to catch up and pay it. I strongly urge my colleagues to pay attention. They all sound good. Everything we're trying to allocate money to is a good cause. I think also maintaining the services that we have provided and at least maintaining this. We haven't raised the millage rate in 14 years. 11 at least. >> 2011. >> that we haven't. And there is not a need right now. But the need will be coming very soon. We will have to do one thing or another. And I know a lot of people here work in municipalities. This is a $9 billion budget. It's a big beach it's a different beach it's adifferent animal. I urge you to stop sweeping money out. Whatever is not spent give it hard data December 15 and let it come to the county services we provide county wide including municipalities and everything else. if not we're going to not be happy in September at all. Is. >> I apologize to you. If someone removes a mask a closed environment I have to leave. I can't be in a closed environment without a mask. >> before we continue, jennifer. >> I want to be clear to what commissioner martinez was saying. This affects all of us. I really want to get a complete understanding. What I mentioned in the military, it's a small amount. In case people right come back and use that money. And the rest of that money goes back into the qualifiers. We're talk somewhere around 12, $13 million. If that's case. I want to be real clear. Because I don't want the wrong message to go out and the message about raising taxes. I agree with commissioner martinez, we've been a commission that's always tried to maintain without raising taxes and doing what we need to do. I know everybody here does the same thing and will look at at this time same way. I want to make sure we're clear on what was said. Because that throws a different wrench in the system. Could you make sure why it would throw us off into a negative or deficit with the money that has already been bracketed and allocated for use? >> sure. I would direct everybody to exhibit one because that's summary that shows that the and if you look at the very bottom line, we got $474 million. And we allocated it out to the various things and the resolution numbers are all on the left-hand column. But we the combination of what we have spent and when is still in progress to spend is $36.5 million more than we were given. Because we continued to provide the services that needed to be provided. You are right, specific to the veterans program resolution 76420 there was a $10 million allocation. 470,000 has been spent. There is 465,000 in progress. We assume that a little over $9 million will come back to the county to cover county expense. But even with that we still will have that gap that will have to be covered. These are things that nobody vowel chose on the stop doing. We would never have said to the police stop enforcing the things ha we need enforce related to the emergenciers. Just like we don't want to end senior meals. This wasn't a haphazard keep spending. These are the things we were doing that were helping keep the community safe. At this point ever, table energy should be placed on trying to get the federal government to extend more money to the local governments and extend deadline. We can't stop doing these service. People need it. >> I appreciate that. That were chances of that taking place now that they are renegotiating and saying they are going to come out with more money for the governments, x billion dollars. Have you been in conversation with them or somebody in the mayor's office or if snare. >> I've personally not been in conversation with the federal government. I'll defer to the mayor to the exthant she has. >> yes. If I May. I have been in touch with members of our congressional delegation, the ones that are there now because they are ones voting now. There is movement towards some additional funding being passed in this congress. It's not there until it's there. Also an extension until February. We understand speaker pelosi supporting that and hopefully a larger package will be negotiated once the new congress is in place. I've spoke on the senator rubio who was optimistic. I would urge ollav who have relations with our senators to speak to them about the urgency. >> thank you. >> I have >> thank you very much. First, I want to show my appreciation to commissioners because both of them brought up two points about this summary of crf allocations that we're making that I think have been unclear. The first was that the in progress dollars are dollars that have not been spent and they are estimated to be spent but that does not mean they will be spent. Therefore the available balance could be larger, much larger in many sections or categories. The other point that was brought up that I want to reiterate is the dollars that were allocated for emergency rental assistance. If you look at the program amount which was $5.5 million. You look at what was spent 5.5 million dollars that shows there is great need our community. When you look at the residential landlord financial aston $10 million was allocated there. But only 533,000 have been spent. 1 million in progress which means it could not be spent or could and there is $8.5 million that is available to be spent. And so I want to make the very clear. I know this discussion is let's talk about it. Let's see what we can do. Maybe in the future we can make it happen. I like the snare commissioner higgins came with at our last meeting with she made a motion through her memorandum to spend dollars or allocate dollars to another section to be spent. Because those groups were ready to spend these dollars. I think we will find ourselves in the same situation if we were allocating dollars like these. African-americans for landlord assistance and move it to rental aston. In the city of miami when I was there. Before the cares act dollars were released, we created a found spend money on rental relief. Eventually folded that back into the miami dame dade county to be reimbursed for. That money was gone just as quickly. And so there was a statement made on the record about cities then referring their rental relief programs to the emergency relief program we have in the county. It's true the city did that. Poor reason they did that was because cities were told, you can see in the title of moneys under municipalities, it says under line number 19 new covid 19 programs municipal. That means if there were programs already existing in miami dade county the cities were not allowed to create programs that would replicate it. Instead they are encouraged to send those people to the county which is what the city did. I'll give you another example. In the cities we refer all of the meal programs to the one that the county runs because it's already doing it and that makes sense. What I'm saying is I don't want anyone undermine the importance of having additional dollars into that rental relief section. And so in that spirit before we close I know that you run a tight shipful I know there are a lot of people this tried a to the make a motion and you asked them wait until the end. I want to ensure this there is no discussion necessarily -- I want to make it clear that I will be making a motion the do some of these things I've been describing on the record just now. Additionally one thing want to say is that the municipalities have the $75 million of fema cost shared. So there was a $75 million pot made available to the cities that is reimbursable for fema cost. And then the next line the 25 million made available for covid 19 programs. The $25 million that is available much easier to spend than the $75 million. Now the reason the rental aston program has expended all their funds the same sort of reason that the line 22, art support grant program that are part of the motion has spent all their funds. It's going directly to people and organizations that need it. We know there is a tremendous need in these section. The $75 million program that was put aside was a nice gesture for the county to make. But that $58 million that is left there is at risk of being swept back into the pot. Why? Because it's more difficult to spend that money that way rather than allowing the cities to assist the people that need the assistance. The news media has covered most recently the $250 or so gift cards that were going out to publix. Many of you know $250 to a lot of people that's a lot of money for groceries. Many of you with families it's not a lot of money. I know some of our husbands or wives go and spend $250 forewing. i say that to you to say and it will be part of my motion, I want to you think about it while we're deliberating on other issues is to allow the municipalities greater flex until the spending the $75 million allocation that they already have. What that means to give them greater flexibility so they can create programs, they can take for instance -- you can take had money and buy gift cards or any other type of cash equivalent gift cards so people can spend money on the services and programming and the needs they need it for. I think if we allow the city that greater flex until the spending that money, what you'll find is you'll have the money go from in progress to spent. That's what we're all look for. In from in progress to available to spent. >> one inc., for as long as we say the federal funds doesn't cover that amount of money, they are responsible in their budget. >> I'm glad you said that. You reminded me of something. Firstly notion that's been created that cities are not trying to imply with federal guidelines. That's a fallacy. The cities want to abide by all guidelines that are being presented to it. What is happening is that there are more hoops it appears that have been put before the municipalities than other organizations. I have a question for you. The first question is I see there are consultants for the cities for the new covid relief programs that are available to the city to speak the, narcotic. >> yes, sir. >> how many consultants do you have available for the cities to relay questions to? >> we the haggerty group which has a number of people working -- enter I can't hear you. >> the haggerty group who I can call for these type of questions. Serving as assistance to the cities on fema and cares act programs. >> thank you. For the miami dade arts support program, the grant program, are there any consultants in the same man they're you manner that you have working with that program? >> spring and our administration help set up the criteria for ha program. Michael spring who is quite good in dealing with not for profits and over the years has connected and was able to stand up that program fairly ready. >> so michael springs basically the administrator of that program? >> he is the administrator of that program. >> now for the city, when they want to spend the $75 million that is allocated, do they go through haggerty group? >> the $75 million program, for all the programs that we have, we have interlocal agreements with the cities. The cities must have a reimbursable program. We need to collect the backup to justify the use of federal money, so that we have that documentation available for when we get audited. >> which would be the same thing as you were in an organization that's a nonprofit and you need to apply for some of the funding if you were a municipality, you'd apply with the backup that shows your expenses meet the cares relief act and you'd approximate ginn a grant like those organizations were or you are reimbursed which is a more difficult process. Anyone who runs a nonprofit or any business knows reimburse system more difficult. In this case it would bay matching program $75 million grant. Nonetheless my point to you is that you can see that even for the municipalities, they are dealing with the haggerty gruesome-t and so the haggerty group k are your consultants you lean on greatly. And they are helping to administer this program. Where as Mr. Springs as you expressed on the record and I've had the pleasure of working with in the past is wonderful at administering the program he's in control of. This the s the thing. What I want to ensure is that we have some action here today. Hopefully my commissioners who are with me grue that. Second to make very clear that the municipalities want to follow every letter of the law. With that what they need is greater flexibility in the programming we have created for them. In a sense we created a cage when we should give them greater opportunity have more free range within the law on how they spend isth dollars to help the residents this community. I believe that the municipalities can help us spend the money we intend to spend without sending it back to the government and not have to worry about whether or not we have an extension of time. >> thank you. I just wanted to clarify a few issues. Particularly to the rental assistance. I'm glad that the commissioner mentioned it. I think it's important to note that in this memorandum on the last page, it says that the mayor by executive odor has limited the rental unit ownership so that the owners are groups of larger complexes that participate in the financial assistance program. That's what I was talking about earlier. In terms of people have not been able to apply because of the cap that was created by this organization. When you look at the breakdown consider that because now we have a change. And landlords are going to be able to apply for those funds. That being said n response to some of the observations made, I appreciate them. However they are somewhat simplistic. When we look at our budget, the real city it's not just about millage and raising taxes. The millage is levied on property values. Of everything here, the one thing that impacts property values directory anti-arelans. Like I said at the beginning and if we're going to ask people to pay attention, pay attention to this, commercial landlords, part of their evaluation of the properties that we then levy against is basend to revenueta they received. They are havina decrease in revenue. They will bring those documents in the next few months and they will reduce their property values. Our budget is no longer just about the millage. If we're going to get honest about the millage and I say et as a person that represents cities and incorporated miami dade. The millage has not remained the same in unincorporated miami dade. We have a proliferation of taxing districts. When you add that to the millage you see an increase. Let's get honest. And let's be clear about the decisions that we're making. We're you talking about withdrawing down what is left. I'm asking to you consider the importance that the rental aston program has. Now the mayor has lifted the cap so more people can apply. This is going the come back to haunt us in a few years when we look at the barrel on a reduction many commercial property value. We will see a reduction in commercial property for retail. By providing more rental assistance, we can at least take a little chunk out of the reduction ha we could see in residential properties that are rented commercially. we also do double duty because we're keeping people off the streets. We're going to go off an eviction cliff folks. People are going to be homeless because they don't have the ability to pay their rent. It's a double crisis. This is the only understand can hope those two things. They can keep people in their homes and help protect property values. I don't mean to be stoic, I think we need have a good look at these funds and how we're using them and ensure we're using them in the best possible way. That being said as to what commissioner gilbert said, if we're going to make changes to this, we have to do it before the 15th. I appreciate what you are saying. I hope when you look at the landlord fund, you know mayor just changed those rules. I would love to mare from the mayor as to how those rules changed and if it's going to be, what are we talking about in terms of the cap. We're going to get the message out on social media. When you go through list, notice also the one area we've gone over budget on also is outreach in terms of educating people on what is going on. It's ironic sometimes. Please consider this. It's such an important component. It's going to come back to us. The property apraise sr. Going to talk on an item later on. If you don't believe me, you can ask him what his concerns are in terms of reduction property values. >> I can't agree with you more. The biggest problem we have is people this won't be able to pay their rent and they will become homeless. We view a situation that hopefully everybody is going the come down and we'll go step by step through those things that are a priority for the whole country. >> just a couple of things. You said that everybody who we make a payment to we require a w9 for. >> our goal is to when we make direct payments to individuals through our programs, we attempt get the w9 forms. There are police station the united way handle the paperwork on their end. >> are there federal regulations about when we have to have in place to make payments to people and if so, what are the federal regulations? If there are federal regulations, then I would prefer us stick to the federal regulations and make-t not more difficult. If the federal government doesn't require w9, then we ought not require the w9. What I don't want to do is create a level of difficulty at the county travel stops us from actually getting money into if hands of folks. Poor frustration you might be hearing. We come from cities. It is pretty do I have spend the money with the county. It seems to us that it was made easier with not for profits. i don't know if that's reality. But that's the way it seemed. You whatever the federal government requires action then requirement. That's one point. The other is with regard to rental assistance, it's interesting that we're saying to people stay in their house. We tell people wear mask. We skip over the part stay many your house. If you have to leave the house avoid large crowd. Serve in a crowd and leaving their house and the mask aren't helping as much as they recollected. We're saying stay in your house. But we're facing a situation where people May be getting evicted. If we're saying anyway your house, we should help people stay in their houses. I'm sitting here listening to the comments and the only thing keeps ringing back is that bible verse romans 15:12th strong shall bear the infirmities of the weak. You are hungry and I fed you. You were homeless, I gave you some place to stay. It's difficult to comprehend we would ever actively debate whether we were going to help people stay in their homes or eat during a pandemic. It's very difficult for know understand that. That's more for us in our dialogue. That's what we're talking about here. We're using fancy program names. What we're saying people who need to be in their house and people don't have food. people need to stay many their houses. Our seniors come out of their houses and it's sentencing them to danger. That's what we're talking about. We're talking about organizations that are helping people directly who actually need help. To my understanding that is what these dollars were meant to do. So I know that I don't want to raise taxes because I pay taxes too. I don't want to raise taxes. But I will tell you our rainy day fund, it's raining. The option isn't raise taxes or pay for this or sweep all the money. It's not going to be that simple simple. We have the benefit if we help people stay in their houses and we stabilize revenues coming in, maybe we can stabilize the drop we're anticipating in our property values. Helping people might help our bottom line in the long run. We ought to be very dutitiful and careful when we discuss these items. Right now we're the strong and we're bearing the infirmities of the waning. Be cautioned at all times, you can be strong and they can be weak, you can be weak and they can be strong and we help each. >> I want to clarify something. We don't want to create confusion out there. >> you are exactly right on the fund. It's not a rainy day fund. It's flood fund at our point right now. We're blessed that the federal government has given the kind of money it has. If not we'd be looking at several hundred offense millions of dollars. And you are right. Within that, I wanted to real clear because I sat with jennifer a moment or stood with jennifer a moment and was looking at the numbers. The numbers are not the numbers because of the moneys given for the different types of situations. The numbers are because the amount of money that as a county we had to put this there and help our people with. That's it. If we're over by $30 trillion it's because of the help we've given the citizens with their money. This is tax money theofed get the services. I want to to be clear. I don't want to create havoc we're going to raise taxes. You spoke well about that. I understand what commissioner hardman is saying. We don't need these if the federal government is not asking for them. We don't need to hold them down f. We can get by to get had money out the people we will. Let's be frank. As we're organizing now to give more money and we're taking what is left of the moneys many weren't distributed, we don't want to go over any amounts because then we're not doing our jobs up here. Because then we've been forewarned. And the way I look at it, if we need have clarity and maybe get these nukes to the numbers to the point we know what we're dealing and then have a final meeting, I would prefer that than having things happen right now without having all the information in front of us. I would ask my colleagues and ask the Chairwoman, I think this is not fully baked yet. We need to get the information. One thing we're getting moneys from something not going the use it and putting it into the pot. And I'm trying to get money that is not going to be used for this part and put it back in the pot. If we use the money for something else then we could see ourselves coming one some funding money. We don't know what next year is going to look like. We don't want to get into that position. Once again, it is taxpayers money and it was given to the tax payers to help them. I'm not going to sit here and try to figure out this raising of taxes. Because we really don't know what next year is going to be. I don't think it's going to be as pretty as years prior. I think etc. Going to be a lot worse. I ask my colleagues, it might be better to pull it back a little bit. Get the right figures yours and do what needs to be none every aspect. I'm pulling back with my trig tore give administration a chance to go through these numbers with jennifer, also representing this commission and making sure that we get exact numbers to make this decision. I don't feel comfortable making a decision that is going to cost us and the taxpayers more money. If the money is going to go, let it go to the one that is going the create the less headache for this commission and the most attribute of help to the people. Thank you. >> I will make a motion the defer item 5 and come back on December 15 meeting. >> thank you. >> second. >> I have a motion and second. All in favor? Any opposed? Let the record show none. On special item number 3. >> you are moving item 3 right now. >> it was moved. Seconded. Question, discussion, anyone wishes to be record no? Without objection item number 3 is approved. Now let's go to item number 4. Moved. >> I'd like to move that. >> and second. >> this is exactly as commissioner hardman explained. We have -- these organizations are fully ready to receive this money to help our residents. They are faithed based organizations and it's exactly what we want to do when we have a partner that has s