Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners Agenda

bow your heads. Got on this day we've never seen before and will never see again give us your blessing. Make as good stewards of your resources for your people. Allow us wisdom to find the right decisions t make. Unite us as a community, bring us together understanding we might not always agree but that does not mean we have to be disagreeable. Help us to do good at all times. Amen. 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: good morning. What I was saying before we went into the prayer and pledge of allegiance is... Thank you. This is, I understand there are a lot of big issues on this agenda. There are some rules of the chamber that will be adhered to at all times. First, you will not speak out from the audience. If you speak out from the audience it is likely I will have you removed from the building. We are going to pay attention to you when you speak and be courteous, you're going to pay attention to us when we speak and be courteous. That's a non-negotiable. If you're standing in the back and you are not a member , a sworn law enforcement officer, first responder you cannot stand in the back. You have to be seated. Find a seat. Now, I'm not telling you all the fire chief is back here and he's going to walk up in here and say we are over code and I have to put you all out but that will happen so I need everybody to find a seat. That's what we need. If you agree with something somebody says and if you like clapping, don't clap, do this and smile so that we know you agree with them. If you think they are complete full of mess and you want to say boo, don't boo. Do the same thing but then frown. We can see your face. We understand you disagree with them. You can do that but don't use another finger. Just that finger. The other finger is going to be a problem. So this is how we're going to run , streamlined type meeting and deal with these issues as sufficiently as possible. We have preliminary business we have to get into as a commission before we go into the reasonable opportunity to be heard. Reasonable opportunity to be heard when I call your name, come up. I'm going to give you one minute and you're going to give me your name, address and tell me what you think. It would be helpful if you didn't repeat things others are saying, that would be very helpful but you have a minute and understand that minute goes fast so I would take advantage of it. Additionally, dn't address members directly, just address the dais. And that's it, we've got it. Mdm. Attorney, we are going into a shared session initially. At 9:45, right? So do I read that now and we start at 9:45? >>county attorney: you could read it at 9:45 if you want to. >>chair: let me explain what we're doing. There's pending litigation we need to talk about and the law allows us to do that and something called shade session. I don't anticipate this will take very long but we're going to do that. After we do that we're going to come back and go directly into reasonable opportunity to be heard. I'm assuming there is a list of names that have been generated, how many people are on the list? 95 people. Okay. So while I have 2 minutes before we go into the shade meeting a lot of you all are going to say the same thing. Let me say that. Don't feel compelled to do that. If you want to say I agree with what they said before, that's fine and for the record I watched a committee meeting where there was a lot of testimony and presentations from groups. I've watched the committee meeting and thank you commissioner regalado for having a very thorough committee meeting and allowing everyone to voice their opinions and put a lot of information on the record so what I was saying, if someone has already said what you're going to say don't feel the need to use all the minutes just because you have a minute because you ultimately want us to get through the conversation and move into the item as a dais. This is also a good time to tell you all to turn off your phones. Now, okay. This is going to be a silly question but let's do it a different way. Who doesn't have a cell phone, raise your hand. Okay, so that one guy who raised his hand he's the only one who should not check his cell phone ringer right now. Everybody else look at your ringer and make sure your phone is off. Now, we asked you to do this because we don't want your phone going off during the proceedings. So if you have a phone, check and make sure it's off. Appreciate that. Now it's 9:45 so I'm going to read the statement for the shade meeting . I'm announcing the commencement of a closed attorney client session regarding the rtc litigation between the county and city of miami. Estimated length of the session is 15 minutes. The following persons will be in attendance, myself, CHAIRMAN Oliver gilbert, vice CHAIRMAN Anthony rodriguez, commissioners bastien, bermuda, garcia, higgins, gallardo and steinberg . County mayor daniela levine cava, sanchez, Mccarthy, morris , and valdes. We are now in recess. For the shade session. Commissioners, if you could join us in the conference room. . [Music] >>. [Music] >>chair: met an attorney, should we go right into reasonable opportunity to be heard. >>county attorney: yes sir . >>chair: when I call your name, please approach the podium, give me your name, your address, you have one minute. You have one minute. I'm going to call first 12 names. [Reading names] Come on up. >> mayor, welcome. >> good morning. I'm here with nearly 400 residents from miramar representing our hundred 50,000 fellow neighbors . Thanks to the many of you eating with myself and my team to discuss why this recommendation is simply flawed . You are here today from our residents who will share their outrage fears and great concerns of the prospects of building what will be america's largest incinerator in our backyard, 4010 per day toxic operation nightmare that will pose a threat to our lives al of south florida's clean water supply in the everglades. Your decision will be one of the most consequential decision this board will make the question is will you make the right one. Will you make the decision to ignore every major environmental organization opposes airport west or will you make the decision to rubberstamp incineration before truly exploring all reasonable options for managing waste in a truly responsible manner, make the decision to put incinerator in your neighbor's backyard that will threaten our lives property values in children especially when our city to this day has never been included. Will you make the right decision and will your legacy be oe that will allow progress and safety for all? >>chair: thank you mayor. Mayor, your microphone is actually turned off now because your time is up, thank you. Representative. >>speaker: I am state representative robin bartel and when I ran I promise to be a fair environmental steward. In our opening prayer we ask GOD to help us protect natural resources. I pray that's what you will do today. I am shocked you are considering placing an incinerator next to the everglades. We spent millions to restore the everglades and it is this decision is counterintuitive. Westside is adjacent to the basin part of the everglades broward water preserve area and it also falls within the footprint of the biscayne bay and southeastern everglades restoration project. This jeopardizes the primary objectives of these everglades restoration projects that are actually fully fnded and I promise you that if you make this decision today I will be taking this fight to tallahassee and this will be stopped. You can't claim to care about the everglades and make this decision. I'm asking you to reevaluate the mayor's proposal and do the right thing today. >>chair: thank you. happy that happened because it gave me a chance to remind the people on this site who were clapping to just do like this. Thank you. >> walter butler, 18901 sw. 63rd st., southwest branches southwest broward. I'm opposed to both the west location and okeechobee location, both these facilities will negatively impact the everglades and residents of southwest broward . Most significantly miramar area ultimately we don't need this type of staff spewing chemicals into our air. If it's decided by miami-dade that they have to have this incinerator and it needs to be in the middle of dade county or back in doral where it's permitted to be so and prove to the world what we are being spewed that this new incinerator is not going to pollute. Thank you. >>. >>chair: thank you. 222 southwest 187 terrace, miramar and I am here to oppose the incinerator and being built at opa locka west airport or opa locka location both within a mile from my house. I choose to move to miramar because the everglades is located directly behind my house and I know that it would be surrounded by wildlife which would be protected forever. So you can imagine how I felt when I heard you are considering to build an incinerator next to the everglades. The everglades is home to dozens of federally threatened and endangered species. Furthermore if you put the incinerator at the opa locka west airport I fear the threat it will pose to the health conditions for over a quarter million people who moved there before an incinerator was designed in our backyard. I have serious allergies and can smell fires burning in south miami, do you know how it feels when your eyes tighten that you can barely breathe. Incinerators are far worse than a fire, they are permanent. >>chair: thank you. >>speaker: samuel f robinson, 3935 southwest 148 avenue area that I had go what everyone said before my request is that we delayed the decision so more positive alternatives can be considered. As it's currently being researched. >>chair: thank you. My fellow americans, america is the definition of... >>chair: my fellow american give me your name and address. >>speaker: my name is aj, I'm from southwest 168 avenue. Miramar is a testament to the american dream. My dad always reminds me of a funny story. Miramar parkway used to be just a dirt road surrounded by farms and leadership like the mayor and his team have turned miramar from a small backwater into one of the best zip codes in the united states particularly for african-americans and people of color. I'm grateful for the opportunity to voice my opinion here and support the mayor's advocacy for protecting our water, our air and the fact it is this is america where we are focused on solutions. Let's work on a tangible solution that limits the impact on people, property and plant life. Thank you commissioner and thank you for the opportunity. >>chair: thank you. >>speaker: hello MR. Chair and city commissioners. My name is alberto selby, 1318 southwest 1 72nd ter. >>speaker: hello MR. Chair and city commissioners. My name is alberto selby, 1318 southwest 1 72nd ter., pembroke pines florida and I'm here to oppose the incinerator along with city leadership, state leadership, miramar has a model that says beauty and progress, it doesn't say beauty and in incinerator area I live next to sunset lakes senior center where there's a lot of folks that are elderly along with disabled folks and children's schools. We don't want the ash, we don't want the toxic dioxins and all the fumes that had would be coming from these incinerators affecting the most vulnerable part of the population in miramar and the surrounding communities. You've got people with living with copd and other critical illnesses with myself there with a disability rte we don't want this incinerator in our backyard. We strongly oppose it and to strongly oppose it as cities in the surrounding area so please keep the incinerator, put it back in miami where it belongs. >> good morning, judy jar 3120 southwest 187 terrace in sunset lakes in miramar. I question the criteria that have been used for this opa locka recommendation. Let's take a look at cost and time. The opa locka facility would cost over $100 million more than doral and take two years longer and that's not including all the cost. That's not including the cost of transporting waste for those extra two years. It's not including the cost of the transfers facility that have to be built. If not including all the lawsuits, cost and time of those expensive lawsuits. These were promises made to the people of doral who chose to live you're an incinerator. They built near the incinerator class is outside of the udp. Now let's stop this. Let's instead take the extra time and money that you guys are so ready to spend on opa locka and use it instead to collaborate with broward county on a joint and a better solution. >> nichols vermont 3120 southwest 187 terrace. Yesterday I went to a location near the airport and the nicholas children's hospital office. I saw many homes and businesses in the area. I spoke with a gentleman who lives in the vicinity and he said to me he can smell when money is being burned and bodies are being burned because corpses are incinerated near his home. I left new jersey in 2010 with my kids and in new jersey you have to tie newspapers up. You have to separate metals, glass, everything is separated. If new jersey can do it then we can too. Let's look for an alternative solution to using an incinerator. Thank you. >> 387 southwest 187 terrace. We all need clean air and water. Let's work together and asked our state and federal legislators to make legislation to protect the everglades. As you all know air and water don't have borders. And travel through everglades. Having an incinerator close to us affects the environment. It's for our family , we live in pembroke pines and enjoy the american bald eagles in our backyard palm trees. Thank you and GOD bless. >>chair: go ahead. >>speaker: I live in 3160 southwest miramar in sunset lakes. But I have one message tonight. We had this decision with a prayer that it speaks highly of the commissioners and our hopes. I have this thought. Do we want to invest many millions of dollars, many years in litigation, tough litigation on uncertainty and fears? No we don't. Why not invest wisely? And humanly in teamwork with an effort looking for sustainable and sound solutions? Let's get a better morning instead of attorneys giving an expert team of scientists, architects, engineers, environmental research and the determination of best business practices. At the end of this there will be one loser and we better invest time in our families. >>speaker: 2133 northwest 208 terrace . >>chair: what's your name? >>speaker: lose . >>chair: the only name I called is carson edwards. >> carson edwards 119961 sw. 69th court. I stand before you to express my deep concern and opposition to the proposed incinerator project in miramar . This project proposes a significant threat to our health , environment and quality of life and I urge you to reject it. Instead of incineration we should focus on sustainable waste management solutions such as recycling, composting and waste reduction programs. These approaches create jobs, conserve resources and protect our environment. I urge you to prioritize our community's well-being and reject the proposed incinerator project. Let us work together to create a healthy more sustainable future for miramar and south florida. >>. >>chair: I'm ging to call the next page of names. When you hear your name form two lines by the podium, come forward, give me your name and address and you will have a minute. Marvin todd, derek hughes, allison adams, [Reading names] Commissioner, go ahead . >> good morning. i stand here before you as an advocate for the city of miramar on environment and community health. >> name and address please. >> yvette colburn city of miramar 2300 civic center place >> yvette colburn city of miramar 2300 civic center place I stand here before you as an advocate for the city of miramar, our environment and community health. As we all should be. A proposed incinerator isn't just a local issue. It's also an environmental threat. It requires greater consideration for all people. This facility burning 4000 tons of waste daily releasing toxic admission into the air cannot be good for our kids or your kids. This is an opportunity for innovation not incineration. Clean air not toxic flares. I urge you not to accept the recommendation made to build a waste energy plant so close to our homes. Please hear the cries of our rsidents. West be honest, they are your neighbors, your employees, your friends and family. >> brett albee 17758 sw. 36th st. When I learned of the prospect of a new center being built so close to my house I felt compelled to come down here and speak. Both my wife and daughter have respiratory issues and am concerned about what an incinerator would man for their health as well as the health of the members of my community. The pollutants are part of particulate matter, asset gases and oides of nitrogen and sulfur. There is no such thing as clean incinerator. The process of waste incineration poses a significant threat to the public health and the environment. I understand you have a problem with trash to address but this is not the right solution. I am for you to explore alternative solutions. Other cities have done it and I'm confident miami-dade county can do so as well. >> derek hughes's 16418 southwest >> derek hughes's 16418 sw. 15th st., thank you for your audience. My concerns are for my community and your community for our health and safety in the air and water quality. Your neighbors from the broward side of the county line have come to remind you the county, the environment and the county doesn't necessarily stop at the county line. Solutions have to consider the impacts on everybody. We're not just strangers on the other side of an arbitrary border but we are friends, neighbors, family members. Every time I have a family gathering half the attendees are from dade county. When we attend and send our kids to school it's on both sides of the county. When we go to work I've worked on both sides of the county, so does my wife in cutler ridge though it's a shared community in south florida and we have considerations and determinations of what we hope to consider. >>chair: thank you. Sw. 194th ter. In miramar. Good morning members of the commission, I'm here today to the proposed site for the trash incinerator that's supposed to be built basically in our back yard of a residential neighborhood in miramar. While waste management is a important issue putting an incinerator in our residential neighborhood or close to our residential neighborhood would pose threats to our environment , to our health and the trash releases harmful pollution into the air and dioxins and havy metals and other properties that affect the very air that we actually brief. Studies have been shown that the exposure can cause cancer as well as cardiovascular issues. >>chair: thank you . >>speaker: france while le monde , I'm the director of the department, city of miramar obtains 88% of the drinking water for the biscayne aquifer. >>chair: what's your address western art. >> city of miramar obtains 80% of the drinking water for the biscayne auifer, the canal is one of the primary sources of groundwater through the biscayne aquifer. And western well fields. This is immediately north of that opa locka west location therefore that disqualifies the site as a site for any incinerator. As part of the comprehensive everglades restoration plan the us army corps of engineers is sending $10.5 billion to consult impoundments to protect the canals. Therefore it is ironic that miami-dade county as a local government is spending this time to invest in an incinerator at this point. >>chair: thank you. Raul martinez senior, corporate parkway sunrise florida. I'm here today in my professional capacity has districts organizer for debbie wasserman schultz and I distributed a letter to place a toxic facility at the doorstep of miramar's family is nothing short of an environmental injustice will disproportionately impact of people of color and those of lower levels of income. The congresswoman urges another location with less of an impact on health and well-being of citizens. It's her firm belief the incinerator could not move forward at either opa locka west or okeechobee roadsides. This isn't just about one incinerator, it's about our future, our lifeblood is at risk. To push this project forward without environmental review is reckless. The congresswoman urges the board to revisit the site before making a decision, take the proper steps for environmental impact assessments prior to issuing any permits and she's confident you will share her conclusion these sites are unsuitable choices. >>. >>speaker: allison adams 7211 fairway blvd., miramar, fl. Thank you for having us here this morning. Climate, environment that we live in, I notice that morality seems to be falling but I pose to you this morning that it's a moral imperative not to place this incinerator in our backyard. We all know of all of the harm that it can do to us and if it is not so harmful to where it was previously I do not see the need for it to be moved within 0.8 miles of our borderlines that can impose harm to the wife and likelihood of our residents. Please, do not accept te recommendation of moving the incinerator to the west airport location. It's a moral imperative. >>speaker: 7531 miramar pkwy., miramar, fl 33023. I'm a buddhist chaplain, a person with disability and a person that lives with chronic illness and I represent a coalition of people with disabilities and chronic illness. This incinerator is a violation of the rights of people who live with diminished capacity for quality of life and by you imposing an incinerator in our backyard you are stripping us of clean air, clean water. Would you want this in your neighborhood? Would you want this for your children? Would you want this for your elderly? I think not. So take the time and use the money that actually exists in miami-dade to research and do a clean option, not in anybody's yard. >>chair: thank you . >>speaker: 2133 northwest 208 terrace pembroke pines florida. I'm here to ask you please not to vote for this location. In the west airport. Miramar, pembroke pines, this is an area with our residential character , it's a traditional residential and environmental area with the everglades right on our side . And for us it's very important to keep the city as it is and to keep the city safe with good air and good quality of water and quality of life. So please take in consideration the impact it's going to bring to our community, to the people and to the environment and it's the moment to look for a better solution. >>chair: thank you. Good morning. I am with catalyst miami and my family has lived in doral since 2003, 10063 >>chair: thank you. With catalyst miami and my family has lived in doral since 2003, 10063 ascension blvd., our history is marred by exploitation. The legacy of old smokey has resulted in hurricane and cancer that we see to this day and the doral site legacy will forever be the three-week fire that spewed toxin into the community. We've seen the consequences of ignoring community concerns. Last night's town hall there was a disconnect between facts and figures and experts and those expressed by the counties on. We need to build a shared understanding and develop trust within each other in order to involve community members and local organizations in this process. It's disheartening to see communities being pitted against each other and our focus moving forward should be on addressing these concerns transparently and safeguarding our collective health. Marvin todd, 15302 nw. 3rd st., pembroke pines. I lived in doral from 07 till 2010. While serving , left for two years and retired from the air force and became too pembroke pines. I was shocked to learn that miami-dade counties pepared to impose in broward county what you no longer want at your county. It strikes me as taxation without representation regarding our environment and lives. I urge you to reconsider options. To seek a new solution that desn't put broward county residents in a position of feeling belittled and discarded. As far as our concerns. >>chair: thank you for your service . >>speaker: I'm a proud resident of the town of southwest ranches in broward county florida area and it's nice to see some of the posters you see driving around and it's an election season so it's nice to be in front of a commission that you know is in front of a huge problem. Now, we're looking at voting on a technology that is honestly very very ancient for the times we are in. We built a huge city in the everglades. We are pioneers. I am from the 305, very proud to say that. I consider all you guys my neighbors, you know why? It's the same sky, it's the same area, the same ocean. Are you going to put the marketing materials for the shiny new material incinerator in the chamber of commerce for the millions of tourists? You want because it's not a positive. Let's get together with all the funding it will take to build this incinerator not in anyone's backyard. Let's be smarter. Thank you. >>chair: to the commissioners. >>speaker: I didn't say my address, it's 167th avenue in southwest ranches florida . >> to the commissioners, question just on some scheduling. We have a tpo meeting at 2 o'clock. Now, I'm optimistic, I think that we can get there. But if we're not going to get there it probably would be considerate of us to let the other tpo members know that we're not going to make it so the CHAIRMAN Can look to rescheduling the meeting later in the day. The tpo meeting shouldn't be that long. We have to pass the long-range plan. Yeah, so we MAY have to break, go and come back but let me reiterate , I want to be finished with this meeting before 2 o'clock. I want to be finished with this meeting before 2 o'clock. Okay. Franc spoke, got it. And did maria claudia schubert speak already? We are going to the next page so we are moving. Richard... [Reading names] If I said something that sounds like your name, come up to the line. I was talking about you. If I said something that sounded like it I've messed them all up. Come on down. Go ahead. >>. >>speaker: 5010 southwest 166 avenue southwest ranches. Communities should refrain from introducing new incinerators in any guys. Replace existing landfills and incinerators with zero waste policies and policies including epr, resource recovery, reuse recycling and compost facilities. It's important not to leave zero waste to zero waste experts. Many skills need to be to deploy and the movement toward sustainability. Everyone has a role to play. All organizations, grassroots movements, business and governmental that provide waste reduction take back the use recycling and composting services should be involved in order to achieve zero waste. Existing service providers should be asked to adopt zero waste as a goal and see the opportunities to replace waste and help reduce waste and help communities and businesses get to zero waste . >> good morning chair, mayors commissioners and staff, ken russell 3204 ohio st., coconut grove. I'm here as a registered lobbyist on behalf of sierra club who is not in favor of an incinerator in the everglades or anywhere. Miami-dade county is a leader on climate change issues. You set emissions goals, you can be of further leader on this and I know it's hard to make the decisions before you with the information you have so let me reiterate some information you do have this is the arcadia's report commissioned by miami-dade county where they say on page 9 at the time of this report there is no large-scale commercial success of carbon dioxide capture and sequestration at waste to energy through gas. There is no large scale commercial success of carbon dioxide capture and sequestration of waste to energy through gas. You have a good climate decision to make and that is not it. >> good morning commission and mayor. I live at 3482 I live at 3482 doral avenue and I'm a resident of coconut grove where old smokey still reminds us of the devastating consequences directly related to txic pollutants and emitted by all incinerators despite technological advancements including respiratory disease, cancer and environmental degradation. We should instead move forward with waste reduction strategy that emphasizes community education and participation investing in composting recycling and supporting local food systems which can create jobs and foster a healthy environment. This alternative approach is transformative in its inclusion of community members as we build a sustainable future collectively. >> good morning, 808 ne. 125th st. I am a current resident of miami-dade county and former resident of broward county in miramar. I'm going to keep it short and sweet, we love you but we do not love your proposed recommendation. This was built in 1985 and in FEBRUARY the consistent fires throughout the month have been happening and it's been eliminated in doral and instead of choosing an alternative solution you guys are trying to propose a $1.5 billion deal to create another one in people's backyards and that's saying we don't have a choice. I get to choose what I put in my body, you guys are making this decision. I don't have a choice about the toxins I can put into my body and that's not fir. What I'm hearing being reiterated is it's a strong know for the incinerator you guys have the choice to help us with the choice. It's causing a lot of health issues so we're putting it in your hands to make the right choice for us. >>chair: thank you. >>speaker: good morning commissioners and mayor, stephen lightner, 1073 a harbor. I attended the townhall meeting and I'd like to offer my apologies. I challenged some assertions regarding the epa waste hierarchy. The new epa waste hierarchy findings have not left eliberations but what I heard last night was that this meeting was strictly about siding. How can that be when the commission has paid, has approved $65 million over a 10 year period to our tillis to engineer, to be consultants over the engineering and building of a new waste, I don't even want to call it waste to energy, it's not, it's an abomination. >>. Commissioners, mayor. I've worked for you a lot of years voting for you. But at this moment . >>chair: name and address. >>speaker: it's difficult for me because I am a resident of doral. Gina morales, doral, fl 33178. I work with florida rising and now I work with broward county. You can see in the community because we have to be together and work together. This is , the clean air is for everybody, every person. We need to stop incineration. We have to take better solutions but don't continue with this fighting. We can leave the garbage to the neighborhood. >>speaker: knoll cleveland's 5960 >>speaker: knoll cleveland's 5960 s. 50th st. And I am here as a member of sierra club to remind you there is no place on the planet we should be selling incinerators. As I call them waste of energy facilities so what we need to do is be thinking of outside of the box of what you have been using as the past model because the model of an incinerator is obsolete. There's plenty of other solutions available, plenty of cities that have come up with an alternative so we need to move forward and stop looking backwards. >>speaker: sebastian kissell, ne. 137th st., north miami three priests 161. I'm here as an original director for florida rising in miami and I'm here on behalf of our members. And I'm here to let the commission know our position as an organization with our members. We are against the commission picking a side because no community should have an incinerator just like doral or coconut grove with old smokey. None of our communities in south florida or in our state should be dealing with this issue. It will last over 40 years and you have heard many times residents of doral on the issues they've been going through. This is the time for the commission to make a real decision and look in 20 waste. Zero waste is a goal for miami-dade county and it's time for you all to make it. >>speaker: good morning. Thank you for having us. I'm catherine barnaby, 1713 southwest 103 place miami florida, 33165 area I'm speaking to all of you as a grandmother. This MAY be for all of us the most important decision in our life. Our lives are short. And this is so important, make your grandchildren proud of you that we look for the alternative solution. It's being done in california, new jersey and europe where we all have to do an effort to conserve , to preserve, to use recycling. To compost like in california to give you compost like we get a recycling bin. It's easy to do, you compost and the city picks it up. Do less trash. My neighbors put clothes in the trash. >>chair: thank you is my polite way of saying your time is up. >>speaker: lorenzo, city attorney for doral. I have our honorable mayor and council members and I'd ask if we can give a presentation towards the end of public comments. >>chair: you have 46 seconds left but you know you're not giving a presentation, we will call you up. See czar bar GOD, did you go? Caesar going once, caesar, you are gone. Let's go to the next list. All right. Jasmine thurston. This is going to be , toby? [Reading names] >>speaker: my name is jasmine thurston, I live at 250 southwest 10 3rd way, miramar, fl 331025 and I come before you to speak in opposition of the incinerator because it has disastrous potential effects on the environment as many speakers before me have laid out. I also raised the concerns of the economy, the local economy because this is not just our miami-dade issue area in the area of south florida is interconnected connected between miami-dade and palm beach county so this issue warrants consideration or all parties involved area we are interconnected as an economy and with tourism as our largest industry is worth consideration to improve not only our economy but our environment and the health of ourselves and our neighbors. There are many issues with health represented by this so I ask you to do what's in the best interest of this region. >>speaker: 17 591 sw. 41st st., miramar. I've been a longtime resident of miami-dade county, moved to miramar in 2020 and I'm opposed to the icineration period. I read the recommendation by the mayor, the only things as to know incinerator is the financial risk so I am an attorney, I've been practicing 10 years, I've litigated cases against the government including miami dade county and one thing about miami dade county, they have the time and money to litigate if you have the time and money to litigate why not put the time and money for the people? When has the government been profits over people? Let's get back to the true meaning of government, people over profits. Let's get back to the true meaning of government, people over profits, thank you. >>speaker: Mckenzie marceline, biscayne boulevard >>speaker: Mckenzie marceline, biscayne blvd., miami, fl representing florida rising as a climate justice activist and I'm disappointed to see the incinerator being voted on. The location continues the history of environmental rate racism and placing these facilities among people of color and also the harm to our alligators. Incineration creates a financial incentive to reduce more waste by treating it as a resource to be burned. Contracts that normally come with incineration would require the county to deliver a set amount of waste to incinerators which contradicts the zero waste principles of minimizing waste this system locks us into a cycle of continuous generating waste to justify the incinerator's existence much like the stadium that needs to be filled to justify its construction cost. Building an incinerator would bind us to decades of waste and harm. If you create this you must feed the beast and everyone sffers. >> dorothy brown 14699 sw. 47th st. And I'm opposed to the generator being placed in miramar. The city of miramar has the north dade landfill which falls on a city line in miami gardens as well and were also impacted by the blasting of miami and now the incinerator. I would encourage you to look for a different alternative and I ask you to vote against locating it at airport west in okeechobee. >>speaker: derek, 10899. My name is derek, 1089 sw. 5th st., 1089 sw. 5th st. I'm with florida rising and I think the people are here to pray to you all to reconsider your decision on incineration. I'm here to support no incineration. Having it in our community absolutely endangers people's lives. It's quite hard to see incineration in a residential area. We must take action, so that people's health will not be in danger. I support no incineration, not today, not tomorrow. Think about future generations and the health of the people. >>chair: please don't pray for me though, it's cool. >>speaker: good morning mayor and commissioners. I am a proud third-generation resident of miramar. As a mother, pet owner and someone deeply invested in the well-being of my community I'm here to voice my strong opposition to the proposed incinerator facility location. Building this facility near our homes poses significant health risks particular to our children and pets. The toxins released into the air and our water can affect our family's long-term health and we cannot afford to compromise on air and water quality and in a city that we call home. Let's not repeat the history of this similar to old smokey and coconut grove. How many years have those residents been impacted by the toxins released by the incinerator? Miramar is more than just the place, myself and fellow residents are to make sure you can put a face to all the people that could potentially be impacted by this horrific decision. I urge you to keep looking for alternative solutions. >>speaker: good morning martin mayor, members of the miami dade board of county commissioners and staff. My name is colleen paul, better known as tacher colleen. I reside at 1348 colleen paul, better known as teacher colleen. I reside at 1348 ne. 147th st. In miami and I am now in palm beach county. I do not want to se incineration in miami-dade, in broward county and in palm beach county. I come before you as an activist, as a member of the community and a mmber of one of the largest organizing organizations florida rising. Mme. Mayor, county commissioners, I say we work together in the past and I know you care about the health and well-being of the community at large. Put the incinerator at the airport west site is not acceptable by the residents of miramar florida rising stands with the mayor and his constituents. >>chair: thank you. Mother that has lived on a ventilator for 19 years. GOD and the technology of this country have kept him alive but now the life of many people in miramar and our neighbors are in danger because of lack of technology. You are a pioneer county. You can do better than this. You can get those millions of dollars in other technologies so we cannot have this incinerator in our backyard or anybody's backyard. I'm quoting andres blanco and it says when you have a child, you have a child of the world. Your child is my child. I don't want anything to do to your child so I believe you don't want anything to happen to my that you have kept alive. . >>speaker: jerry estrada, 19th avenue in miramar. I'm here to speak for the everglades. Here to speak for a precious natural resource such as our air and our water. I'm here to speak for the health of the millions of florida residents who cannot be here but will be there if this incinerator is built in the west airport site . I am here to speak for the future generations, my friends, my family and for myself. I currently suffer respiratory problems. This is my proof. It is beyond terrifying to know that so close to my home the air we breathe will be polluted with toxins and gases. The water we drink will be full of toxic chemicals. Are everglades and its beautiful wildlife will be forever destroyed. Please hear me. Avoid this, pick another location or not any at all. >>speaker: my name is john guitar, I reside at 5448 my name is john guitar, I reside at 54481 89th ave., miramar, fl and I've noticed a lot of shirts here from doral , the doral citizens oppose incinerator in their community. I wonder why. They've had one there, it's burned down. So are they getting sick , or the breathing in the toxins in the fumes? They don't want it, they don't want it again in their community and now you're looking at the decision to put it right at the border of broward county. Levine cava, I watched you on the news. >>chair: john, direct your comments to the dais and not anyone. >>speaker: I watched her on the news and she said we have to work together with our neighbors in broward county and beyond to tackle the challenges from transportation to climate change to ensure a better future for all residents. Thank you. >>speaker: my name is alexander hardeman, southwest 1 20th ave., miami, fl 33168. A few days ago I was before this dais with the county commission , the county , I want to make sure I get the name right. Infrastructure operation and innovation committee. And from this dais I heard someone telling a story out of a long-term resident of the city of doral and they've lived near the waste to energy facility and said it's been there 50 years. And it's someone else's turn. That's to me a sign of unnecessary evil. I am opposed to this resolution and I hope you guys are as well. >>speaker: one carlos esquivel, doral florida. To clarify to the neighbors of miramar and the surrounding cities the residents endured the presidents of an incinerator for over 23 years or more since we became a city of incorporation. It I my understanding the meeting is to choose a suitable solid waste compost site and in yesterday's town hall meeting the mayor mentioned this site will be used for multiple waste management technologies. They have not chosen a technology. Yet, only the site. We are your for the site, correct? Thank you. >>chair: the only on-call name on this list is patricia. Okay. Patricia villard. No, that's not 2023 no there are probably several patricia is in the room right now. Go to the next one. All right. Commissioner calvin baker , joy smith , donna heinz. [Reading names] Commissioner, please. >> good morning. Miramar commissioner, 2300 miramar, fl 33025. I'm here to speak on behalf of my community. We do not want an incinerator near us . This isn't just aout miramar, it is about broward county issues. We don't want our air to become unsafe. This incinerator could affect our air and make people sick. More than 20,000 people in miramar agree with me and have already signed the petition opposing the proposed site. Our neighbor in the cities are worried too. Bad air doesn't stop at the city line. We will continue to fight to keep our air clean. I plead with you on behalf of miramar residents and on behalf of my family these help us out . >>chair: MR. Baker. >>speaker: I am calvin baker , who resides at 16 211 sw. 16th st., who resides at 16 211 sw. 16th st. I'm here today to appeal to you concerning the site under consideration for waste energy facility. I want to remind you that we have provided to you much information that our local scientists and environmental professionals have brought to our attention that we must not ignore. Ignoring the information that's been provided could be an embarrassment to those of us that have voted on it in the future. There are great health concerns as relates to the short and long-term effects on public health as well as our water supply. You have the florida bats that reside in this location and many other endangered species. Against this item, thank you very much . >>chair: thank you MR. Baker. >>speaker: commissioner joy smith from the great city of westpark neighboring city for miramar. I'm here today to stand in solidarity with my neighbor because what happens to my neighbor happens to us, we are a stepping stone away. This alternative site is not better than the airport west location. I understand I am not a resident of miami-dade county and I cannot use my vote to show my disapproval with the facility, but my family matters and as an elected official you take an oath to serve the people. I think that oath applies to all people in general. Think of the future generation that will be negatively impacted by your decision. What type of legacy will you be leaving behind? Thank you very mch, I appreciate you having us here today. >>chair: give me your address please. >> sw. 25th st., westpark, fl . >>speaker: my name is john truitt, 301 s. Tallahassee florida with the firm of greg robbins on behalf of the city of doral. My point is to explain the permitting difficulties almost impossibilities of placing an incinerator in doral area I was a deputy secretary at dev for six years, that covered air waste and water permitting. When the facility went in it was the only major inventor in the entire area therefore easier to permit. Now with four major emitters in the area it would be almost impossible to do a modeling analysis tat would show this incinerator at the waist energy facility could exist in doral again. The main constituents is carmen oxide, led and particulate matter. Those are difficult to control all four at the same time. If the area failed to control of attainment would mean the federal government would determine the emissions limits to the major emitters in our area so that's why I say doral is not an appropriate site. >> you said journey was greg robinson. , thank you. Go ahead. >>. >>speaker: donna heinz, 25th st., miramar. Our neighbors and I strongly oppose the construction of the incinerator in our backyard. We urge you to explore alternatives that do not harm our health and our environment. This is a significant decision and it should not be pushed. Let's invest in finding other solutions to manage the waste , maybe about the program to educate our inform the residents to produce less trash. Let's think outside the box. Thank you for your time. >> rachel vestibule, nw. 12th ave., miami, fl representing capitalist properties. As we heard the commissioners say earlier there is no such thing as clean incineration. We do not have that kind of carbon sequestration technology at this point so anytime we're talking about clean incineration we are either willfully deluding ourselves or repeating talking points of industry for spreading scientific misinformation and I know that's not what this board wants to do. We don't support incineration anywhere. We have the right to clean air on any block we know we have a track problem but we have to come up with better solutions. These solutions of the past have literally burned to the ground but that gives us the opportunity for something new, gives us the opportunity to come out of this toxic ash and build something new, new solutions that can get us all clean air that we deserve, thank you so much. >>speaker: patricia arrived at 3956 179th avenue in miramar, fl 33029. I'm here to tell you that please note incineration in miramar or anywhere else. Please look for other solutions. We I'm here on behalf of my family, my community and we need a clean environment and thank you. >> thank you for the opportunity to speak, joe tell scheiber and I serve as executive director of the florida waste energy coalition at 37 north orange avenue in orlando. The coalition founded in 2021 the municipal members include all the local jurisdictions in florida that own and operate waste energy facilities. Your address. >> 37 north orange avenue in orlando. Our coalition, or municipal members include all the local jurisdictions in florida that own or operate waste energy facilities and hence the solid waste disposal including miami-dade county as well as the solid waste athority of palm beach, hillsborough county, pascoe and pinellas county as well as the city of tampa. Waste to energy is critical infrastructure for miami-dade county and for the rest of the state. Here's why. Waste energy reduces the volume of municipal solid waste by up to 90%. This is what eables miami-dade to manage its own solid waste disposal needs within the county. St. I would like to remember remind you this is very important thing. >> you said your name is caesar? You were on the prior list. Waste management system that enables us to collect and dispose of waste in a manner that is sustainable, operationally, financially and environmentally. Just to recall for you . >>speaker: gary carmen, 4950 brickell avenue and I'm part of the doral team and would like to reserve my time with that team. >>chair: you will have a minute at the end of the meeting. Okay, stephanie carmen, heidi MARCH. Stephanie carmen. I think we went to law school together. We did, yes. Nice to see you also. >> stephanie carmen, I will also reserve a minute to the end for the city of doral. >> and heidi. Mah a rga. Okay. And angela messing. We're going on. Okay. Z spicer. [Reading names]... [Reading names] >>vice chair: state your name and address, you've got a minute. >>speaker: colusa >>vice chair: state your name and address, you've got a minute. >>speaker: colusa DR., miami. 50,000 years ago there was a caveman eating dinner in his cave. After dinner the caveman went outside to toss the trash and noticed all the neighbors were doing the same thing. MR. Caveman thought this was terrible they've invented fire he thought they should burn the trash. MR. Caveman went to the bcc meeting the next day and suggested they should burn the trash rather than toss it and that idea passed unanimously. In 5000 bc they burn the trash, when jesus was born they burned it and in 1776 they burned it and in 20,000 they burned it and in 2024 hour bcc is getting ready to continue this 50,000 year tradition to burn baby burn. We don't need this stone age method anymore. No community once what you're proposing some go back to the drawing board until you define the future rather than the sins of the past. >>vice chair: thank you, state your name and address and you have a minute. >>speaker: michael goldstein, 2100 pounds daily on boulevard, coral gables florida environmental council for the city of miramar and I'm here to make the business case against an incinerator, not only at airport west or the okeechobee site but anywhere including the city of doral. We stand shoulder to shoulder with our brothers and sisters in doral asking an incinerator not be constructed anywhere. Studies done for the energy administration, energy information administration in 2010th 2013 show incinerators are by far the most expensive way to make energy far more expensive than landfill, more expensive incinerators have driven some local governments into bankruptcy including pennsylvania and claremont new hampshire. What we are asking is the county take a pause on this process and look at zero waste strategies to reduce a volume of waste out of the system so incinerators aren't needed. >>vice chair: sergeants, were going to give the speakers, if anybody is destructive again escort them out of the chamber please. Commissioner, you have the floor speed. >>speaker: COUNCILMAN Pineda, 53rd ter. As elected officials it is our duty to prioritize the health and safety of our residents first. By moving the wastewater facility help of doral we will be able to ensure cleaner healthier environment for all residents. I urge you to consider the well-being of our community and support the relocation of the waste energy facility as proposed by mayor daniela levine cava. Together we will be more towards a sustainable future for all miami-dade county. I want to thank you county commissioners and thank you mayor for bringing these forward and again at the end of the day it is for all residents of miami-dade county, thank you so much. Address. >> 6347 northwest doral, fl 33178. Considering if you chose to build the plant at the west side you need to build a transfer station and after reviewing the reports I have to solutions. One, if you choose the west airport because it has 1260 acres then with that money by the medley site to be the transfer station or to build a incinerator at the medley site so they have 320 acres and so if there is no need to build a transfer station and the wind blows west into the area. We do not want either the incinerator nor the transfer station in doral because the cure is worse than the disease and the traffic is not going to disappear. 3566 bisson court nw. 102nd avenue I hear to voice my strong opposition toward the incinerator and incineration in general. Just because we did it doesn't mean we should continue it. To be clear this is not circular waste streams as it transfers mercury and dioxin into the air and our water as well that means the everglades and our northern well feels. No level of cancer-causing mercury and dioxide are okay. Across the county incineration is being rejected. The two main incineration clusters on the northeast and is mostly based on state financial incentives and attempts to defray the true cost of these projects read the cost has been read misrepresented with trucking versus rail with an interim solution of landfill in central florida and omitting the costs including highly toxic ash pollution which is graded, just look at doral's landfill which holds its vast carbon emissions which eliminate our chances to achieve the paris carbon pledge. >>speaker: my name is jorge. I am an engineer with 50 years of experience and in looking at the report you can see that the prevailing winds in south florida come from the southeast . That means that pollutants from the incinerators would blow to the northwest. The report with the results of the preliminary screening out risks to the population around the proposed sites. The risk of human noncancer risk what my cardiovascular disease from the particulates and oxygen on-site to which any adult would be three in 100. In less than one for 100 for residents of the airport west site. All 40% of the doral population lives in the northwest. Resulting in a few hundred cases. >>speaker: luis barrios, sw. 185th ter. And I was in shock when in the media I saw that mayor and commissioner proposing the west airport incinerator for the incinerator. I was surprised when they say that the closest team to it would be a cemetery. When my house is located less than 2 miles away from it. Miami-dade relies on incinerators though bad they want to put it on the county line very far away from them. Not realizing keeping in mind that the proposed is very close to other people including hospitals which is 4 miles away and the schools with children that are 2 miles away. I remember when I used to have my business and merchandise right there next to the incinerator and I used two brief that very bad air and see those nice houses. >>vice chair: go ahead. >>speaker: I reside at 1748 sw. 28th st. In miramar florida sunset lakes 3 miles away from this new proposed site and I'm here to ask you to demonstrate your commitment to serving the best interests of the people and protecting their environment by searching for another solution to the waste problem. Building an incinerator will negatively impact the people and our natural resources and an incinerator will affect our air and water quality and violate the everglades and its ecosystem. If this incinerator is built it will become a disaster and I can not think you would want to project to be her legacy. Please make the right decision and choose the right side. I understand there are people who don't want the incinerator back where they have it but they bought their houses when the incinerator was there, we didn't. We don't want an incinerator near our house. >>speaker: this has been quite a conversation. Mary waters 13 600 southwest 229 street. I'm sure all of you have heard the expression get your ducks lined up before you make a forward motion on things. I think that's what's really needed here. This incineration idea is antiquated. It needs to be looked at further as far as the more realistic modern and what other states, countries in the world are using. I do not suggest you go back to incineration just because maybe it seems like the simplest. As far as the four locations I don't think any of them are any good. There's hazards to all of them. As far as the city of doral, that's probably a superfund site and it probably will be till the day we die and then some area I would suggest again as I say consider other things. >>vice chair: name and address for the record . >> z spicer, 58th ter. When I was younger I had sleepovers at my grandmother's house with my cousin. He slept across the hall but I remember hearing the sound of his breath between the two doors and remember the financial cost of his asthma. We deserve a future without incinerators, without false solutions. I can't emphasize enough how ridiculous and dystopian it is to build another incinerator after the last one burned down and frame it as sustainable. Waste-to-energy is a false solution and the harms outweigh the benefits. In a few years when the incinerator is linked to death and destruction will you be proud you were responsible? Go back to the drawing board. Stop yourself from making such a foolish decision that will have generational impact. Or the air that we breathe, the water that we drink, for the places that we call home. If you turn your back on the community we will turn our backs on you. >> my name is tom erickson, 9910 nw. 47th ter., doral, fl. I've been involved in design construction operation and maintenance of waste energy facilities for over 35 years now, both in the united states and europe. Waste-to-energy facility is a safe clean and environmentally responsible solution. External odors and noise at a minimum but due to the size of the proposed facility there's going to be additional delivery trucks on the roadways. The impact of an approximate three-year construction schedule must also be considered in regard to noise fusion and particulate emissions and additional traffic in our already congested city. The arcadia's rport represents innovative treatment processes for a solid waste campus and one or more of these processes will be included in this new sustainable solid wste facility and I would hope you consider relocating the facility outside of doral. >>vice chair: name and address, you have a minute. >>speaker: I'm the mayor of pembroke pines florida and I'm here to ask you to please pt this location nowhere. I don't believe in burning. There are other ways to deal with the disposal of our waste and worst of all if you put there the millions and millions of miami-dade county residents will have to pay in terms of additional trucks , stops not being made, routes not being completed, just make this location environmentally and financially unfeasible so we're asking you to please not place this facility in tat location and we oppose the incineration period. Additionally in broward county there is a rumor here we are rejecting incineration. That's not something we want. It's not consistent with the quality of life of southwest broward and or dade. And we rejected and we're asking you to reject it and come up with better ideas. >> thank you for your time and then from that, batch of names I rcall I have abby, I'm going to call up next to a group of speakers. Line up, you have a minute to state your name and address and you got xavier estevez, myor christie, dennis, selma, [Reading names] >>speaker: I understand you are here to make a decision and it's a tough decision but I ask you need to make a dec