Miami Beach City Commission Meeting - September 17, 2025
Miami Beach City Commission Meeting - September 17, 2025
The City of Miami Beach Commission met on September 17, 2025, addressing a broad agenda that included honoring Holocaust survivor David Schachter, anti-Semitism and BDS resolutions, water quality in Parkview Canal, lobbying ethics, parking regulations, the FY2026 budget, and public safety. The meeting featured extensive public comment and multiple votes on ordinances and resolutions.
Consent Calendar
- Approved consent agenda excluding separated items C7W, C7G, and C7J (C7J later reconsidered).
- Addendum items deferred to after 5 p.m.
- Appointments to boards and committees deferred to the new commission after elections, except for a direct appointment from Hebrew Academy (Rabbi Seth Gutenberg approved by acclamation).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Multiple speakers addressed the honoring of David Schachter, with some criticizing the resolution as stifling free speech and others supporting it as a stand against anti-Semitism.
- Speakers expressed concern over water quality in Parkview Canal and beaches, urging the city to prioritize funding and remediation.
- Several artist vendors opposed changes to the street vendor ordinance, arguing they were not properly consulted and that the new restrictions harm their livelihoods.
- Residents of Belle Isle spoke about a $1.2 million agreement between a developer and a neighborhood association, alleging lack of transparency and community input.
- A supporter of the homeless bus ticket proposal noted that many homeless individuals want to return home, while opponents called it inhumane.
- Presentations from FPL and regarding wellness programming were also heard.
Discussion Items
- R5E & R5F (School Incentives): Approved comprehensive plan and zoning amendments to provide FAR and height incentives for school development, with an exception for North Beach. Both passed 7-0.
- R5A (40th Street Overlay): Approved on first reading (7-0) after discussion on rooftop use for weddings; planning staff to analyze possible amendments before second reading on October 29.
- R7M (Notable Cases on MBPD Website): Approved (7-0) to post case information on the police department website and social media to increase transparency on habitual offenders and judicial outcomes. Commissioner Bott suggested a separate channel for social media.
- R5K (Lobbyist Ethics): After extensive debate and a motion to defer, the item was reconsidered and passed as amended (7-0). The amendment requires lobbyists to disclose monetary or non-monetary consideration over $1,000 provided to neighborhood associations for support or non-objection. The ordinance strengthens contingency fee prohibitions and clarifies registration requirements for neighborhood association representatives.
- C7G (Padel Courts at Fifth and Alton Garage): Approved (7-0) to allow a 10-court padel facility on the rooftop, swapping city-owned spaces from the roof to covered parking. No loss of city parking spaces.
- R9AD (North Beach Water Quality): Approved (7-0) to authorize independent third-party review of pump station 23, weekly water quality testing at Parkview Canal, and expedite permitting for nanobubble technology, with continued work on dredging.
- R5T (Private Parking Lot Signage): Approved on first reading (7-0) to require decals at payment sites indicating private lots, with discussion on using mobile app notifications.
- R5J (Delivery Robots): Opened and continued to October 29 to refine regulations on idling times and auditory signals, after debate on 30-minute idling times and beeping concerns.
- R5S (Home Solicitation): Approved as amended on first reading (7-0), requiring a business tax receipt and adding a warning for first offense. Exempts First Amendment activities.
- R5V & R5W (Anti-BDS and Anti-Discrimination): Both approved on first reading (7-0). R5V focuses on anti-Semitism and BDS; R5W applies to other protected classes under the city's human rights ordinance. Public comment opposed the measures as limiting free speech.
- R5H (Parking Rates): Approved on second reading (7-0) to pause CPI adjustment for residential parking rates for FY2026 and formalize monthly garage rates.
- R7S (Art Week Transportation): Discussed; need to identify $130,000 funding gap for enhanced service. Referred to budget process. Also discussed coordination with Coast Guard on Venetian Bridge openings.
- R5I (Plastic Decorations Ban): Approved on second reading (7-0) to prohibit plastic-related or metalized decorations at public marinas, parks, and beaches to reduce microplastic pollution.
- R5N & R5O: Approved on first reading: R5N (notice requirements for canceled meetings) and R5O (habitual offender definition, requiring resolution of violations before zoning changes, though no moratorium due to state preemption).
- R9Z (Sidewalk Repair Program): Continued to October 29 with co-sponsors to address utility cut restoration and sidewalk conditions, especially in North Beach.
- R7C-R7G (Budget & Millage): Tentative budgets and millage rates adopted for FY2026 with a flat millage rate of 6.1481 mills. Over $502,000 in one-time enhancements approved for various programs including senior meals, wellness, swim week, and flag football. Reduced Winterpalooza funding by $50,000 to fund flag football. Final budget hearing set for September 30, 2025.
- R9AE (Police Staffing): Discussion item. Chief Jones announced full staffing for first time in ~15 years. Succession planning underway with internal candidates. Union president raised concerns about extending DROP retirement for the chief, emphasizing contractual obligations.
Key Outcomes
- Approved several first- and second-reading ordinances including school incentives, ethics reforms, parking signage, plastic ban, and home solicitation regulations.
- Deferred lobbyist ethics (R5K) initially but reconsidered and passed with amendment shifting disclosure responsibility to lobbyists.
- Continued sidewalk repair program and delivery robot ordinance for further refinement.
- Adopted tentative FY2026 budgets and millage rates; final adoption scheduled for September 30, 2025.
- Directed staff to seek RDA funding for a playground at Pride Park.
- Policy direction to pursue internal succession for police chief, honoring union contract provisions regarding DROP.
- Set second reading dates for many items on October 29, 2025.
Meeting Transcript
Welcome to the City of Miami Beach Commission Chambers. We're glad to have you with us today. If you require ADA assistance or accommodations, please notify the city clerk or any staff member, and we will be happy to assist you. Mayor Steven Miner. City Commissioners, Kristen Rosen Gonzalez. Laura Dominguez. Alex J. Fernandez. Tanya K. Bott, David Suarez. Joseph Magazine. Lobbyist Disclosure Reminder. If you are a lobbyist appearing before the City Commission or any city board, you must have registered with the City Clerk prior to participating. If you have not yet registered, please do so immediately. Presentation reminder. If you submitted a presentation within the 24 hours prior to the start of today's meeting, please check the computer located at the podium to ensure your file is properly loaded. How to participate in public meetings via Zoom. As soon as the host grants you permission to speak, a dialog box will pop up on your screen with two options. Select the unmute button to begin speaking. After you finish speaking, mute your microphone and click on the lower hand icon. Please take your seats. The meeting is about to begin. Remember to speak into the microphone as this meeting is being recorded for public record. Please stand by. Good morning, and welcome to our commission meeting of today, September seventeenth. Thank you to my colleagues who are here, all our residents and guests who are in the chambers and obviously watching. Ralph, any instructions? Yes, sir. Thank you. Good morning, everyone. During this hybrid commission meeting, the city commission is physically present in the commission chambers at Miami Beach City Hall, seventeen hundred, conventional center drive, third floor. The public is invited to attend the meeting virtually. However, members of the public who wish to attend the meeting or provide public comments in person may appear at the commission chamber. To participate or provide comments virtually during the commission meeting, the public may join the meeting by visiting the Zoom app on their smart device on the web at Zoom. Or by telephone at three oh five two four nineteen sixty-eight. Again, the local number is three oh five two two two four nineteen sixty eight. Toll free is eight eight eight four seven five four four nine nine. The webinar ID is eight one three nine two eight five seven six seventy one pound. Again, webinar ID eight one three nine two eight five seven six seventy-one pound. Members of the public wanting to speak virtually on an item during the meeting, must click the raise hand icon of using the Zoom app or spread or press star nine on the telephone to raise their hand. Please note that the Zoom link, webinar ID, and telephone numbers provided for this commission meeting are static and do not change from meeting to meeting. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. We're going to do the Pledge of Allegiance. I think our whole country was horrified, no matter what side of the aisle anyone is on, the violence that we're seeing in our country against political figures, against political speech, the senseless violence, it's disgusting. It has to end. We can't continue as a country like this if we can't have an open and respectful dialogue, no matter how much we may disagree. And just the rhetoric, the division is is it's it's so it's so disgusting to me. I've I've always prided myself of staying positive, talking about the issues, and and I think I'm asking that we all, and not just here on my beach, but all of us in this country need to do the same. We're not gonna be a better country from violence.
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