Welcome to the City of Miami Beach Commission Chambers.

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Mayor Steven Miner.

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We are going on air in five, four, three, two, one.

Good morning, and welcome to the commission meeting of February fifth, twenty twenty six.

I'll turn to our city clerk, Raphael Granado to give us any pertinent instructions.

Members of the public are invited to attend either in person or virtually.

If you're joining us virtually, here's how do you you can participate.us on your browser.

You can also phone in at three oh five two two four nineteen sixty-eight.

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The webinar ID is eight one three nine two eight five seven six seventy-one pound.

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Mayor, we have one announcement regarding the beachfront management plan ad hoc advisory committee.

The City of Miami Beach announces an upcoming public meeting of the Beachfront Management Plan and Ad hoc advisory committee.

This meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 10th from 2 p.m.

to 5 p.m.

at City Hall, 1700 Convention Center Drive in the City Manager's Conference Room, or on the fourth floor.

On the fourth floor, members of the public are welcome to attend in person or log in via Zoom at the webinar ID is 845-009-276-24.

Again, 845-009-27624.

The public can also call 305-224-1968 or toll-free 888-475-4499.

Again, the webinar ID is 845-009-27624.

The purpose of this meeting is to review and provide input on the city's updated beachfront management plan.

The plan outlines property uses, management activities, concession operations, special event permits, requirements, dune management strategies, and other key initiatives to ensure the sustainable management of our beachfront.

The draft the draft plan will be available 30 days prior to the meeting for public review.

We encourage all interested residents and stakeholders to participate in this important discussion.

You're for more information, please call 305-673-7084, or to learn more about this item, please visit report an informational item two in today's agenda.

Thank you, Mayor.

I sign you.

Thank you so much.

We uh I'd like to call up Rabbi David Weberman.

Uh Robert Weberman comes from a very beautiful and prominent family, rabbinical family, pillars of the Miami Beach community, and I'm honored that you're here today.

Thank you, Mayor.

Good morning.

Let us offer a brief moment of prayer and reflection, asking for divine guidance as we begin today's meeting.

Our Father in Heaven, the mayor and commissioners are gathered here today to hear the concerns of Miami Beach residents and to make decisions for the welfare of our city.

Inspire them to draw upon their intelligence, education, and experience, and to act with fairness, wisdom, and integrity.

Guide the administration to implement these decisions professionally and efficiently.

As petitioners present differing views and interests.

Grant that those who requests are approved show appreciation, and that those whose requests are denied, accept the outcome with dignity and grace.

We pray for the tranquility in Washington, that all parties be guided toward mutual respect, responsibility, and unity for the good of our nation.

Bring an end to the violence in troubled areas around the world, and grant your blessing of peace to all humanity.

May your divine light shine upon our city, our county, and our state.

And may God bless the United States of America.

Amen.

Thank you, Rabbi Weberman.

I see the former mayor of Bal Harbor, Gabe Groisman here.

I'd like to ask him to come up and start us off with the Pledge of Allegiance.

One nation on the individual.

Liberty is justice for all.

Thank you.

We did not have a meeting in January.

We'll have several meetings in February.

Looking forward to working with all of you.

And we will now start the uh Setnik hour.

Yes, Mayor.

Anyone who wishes to speak, could could you please, if you're able, cue up so I know where you are.

Um approach the podium when you're called.

Given the number of individuals that are in line, we're going to start with one minute.

And uh who is first?

Go ahead, please.

Good morning to all of you on the day.

I'm the first in line.

I sign to stand in line.

Exactly.

She was first in line.

Ma'am, we have a seat.

But they're getting a sign-up sheet today.

Yeah, the sign-up sheet.

I sign for the case.

Hi.

Mayor and commissioners, my name is Brendan Jordan.

I've been a resident of Miami Beach for 30 years.

And I'm very disappointed in how I'm being treated as an artist.

As we just made the pleasure of allegiance with liberty and justice for all.

As an artist, I've been bullied by this commission.

Because I wasn't able to, any artists weren't able to be involved in the setting up of this program, the artist vendor program.

People who have no credentials in the art, no background of anything, um, putting this program together.

I've asked all of you for meetings to rectify and find out what's going on.

This program was set up with and the law was passed without the sunshine law being honored.

We did not get a chance to look at the ordinance before it was set up.

Thank you, Mr.

That's not fair.

Another thing is that none of you have, especially the mayor, you are the head of this commission, and you have not given me a chance to come to your office.

Thank you.

It's unfair, unconscionable.

We're being bullied into paying more money with no input without any honoring what we go through as artists.

None of you have come to my table.

None of you, I have a video of what I have to go through to set up all my raw materials.

You you have my commitment, we'll schedule a time to meet.

This has been years.

I know.

We've talked.

Next, please.

Go ahead.

Approach the podium.

Good morning.

My name is Raquel Pacheco, Miami Beach resident and local activist.

On January 12th at around 2 p.m., two armed officers knocked on my door because of a Facebook comment I made on the mayor's page.

Think about that for a second.

A comment on Facebook, and the response was to send law enforcement to my home.

What happened next was explosive.

I shared the video with friends and colleagues, and within hours the media had it.

The story didn't just circulate, it detonated.

It went national and then global.

People across the political spectrum, Republicans, Democrats, and Independents were united in their reaction.

Disbelief, outreach, and a deep sense of alarm over what happened in our city.

My life changed instantly.

For nearly three weeks, I've been flooded with media inquiries every single day.

And to this day, the world is talking about Miami Beach.

The world is talking about what happened to me.

And yet, not one of you has had one word to say about this incident.

Not one of you has stood up to affirm the First Amendment rights of the residents you represent.

Nothing but silence when the moment demanded courage.

I request a few more seconds, please.

Just wrap it up, please.

Thank you.

So let me be clear.

I can do you can disagree with me, you can criticize me, you can mock me, insult me and try to tear down my character.

That is your right protected by the U.S.

Constitution.

But what you cannot do, what no government official can ever do is weaponize the police to intimidate a citizen for speaking.

That crosses a line so bright, so fundamental, the entire world recognized it instantly.

The shame this brings upon our city and upon the values our country is supposed to represent is immeasurable.

And I stand here today with one hope that this moment becomes the line in the sand.

The disabus of power ends at my doorstep.

And no Miami Beach Redden should ever experience what I did.

Because if government can silence one voice, you can silence all voices.

Next, please.

This ordinance helps strengthen Lincoln Road as a premier pedestrian destination by allowing controlled indoor entertainment that enhances enhances the visitor experience.

It supports business activity, attracts quality restaurants, and does so while protecting neighborhood quality of life.

We see this as a win-win.

Um I have, I'm not sure if you all saw the support letter signed by Lyle Stern, our president.

I can leave a copy.

Um the second item, which I don't know if where we landed on this, is in regards to spring break.

The Lincoln Road bid asked that all parking garages and surface lots remain open during spring break with the closure of Draxula Meridian.

Keeping parking accessible is critical to supporting Lincoln Road businesses as the corridor continues working towards its major comeback.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Next, please.

Mr.

Mayor.

Would it be possible?

We had an assignment.

She was number one.

Yes.

And I had asked our city manager too.

Thank you.

Good morning to all of you on the day.

Secretary to the board at Bell Plaza Condominium and a proud member of the Bureau Board of Bell Oil Residence Association.

I'm here to talk about an what I call an unsung hero, the South Beach Care Center.

They are a phenomen.

And I know many people don't know about it, and I've spoken to people, and they tell me they never heard of it.

It's on First and Collins Avenue.

It is a wonderful rehab place.

My husband is there now, and if he has a chance to survive, it will be at this place.

And I want to give a shout out to all the nurses and the administrator Barry and all the aides that are helping keeping him alive and the other residents there.

It is really a wonderful rehab center.

And I want to commend Commissioner Fernandez for coming to visit Gary the other day.

And thank you for listening to me.

Thank you, Ms.

Rudd.

Know about this place and spread the word.

It is a wonderful, wonderful care with absolutely competent, compassionate care.

And that's what people need that are there for, in addition to the doctors.

Thank you so much.

Next, please.

My name is Pamela Mayer, and I'm a longtime resident of Miami Beach.

I'm here today.

Um I'm the vice chair of the Miami Beach Commission for Women, Dr.

Lynette Long is out of the country.

We're asking for the $10,000 allotment for the women's conference be used instead for four events.

The Commission for Women is hosting this year.

The following are the mural honoring Marjorie Stoneman Douglas, our annual 10 exemplary women event featuring large posters on Ocean Walk between 8th and 9th Street, a reception and MDL and public invited to the unveiling of the posters.

The Florida Historical Marker honoring Josephine Baker, who sang at the Copa City Club and refused if there wasn't an integrated audience.

A marker is already in place in Tallahassee and currently in production.

And a four panel discussion on timely women's issues.

Due to limited funds, sunshine law restrictions, and et cetera, we need that allotment.

One second.

These two events, these four events will be occurring in less than a month.

They begin.

So we really need, I have a sense of urgency.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next, please.

I have this time at two minutes and 15 seconds.

Ladies and gentlemen, I request, my name is Monica Tracy.

Um 1983 Beach residents.

Ladies and gentlemen, I request that you move forward on exploration for a small bird bath in Belle Isle Park.

For five years, I've been feeding the birds there daily from the first bird feeder in a public park in Miami Beach.

Kids use that play area, see the birds nearby, the feeder each day, and hopefully it impresses them that we live alongside nature and they may grow up and help us heal our environment.

I also volunteer at Pelican Harbor, and I see the devastation we wreak on our urban wildlife.

They struggle to survive and reproduce.

Developers and the city both plant decorative plants that have no food value.

In addition to the seed feeder, I keep a second feeder filled with beef fat that their little bodies need.

They eat a lot of the suet in the winter.

Our wildlife also need clean water.

Drought is becoming more common here.

I'm sure you've all seen birds drinking sewage water with filth in it.

Some squirrels have returned to the park and they need water too, with others for mammals.

Dogs have a drinking fountain, plastic bag dispensers, and two huge fenced areas to run.

You can think of this project as just another drinking fountain.

Sorry.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next, please.

Yes, this is hard to watch.

Go ahead, please.

Good morning.

My name is Paul Thomas, and I am here as a patient advocate in support of the item regarding the ADAP program defunding.

I would like to ask the support of the City of Miami Beach Commission, Mayor, and City Manager in advocating for the state to restore the funds to the ADA program.

Zip code 33139 has the highest incidence of HIV in the state of Florida.

These are life-saving medications which are being taken from our friends, neighbors, and loved ones.

I would also like to ask the City of Miami Beach to communicate with any federal regulatory agencies which have the ability to assist in the accounting to join in assisting the State Department of Health with finding the funds for the program.

Finally, I would like to point out the undue strain that this will put on the rest of the health care system.

If people lose access to their healthcare health care insurance in a couple of weeks, the okay, one second.

The health insurance is also helping them manage their heart disease, kidney disease, and cancer treatment.

We have to address this immediately.

Thank you very much.

Next, please go ahead, sir.

Good morning.

My name is Miles Davis.

I serve as Director of Advocacy and Communications for Save, where South Florida's leading and one of the largest advocacy and civic organizations in the state.

I'm here today to speak in support of item R70, sponsored by Commissioner Tanya Baugh, and item C7AY, sponsored by Commissioner Alex Fernandez and Mayor Stephen Minor.

We know when FDOT removed the rainbow brick pavers from Miami Beach.

This was never just about pavement, it was always about power, whether the state could decide which communities are allowed to be visible in public space.

That removal came with overreach, intimidation, and harassment, and it sent a chilling message to our residents.

Save alongside our coalition partners stepped up to defend more than brick pavers.

We defended local control, dignity, and the right of Miami Beach to reflect its values.

We are showing up again today with SAFE members here in person and on Zoom because this still matters.

This is also why item R70 matters.

Installing these salvaged brick pavers at Loomis Park makes clear that intimidation does not get the final word and that Miami Beach will not erase its LGBTQ plus community or its history.

Thank you.

Next, please my name is CineS Flags.

I've been in resident of Miami Beach for 26 years.

I live at 1500 Ocean Drive.

I'm just here to speak against the ministerialization of Ocean Drive.

I'm here to um make a polite request that uh that you bring Ocean Drive back to a two-way street parking and make it vibrant again.

I mean, when the street was a two-way, it was the most vibrant ocean drive or street in the world.

And we need to stop, you know, playing the games one way, two ways.

You close two blocks.

You thought you want to close the entire street, and that will just not just make traffic worse, but you're gonna end up with ocean drive closed making traffic worse, and ten other uh ciliary streets that are gonna all be dead end without any turnaround.

So thank you.

Thank you so much.

Next, please.

Yes, good morning.

My name is Roberto La Torre.

I emailed you.

Each of you, I as a property owner on Washington Avenue for more than 50 years.

I hope that you have the opportunity to drive by and see the condition of the Abbey.

You know, the school that we have find Bert Fisher is under capacity, and he goes to eighth grade.

That means that we don't have students to fill it up.

I hope that you guys do the right thing.

I think it is the best for this for this street.

Uh I hope that uh with all the difference aside, uh, hope to vote for what is good for districts.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next, please.

Steve Bubba Cohen, what biased political activist Raquel Pacheco attempted to frame as a questionable First Amendment issue, was in reality a situation that carried the potential to incite violence by anti-Semit, anti-Semites, anarchists, and mentally unstable.

Authors did not arrive at your house with guns drawn.

They didn't place you in handcuffs.

Anyone who actually watched the video clearly saw the Miami Beach police department acted calmly, politely, and professionally in questioning her about whether she authorized the incendiary and potentially dangerous comments against Mayor Minor.

Mayor Minor, an Orthodox Jew.

She claimed consistently calls for the death of all Palestinians.

It's not only false, but it's reckless.

And it's dangerous, especially in today's volatile climate.

By manipulating, no, two minutes is what's supposed to be here.

I I was part of the group that got the Sutnik hour.

I knew Dr.

Sutnik.

I'm friends with both of his sons, and you arbitrarily changed the rules to one minute.

I I had uh a two-minute speech here, and I'm gonna give my two-minute speech.

And if you want to detain me, then detain me because I'm gonna finish my speech.

And I hope everyone on the dais has enough common sense to let me continue.

So we're gonna say offering some.

Okay, Governor Josh Shapiro in Pennsylvania had his house set on fire with Molotov cocktails.

The person attempted to kill him because does this sound familiar?

Later the attacker later stated because of perceived injustice towards the people of Palestine.

Does that sound familiar, Ms.

Pacheco, to what you said?

No, I think it does.

Okay.

In today's volatile environment, I congratulate the commission.

I congratulate Mayor Minor, I congratulate Chief Jones, and most of all, I congratulate the Miami Beach Police Department for the way they acted professionally, courtesily, with courtesy, and in addressing that issue.

Next, please next.

Good morning.

My name is Janet Figueroa, one of the artist vendors here in the city of Miami Beach.

As you all know, you've seen me here before.

We are trying to change this um ordinance that's going on right now, which is very biased and is keeping us from working, making a living.

I feel that it should be revoked and put back the old way.

And we should be able to work.

I am a taxpayer, I am a citizen of the United States.

I am Puerto Rican.

So I want to know, since the time I've been here so many times over, this is my last time coming here, asking politely, respectfully of all of you to revoke this old ordinance and put it back for I could be able to work due to this.

My stress level went so high that I had to make a loan.

I landed in the hospital because of this.

This is not fair to me.

It's not fair to any of these people.

Now they're part of this program for years.

I've been in this program ten years.

It's time to do things right by these people.

Thank you.

Next, please.

Otherwise, I will look for legal counsel.

I will sue you personally, and I will have to sue the city of Miami Beach.

Take your page.

Hi, good morning.

My name is Helena Gomez.

I'm also Addis Vendor of the Miami Beach Program.

And I would like to say that the ordinance that the new ordinance appears to restrict what non-resident artists may serve relative to residents.

We question both the logic and legality on this distinction.

Artist expression does not lose value based on residence and residency.

Miami Beach Cultural Violity depends on the excellence, diversity, and openness, not geographic exclusion.

Miami Beach artists are not adversaries of the city.

We are partners in the its identity and economy.

We stand ready to collaborate in solution that honor free expression, economic reality, and the sheriff public real.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Next, please.

David Wallach, I concur.

One minute is not enough time to present anything to you people.

And that's an embarrassment.

In regards to, I didn't get to um, I want to thank you for having that uh meeting the other day regarding spring break.

Spring break is an essential, but I didn't get to uh uh let you know that March itself this year is different in the sense of Lady Gaga is performing in Miami.

Second week.

The tourniquet that we put on uh MacArthur Causeway, you need to look at that, because when that concert breaks, a lot of great people, that is not gonna be a bad crowd.

A lot of great people are gonna be coming to the beach, and that should be in a time where we don't have them sitting for two hours trying to get across the causeway.

The third week, our team of police need to remain vigilant.

We don't have anything that's really going to be something that really changes, and the third week traditionally is the worst week we have.

Thank you, sir.

The fourth week is Ultra.

Ultra is a great crowd.

Traditionally, no problems, and again, relieve the tourniquet on MacArthur Causeway at the end of the Ultra uh conference so that they can get to the beach.

Thank you.

And I also consider it a huge embarrassment to this city that armed police, which I respect amazingly, are here at the podium person after person.

That should be on the news.

That's an embarrassment to you all.

Next, please.

Commissioner.

Um I'm sorry.

Uh Mr.

Mayor.

Commissioners.

My name is Shapiro Sam Feldman.

I have been a resident of Miami Beach since 1968.

And I am a veteran.

Um I went into the military because I promised to live the life of never again.

My parents are survivors of the Holocaust.

And that is a very sensitive issue for me.

So when two police officers show up at anybody's door for having written an article that's non-threatening, I consider that fascism.

And that is textbook fascism.

And I think that all of you should be ashamed, and all of you should be apologetic, including the police chief.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you.

Next, please.

Good morning, Mr.

Mayor, City Commission, Police Chief Jones.

My name is Joe Zevellone.

I'm a property owner here on Miami Beach, a proud property owner in Miami Beach.

Um I'm a Jew, I'm an Israeli American, and I'm a I'm part of a bereaved family that just lost.

I lost my cousin to a terrorist attack in Judana, Samaria.

Two armed terrorists who were also police officers of the Palestinian Authority, Ms.

Pacheco.

My cousin was loading up his groceries in the back of his car, and the two cowards jumped him from the back and stabbed him continuously until he lost his life.

By fighting them, I want to mention his name here so everybody knows.

His name is Shalev Zevelloni, same last name as mine.

Remember that name.

He fought them.

He fought them hard, and by doing so, he prevented the loss of lives of other shoppers that were there at that supermarket.

I want to say a couple of things.

As a bereaved family, I would like to get an extension of at least a minute, like the other person did.

I would like to say if Ms.

Pacheco really cared about the rights of the LGBT, like she wrote in the post.

She should condemn Hamas for not allowing LGBT to exist anywhere in Gaza.

A woman does not have rights in Gaza.

A woman cannot even run to political office, just like the distinguished uh commissioners that we have here that are ladies.

Thank you, sir.

Also, a woman cannot.

I'm almost done.

Three seconds.

A woman cannot even walk or travel anywhere inside Gaza without a chaperone, being her father or her husband.

That is the community that she's defending.

Thank you.

Next, please.

Hold on.

Mr.

Mayor.

Good morning.

Mr.

Mayor.

Hi, my name is Troy Wright, executive director of the Washington Avenue.

Mr.

Mayor.

I would just be I would just like to request.

We're putting our officers in a difficult position, asking them to stop people after a minute.

If we could restore the two minutes so that everyone has a fair amount of time to speak without having our officers of them that decide that they individually decide to give them a few extra seconds or not.

Commissioner, since since you're not the mayor, you maybe not get the complaints I have.

I get numerous complaints from residents that we are using, we are taking away from the city business.

There are many ways to reach us.

I am not turning a single person down.

By the way, there are many municipalities, even nearby.

They once the 30 minutes hit, they shut it off.

I am not doing that.

I'm letting every person who wants to speak to speak.

But we have city business, and I am getting complaints from people that we're spending too much time.

Um it's important, it's important.

But we all and I'm listening to everybody.

Unlike other you could look around other municipalities.

I'm giving everybody the opportunity, but we have to get to the business of the people, and that's that's what we're here for.

This is the business.

Yes, and everyone is getting to speak.

I am not turning anyone away.

Good morning.

My name is Troy Wright, Director of Washington Avenue.

Um we spoke yesterday at the spring break meeting, and we let our voice be heard.

We appreciate that.

Um we have a few concerns regarding the resident item that's coming up later, not a lot.

But I'm here because I want to honor an amazing person.

His name was Angel Diaz.

If you ever had the opportunity to go to Max Club Deuce, the oldest bar in the state of Florida, right here off of Washington between Washington and Collins.

You undoubtedly saw Angel over the last 15 to 20 years.

An amazing man.

So I want to take my last 30 seconds of silence just for Angel because he was such an amazing person and a pillar of this community.

You can cut it off when you need to to the next person, but thank you.

Just a few minutes of silence would be amazing.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Next, please.

This is the business of the city.

Public comment is the business of the city.

People prepared two minutes of comment, they should be allowed their two minutes of comment, not this arbitrary First Amendment violation, because it's a new year, a new national embarrassment, another abuse of power, another First Amendment violation.

By you, Mr.

Mayor.

This unconstitutional misuse of law enforcement resources must must stop.

It's bad for morale and it leads to more lawsuits.

Commissioners, you have the power.

This is what you were elected to do.

Please pass policies that defend the constitution and stop the weaponization of government against residents who dare disagree with the mayor.

And fix your broken public record system that allows the subject of a request to cover up our records potentially in violation of state law.

Each one of you has the same vote on this dais as the mayor does, and you arguably have a bigger mandate.

Why?

Because every single one of you, with one exception, sorry, Joe, was elected with a far greater margin than the mayor was.

No further than last night's state of the city attendance was pathetic.

Just a few county commissioners, one Miami City Commissioner, not a single mayor.

I like the same courtesy that other people received, please.

That's all.

I'm almost done.

Just a few county commissioners, one Miami City Commissioner, not a single other mayor came to your state of the city.

You didn't even have a quorum of Miami Beach Commissioners.

Nobody wants to be seen with you.

You're an embarrassment.

One day, people will say your name and children will spin draggers.

Thank you.

Happy New Year.

Next, please.

I'll just say uh Mr.

Cohen.

Uh actually, the the there was not a available seat literally in the House last night.

It was a great crowd in a great state of the city.

So thank you.

And thank you for coming.

Next, please.

Good morning, Mayor and Commissioners.

Presidents and neighbors.

I think it's time that we tone this down.

This is not good for a city.

The Bayes has to work for the people, the residents, not one cause.

This is what's bringing this whole back and forth, including myself.

Everybody's divided.

I'm divided.

I'm torn.

I can't sleep at night.

This is just very shameful.

Going to that.

Um, this is an item in the uh agenda, our 7M, if I'm not mistaken, might bring the same exact problem that is happening now.

A bust of a foreign national general from South America into our Normandy fountain next to the American flag.

This is gonna bring an outrage, just as like it's happening now.

Why different causes different causes?

We just have to let's have the American flag that represents unity for all of us.

We all Americans.

We should all abide by that.

And thank you.

Mayor, there's no one else in the audience.

We're going to go to Zoom.

Mr.

Carr, please unmute yourself, Tim Carr.

Good morning, everyone.

This is Tim Carr, Shelby West Neighborhood Association.

I just wanted to comment on a couple of quick items.

R5AA, stop the pause.

This is a great initiative, but I'd also ask that you include in the discussion that residents are evolved way before you get to the 60% complete completion phase design, so that you can have the most productive project as possible.

And regarding R5B and R5C that you'll be discussing today with respect to the Lib local housing mandates from Tallahassee.

This is a great proactive approach by the city to really focus on meeting residential housing needs.

So again, we look forward to your input and the planning board's input and residents input on a very productive discussion on this matter as well.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Carr.

Our next caller is Johan Moore.

Mr.

Moore, please unmute yourself.

Good morning, Johan Moore, 717 Jefferson Avenue for Meridian Court Community.

We oppose items R5B and R5C.

We ask that you defer them.

We do not, as a neighborhood, accept such height, and we would ask that you not attempt to jam another project down our throats as you did with the fire station.

We also support the item by I believe it's Commissioners Dominguez and Fernandes to require that commissioners submit items in advance and not at the last minute.

The mayor at one point in time, I believe he might have been commissioner at the time, in fact, submitted an item during the lunch break a number of years ago.

We also, as an organization, support Raquel Pacheco and the First Amendment.

I would argue that it is in fact the mayor and his Zionist agenda in support of a foreign regime who is anti-Semitic.

Thank you very much.

Our next caller is Judith Meigel.

Please unmute yourself.

I'm Judith Smeigel from Will's Park, neighborhood of Maine Beach.

As Rachel Pacheco described there are very not okay actions taken by the Mountain Beach Mayor and the police after a social media community post that was critical of him, not criminal.

Regardless of how you feel about Gaza and Israel, whose speech was not formal.

This is a very wrong message that people need to watch what they say and how they say it.

If the leadership would speak up, this city has potential to reaffirm the democratic values.

Because right now we're not we're seeing anti-democratic behavior and values.

I feel terrible that the chief of police Jones was compromised because the mayor is his boss.

The mayor said act and he acted.

I know the mayor, the commissioners, and how moving.

Our next speaker is Sharon.

Sharon, state your name.

Go ahead, please.

Hi, this is Sharon Weiss, 23381st Street.

I have two short comments.

The first is that I strenuously object to my tax dollars being used to threaten, harass, and intimidate uh fellow citizens, residents.

This is a violation of our first amendment.

There's a reason why the First Amendment is the first amendment.

It is the most important part of our constitution.

Next comment is that I'm not sure if you guys were aware, but the state of Florida shut down our beach up here last month for over a week at 73rd Street due to high levels of fecal bacteria.

This is the second time the state has come in and shut our waterways down in uh the last six months, and it is unacceptable.

I do not understand why we are talking about one item other than fixing our sewage pipes.

Keep the poop out of our waters.

It is a fundamental human right to have clean water.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next caller is Rachel Siegel.

Rachel, unmute yourself, please.

Yes, hi.

Uh I am calling because I have an eight-town dog, and there is no place for my dog to play, which is I know it sounds silly.

However, there's a big dog park, and they have huge dogs there, and they would have my dog cannot play it.

And I'm asking to have an off-leash like they do in Central Park until nine o'clock between seven and nine in the morning in the green in set in South Point Park, right by where Smith and Wolenski is.

There is no one there when we're there at seven to nine.

And we have been harassed by the arrangers when our dogs come out and play.

So please, uh, there's C4L, which uh Commissioner Salinas is uh proposing today.

I am in support of it, and many, many people in the park are as well.

Thank you so much.

Our next caller is David Simon.

Yes.

Hello?

David from West End Avenue.

Like many of us, I also read the article on the young Israel Bethel websites and the published police reports in the Miami Herald saying Miami Beach politics hit a new low this year with one of the commissioners stealing political signs and replacing them with signs of the candidate.

He is endorsing.

I mean, this guy caught red-handed by the police, throwing signs over fences, and then driving the getaway car with family members being arrested.

How is this commissioner able to continue on this board and get any respect from the public or fellow commissioners?

We need commissioners that have the ability to act like they are older than an 11-year-old.

Miami Beach deserves political representatives that will attract visitors and residents, not detract.

Thank you so much.

Our next caller is Wayne.

State your name, please, and unmute yourself.

Good morning.

Um I just wanted to uh bring up this isn't one thoughtful project.

I strongly oppose massive height and far increases for Washington Avenue and Lincoln Road.

It's miles about city being upzoned all at once with almost no limits.

That's not planning, that's a giveaway.

Miami Beach works because it's human scale and unique.

Unfettered zoning destroys exactly what makes this place valuable.

And let's be honest about what's happening right now.

The vacancies we are we see now aren't market failure.

They're intentional neglect.

Buildings sit empty, maintenance is deferred, leases aren't signed.

And if you prove huge height increases today, it gets worse.

Because once owners expect 150 or 200 foot towers.

Why what why rent why rent space or fix anything?

The profit is in waiting, not investing.

So they wait.

The car that dies.

Small businesses disappear.

That's not revitalization, that's speculation.

Thank you, sir.

Other cities, nope.

Other cities improve what they have.

Our next caller is Marina Brenn.

Marina, please unmute yourself.

Uh good morning, Commission.

Uh, thank you very much.

Uh, my name is Marina.

Um advocacy manager at Save and former North Beach Miami uh resident.

I'm speaking in favor of agenda item R70, Commissioner Tanya Bath's proposal to move forward with the rainbow installation at Loomis Park, and agenda item uh C7AY brought forward by Commissioner Alex Fernandez to support Ryan White HIV program um in response to Florida's A-DAP cunting puts.

Um, I'm here to urge your support for uh R70, a permanent rainbow installation, because it would send a clear message that LGBTQ people are welcome, valued and protected in Miami Beach.

Public affirmation from our local government matters and it equals safety for some of us.

Regarding C7AY, the Ryan White HIV program.

Um, starting March 1st, the Ford Department of Health is cutting the AIDS drug assistance program, ADAP, producing income eligibility.

Thank you.

Our next caller is Charlie.

Please unmute yourself.

Hi, I'm Charlie.

I'm a resident and a voter and a property owner in South Beach for 20 years.

I'm just calling to get make three quick points against the zoning and height increases for proposed.

Uh one, I think the dias is uh politically astute enough to know that the entire neighborhood or the mountain overwhelming majority of the neighborhood does not want this.

This just serves developer interests, and you guys know that.

Two, new development will not fill storefronts.

If you look at the Good Time Hotel, all of their storefronts have been vacant since its construction.

Homeless people sleep in the vestibules.

That is a fallacy, and it's just a trick that developers play.

Look at the storefronts right now that new development.

It is not uh, they're not filled, they're all vacant.

And three, if this was valuable, it would happen south of fifth as well.

It's not happening south to fifth as well, because you all know why it's not happening in South Fifth as well.

It's because no one wants this.

It's just the South of Fifth neighborhood has better money, I guess.

So you don't do this kind of stuff to that neighborhood.

You only do it to our neighborhood, just like the fire department.

I'm a little tired of our neighborhood.

Thank you, sir.

Like poop of the city.

Thank you.

Our next caller is David Sexton.

Mr.

Sexton, go ahead, please.

Hi, my name is David Sexton, 30 plus year resident of Miami Beach.

I'm here today to advocate for R70, the restoration of a rainbow on Ocean Drive brought by Commissioner Bott and Commissioner Mateo Salinas, and to advocate for C7AY by Commissioner Fernandez and Mayor Minor.

Also, one of the earlier callers spoke about the stop the pause item.

I think that is vital for our government to function properly.

Thank you.

That's it.

Thank you so much.

Our next caller is Daniel.

Daniel, state your name.

Unmute yourself, please.

Yes, hi.

This is Daniel Serraldo.

I am a proud resident of Miami Beach.

It's really hard to see residents looking so sad today at the commission being rushed, which is one minute sudden, then having a city-funded police officer come on the screen to move them along.

Talk about terrible optics.

I've never seen a commission meeting like this.

And I never agree with David Wally, but I agree with him today.

Two minutes Sudnik hour.

I want to ask the members of the public who are listening.

It is clear that we're being censored big time.

Please email me at DGC 223 at gmail.com.

Any issues of waste, fraud, or abuse.

Since at the moment we have wallflowers who are not doing anything to ensure trust in our commission.

Thank you, and I'll be back.

Next caller is Bruce.

Bruce, please state your name.

Bruce Siegel, resident on South Point Drive.

I speak in support of item C4L.

I had reached out to the mayor's office.

Uh I was asked to get support of Safna.

We got support of Safna, and I want to thank Commissioner Mateo Salinas for taking it upon herself to uh for proposed item C4L.

We have a very small dog, and it's not safe for an eight-pound dog to play in off stage with a hundred-pound dogs.

And having the separate area in South Point Park for the little dogs from seven to nine is an earlier caller mentioned.

Uh I would be great.

And uh, there's a lot of people with little dogs who we know are supporting that.

Thank you.

And thank you again, Commissioner Mateo Salinas.

Thank you.

Our next caller is Spencer Roberts.

Go ahead, please.

Mr.

Roberts, please unmute yourself.

Hi, can you hear me?

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

Hi, my name is Spencer Roberts.

I am just calling to thank you for your unanimous support and sponsorship of Commissioner Dominguez item R5M prohibitions on shark fishing gear on the public beach.

I just want to highlight the urgency of this issue.

Uh there have been several instances of this since our last meeting, including protected species.

And I want to ask that uh we get it on the uh we call I know there's a lot of business to get to today, but that we call the item at hearing time 1015, and I'll be there to see it through.

And uh I think we're all on the same page, so take it across the finish line.

Thank you.

PJ, can you call the next caller?

State your name, please.

Unmute yourself.

Peter, let's go to Matthew Morgan.

Hi, good morning.

Uh, my name's Matthew.

I represent the owners of 825 Washington Avenue, also known as the Clinton Hotel.

Um, I'm here to speak in support of the Washington Avenue residential plan, agenda items 5B and 5C.

We think the proposal offers a thoughtful corridor-wide strategy to reinvigorate a key part of the city by encouraging permanent housing and walkable vibrant streets.

Unlike piecemeal spot zonings, the plan takes a comprehensive forward-looking approach that provides clarity and fairness to all stakeholders.

It incentivizes long-term investment while preserving design integrity and aligns with the city's goals for affordability, mobility, and sustainability.

We urge the commission to move forward and adopt this well-balanced framework.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Our next caller is Sarah de los Reyes.

Hi, good morning.

This is Sarah de los reyes.

I am I'm calling for support for C4E.

I am I'm calling for support for C4E to add the Astro Surf to the Maurice Gift Bar in Able force the area is getting um it's getting all messed up with the parent grass.

So thank you, Alex.

Thank you so much.

We have no other callers in Zoom, and I see no other callers on the day uh in the chamber.

Commissioner Suarez.

Thank you.

I'd uh like a point of privilege to talk about what has happened over the last couple weeks uh in Miami Beach.

Um and I want to share something that should concern all of us.

Um recently in Miami Beach, the Vendome Nightclub.

Individuals tied to extremist anti-Semitic movements, played the song Heil Hitler in the club, and posted it online.

And PJ, I know we can't play the the sound, but uh I want to give you guys a little taste of what what we've seen.

Um we have what appears to be a uh neo-Nazi fraternity, okay, which has rolled out their version of DEI, apparently in our nightclub.

The feature is a gay Mexican, a half black guy, and an Arab.

Unfortunately, this isn't satire.

This isn't some edgy joke.

This is the glorification of a genocidal regime in a space where Jewish residents should feel safe.

And it didn't happen out of nowhere.

It happened in a climate where anti-Semitic rhetoric is getting normalized.

Which brings me to the next part.

In recent weeks, a local controversy got national attention today.

I'm providing context.

Most of the coverage got ignored.

We have seen repeated public statements from this individual that mirrors themes views by anti-Semitic extremists, as shown in that video.

PJ, put up the comparison side, please.

I want to show you a couple of tweets and show how exactly they're very similar.

The Zionist propaganda machine is full on, putting our tax dollars to work.

And on the right, we have that same individual who is in a nightclub singing Heil Hitler, saying Zionist control CBS.

This is all part of Israel's propaganda campaign.

Let's go to the next one.

Next slide.

We have a government that's completely beholden to Israel.

And on the right, we have a guy saying, okay, but Israel controls America.

I don't want everyone to see the comparisons.

You have a crazy person on the left, and you have a crazy person on the right.

Both are political.

Okay.

And what do they have in common?

They all hate Jews.

Next slide, please.

You have even Candace Owens, who we all know is crazy.

It's the same thing.

Everyone has the same talking points that hates Jews.

Next slide.

You have even more comparisons.

Israel and Miami Beach.

And they say that there's some sort of conspiracy, that there's technology, that somehow Israel is controlling our government.

The comparison is it's undoubtedly clear.

Next.

You even have the Ayatollah of Iran saying the same talking points.

You can close the presentation.

The parallels to figures, like Dopy Nick Fuentes and Crazy Candace Owens, the Ayatollah of Iran.

It's clear.

And let's be honest.

It's open season on public officials.

We've seen threats and violence on both sides.

Charlie Kirk, Governor Shapiro, Elon Omar.

It doesn't matter.

It happens on the left.

It happens on the right.

Rhetoric fuels this environment.

And when Jews are portrayed as enemies, oppressors, or villains, that has consequences.

Which is why the next video matters.

PJ.

Two Israeli embassy staffers gunned down in what the FBI says was a targeted attack.

At a Brooklyn tonight, we're on this third night of Hanukkah.

Cops are investigating two possible anti-Semitic attacks.

I wouldn't fucking do all good.

Flemins Graves snatched her phone, threw it to the ground, hit her, and spat on her.

Report quotes the suspect is saying, move you dirty Jew.

Woman was walking off 77th Street in Miami.

Well, she says on Palestine, Dork, you look as ridden like a motherfucker.

We got a lot of shit to talk.

Talking right now.

Then they held on the doors, threatening 11 Jewish students who have sought sanctuary blocking themselves inside.

For the first night of Hanukkah, police are investigating the mass shooting as a terrorist attack.

White supremacists should they live.

Murder can't be just enough.

Yeah!

Just hours after your Passover Seder, 22 people were in the house at the time, including your family.

There is a developing hostage situation at a synagogue near Fort Worth, Texas.

Anti-Semitism in America haunting Jewish communities from coast to coast.

More than 100 greys damaged or overturned the U.S.

Secretary can fill it out.

A swante enters discovering the seed of unimaginable horror.

11 people, three women, and eight men dead.

And this centuries old form of hate is sharply right.

These incidents are these incidents are real.

Assault, vandalism, harassment, Jews targeted in public for being Jewish, rhetoric normalizes hate.

Hate escalate escalates to violence.

And I really want to give an opportunity to the police chief to come up here.

I got a few questions for you, Chief.

Chief, I got a procedural question for you.

Okay.

When rhetoric escalates into inflammatory accusations, that could incite unrest.

Your department evaluates that public safety risk.

Am I correct?

Uh that is correct.

Wayne Jones, police chief, my BHP supportman.

Commissioner, that is correct.

That's part of our charge.

Okay.

Now, given the national controversy that this has happened, if you could do it all over again, would you do anything different?

In terms of how we handled the response to the post-it statement?

Correct.

Short answer is no.

Short answer is no.

Correct.

So in your opinion, in your professional opinion, you handle everything the right way.

Absolutely.

And you would do it again.

Absolutely.

The investigators that uh respond to Ms.

Pacheco's home, this is what they do, risk assessment, all the time.

They're very good at what they do.

How often does it happen?

How often does this happen where you see something like this and people got a welfare check?

Uh absolutely regularly.

In fact, the incident that occurred is commonly referred to in police work as a knock and talk.

It's done thousands of times, thousands of times in this country on a daily basis.

And given this political climate of violence, especially on elected officials, do you think it's out of the ordinary to do a knock and talk when people purposely spread false information?

I know these circumstances, absolutely not.

And Commissioner like to share something with you.

15,000.

That represented a whopping 58% increase from the year before.

Much of their response is done exactly where we did it, starts with knock and talk.

So this is an out of the ordinary either at the local level, county level, or federal level.

Not at all.

Okay.

You have anything else you'd like to share, Chief, now that you have the floor.

Absolutely.

No, the Mayan Beach Police Department is not in the business of policing free speech.

We're not.

In fact, we're in a business of protecting free speech.

But when something's brought to our attention, something we believe may be insightful to others to act to violence, we have an obligation to react to that.

The goal in the intent of investigators to respond to Ms.

Pacheco's house was not to not to take away our free speech, but quite frankly, have a frank conversation with her, a consensual conversation with her.

Ask her, you posted this information.

Has anyone reacted to you personally directly?

Has anyone indicated they wanted to cause harm to the mayor andor his family?

And if the answer was no, that would have been the end of it.

Would you agree that there's a lot of crazy people in the world that could read Ms.

Pacheco's post and say, you know what?

If he's killing Palestinians, I need to take justice in my own hands.

There is a lot of people who are unstable in this world.

And I can surely tell you there's a lot of unstable people in Miami Beach.

And I'm responsible for that.

I'm the one responsible for the rest of the day.

Chief, if you can.

Would you say that there's a lot of crazy people in the U.S.?

We do deal with people all the time on a daily basis in mental uh emotional crisis.

Uh oftentimes your action to that is to to baker act them, get them to help they need.

Um but yeah, we deal with quite a bit of folks with um emotion mental issues.

I appreciate it.

Thank you for keeping us all safe.

But I know it's not an easy before the chief steps away.

May I ask one question?

And I'm going to break the golden rule of politics of asking a question I don't know the answer to.

Um of the reasons why I haven't made any comments on this is because we're not allowed to talk to each other.

Um Sunshine Rule.

So I don't know what happened.

And I'm going to ask you a question that I haven't asked the mayor, I haven't asked you, I haven't talked to any of my colleagues about.

I don't want to say a yes or no answer, but let's just keep it simple and brief.

Sure.

Did the mayor direct order ask you or any of your staff to send police officers to Ms.

Pacheco's house?

The answer is no.

Thank you.

So I'd like to just finish.

Um if you want to ask me.

I just wanted to ask a couple of questions.

Uh I I you have implored me for a long time.

Very long time.

And you can enhance what you're saying that the security of me, my family, uh, really all of us.

That's not just me.

It's not just it's not just me also.

It's our entire city and potentially the Jewish community.

Um you've implored me that if I if I see something, I should send it to you.

Which I do.

Yeah.

Um, which I did in this case.

Yes.

Tell us what happened then after I sent it to you.

This took the case.

Um, Ms.

Mayor, you use an opportunity to urge you, like I've done countless times to increase the use of your protection detail.

That's exactly why they're there.

In fact, we've had other instances where people send you notes to your home that we've investigated.

That's not been publicized because um it was not recorded in place on social media, the interaction police officers has had as a result of result of that.

And because of the ongoing concerns you've had about your safety, because of the public and and unwavering stance you've taken in support of Israel, uh I've asked you for a very long time.

Let's provide you the safety and security I think you need to protect you from the crazies that may exist out there, um, and may want to wish you harm.

And Commissioner Magazine just asked the question.

Did I have any conversations with you about sending someone to Ms.

Pacheco's house, either discussing it, requesting it, asking for it, or even know about it before you did it?

You did not.

Um could you just tell us the thought process you had?

I mean, what what was it about the post itself that led to your concern?

Mr.

Mayor, I think I mentioned this to you.

The post in and of itself is protected speech.

I mean, in and of itself, there is no crime committed, right?

My my concern was one line in that post.

The fact that it mentioned that you had called for the death of all Palestinians, which is untrue.

But more importantly, I was concerned that a crazy or two may use that, it causes you violence or violence to your family.

And so that was the impetus of my directly.

I don't know if that was your thought process, but my thought process was potentially the Jewish community.

Yeah, when I read it.

Continue, I'm sorry.

But that was that was my thought process, and that's why my investigators visited Ms.

Pacheco's home.

Mr.

Mayor.

Commissioner Fernandez.

Thank you.

You know, it's it's a very difficult situation.

Recently I saw a post by the American Jewish committee, um, which had a very sobering reminder that portraying Jewish individuals as evil is actually an old anti-Semitic practice that has been used throughout history to justify hatred, to justify violence uh towards Jewish people.

And it's the kind of imagery and rhetoric that it it's vile, it's divisive, it has no place in in the public discourse.

Um I don't like what happened.

I don't like seeing images of police officers knocking on our residents' doors.

Um but we you we have to make sure that language doesn't provoke, that doesn't divide, and we also have to make sure that that this type of language that we don't help feel the flame.

You know, we have a two-fold responsibility.

We have a two-fold responsibility to stand firmly with our Jewish community, to call out anti-Semitism, um, to to be aware of these patterns in history and these practices in history that have been used to paint good Jewish people as evil to justify the hate and the violence towards them, which is real.

Um we also have a responsibility to ensure that our public institutions, our public resources respond in a way that are measured in a way that are constitutional, um, in uh in a way where we don't reward bad messages, hateful messages, vile messages, divisive messages with a larger platform than what they deserve.

They don't they don't they don't deserve um national attention, they don't deserve um I feel the time of day that we're giving it right now, you know.

Um but it has to be called out.

You know, comments that are used to portray Jewish people as evil have to be called out.

They need to be handled appropriately because we know, we know, and it's the same thing with Hispanics.

When they paint Hispanics or immigrants as rapists or as other types of criminals, when they paint LGBTQ individuals as pedophiles, it is a practice that is done to justify the evil that follows.

And that is that is what is so sad about all of this.

And and we've rewarded it unfortunately with with national attention, but it has to be called out.

It is wrong, it is hateful, it is divisive, our community deserves better.

I hope these voices don't continue to get amplified.

I know that as I go through my committee appointments today, as as I cast my vote today on committee appointments, I am not going to be voting for individuals uh who are who are who are using their platforms to promote hate, division in our community, because we need to come back to a place that's in the middle and a place that's in a place that's unified, where we protect each other, where we support each other, where we realize that whether we're immigrants, whether we're LGBTQ, whether we're Jewish or Christian or Muslim, we are one community.

We need to end the division, and I think it really it starts with all of us up here, and we we may not agree with with with comments, but we need to we need to coexist.

And we can't tolerate messages that at the end of the day, while may not be intended to promote uh violence, we need to protect our community from the violence that could potentially be inside.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Thank you, Commissioner Fernando.

I appreciate your comments.

Commissioner Bott.

Um, you know, our first job up here is public safety.

Uh we can agree or disagree on zoning or opening hours of businesses or anything else.

But at the end of the day, it's public safety for our residents, our elected officials, our visitors.

Um I don't know, has anybody here ever been to an event where you ask the DJ to play a song and they look at you and they're like, no.

I have.

Um could be a bar mitzvah, it could be a nightclub.

They didn't exercise judgment, and that's their right to have stupid views that they amplify.

What's not their right is to put the city potentially into a dangerous position.

And when I commented on the Vandome lapse of judgment, it wasn't the First Amendment violation.

It was the idea that these three hateful individuals with large platforms who are alleged sex traffickers and rapists and avowed proud anti-Semites to be generous.

I think that's the short version of their list of indignities, thought that this was cool in a nightclub on a Saturday night, drinking, partying.

They could have, this didn't happen, but what would have stopped anything from going from this group of idiots in a nightclub to ginning themselves up and taking to the streets and saying death to Jews along Washington Avenue and getting people to join in.

That then becomes a public safety issue.

So free speech is absolutely sacrosanct in my view.

You can have the greatest opinions in the world, you can have the most hideous opinions in the world.

When it rises to a possibility of a public safety issue, um, that's a different conversation.

You still have the right to make the comments, absolutely, and I stand behind that a thousand percent.

We also have the right to ask some questions.

I think, and I I would like this to be um a turning point and a teachable moment.

I think the problem lies when there are no immediate responses to very valid questions, because I think conversation diffuses a lot of the concerns.

You may not still agree with the decisions made, but you can at least understand the decision-making process.

And we didn't have that.

I will take us back to the O cinema debacle from last year.

We had a very robust public conversation in this chamber.

We had people queued up.

It was, I don't remember how long, but it's certainly more than a minute per person, and and we went very much longer than our allotted 30 minutes for Setnik hour.

And it was a cathartic, I I feel my impression was that it was an important community conversation.

All kinds of opinions were heard, there was emotion up and down, but at the end of that, we came to a better place.

And that didn't happen here.

And I I urge us all where it if we are put in situations where there are questions asked, that we answer them transparently and quickly and with full disclosure, because there's nothing to hide when protecting public safety.

You are completely at your absolute constitutionally granted rights.

Um you have every constitutionally granted right to say what you want to say.

I have no issue with that.

But if you're whether you're sitting on the dais or you're sitting at home, you need to be able to answer for what you say.

We all get hate mail, and we all get vilified on on social media.

I mean, if any of us were private citizens, we'd have slander cases left, right, and center.

I, you know, that we would win.

I have I've gotten threats, nothing like the mayor has.

I've gotten threats.

I mean, we've talked about it, and um it's we should all feel safe.

We should all feel safe to exercise our First Amendment right to say how we what we feel, and we should also feel safe that things that get said don't light an unintended match.

And that is the that is the balance of living in a free democracy.

You know, people can march through the center of town saying hateful things.

There will be a police presence to make sure it doesn't become a public safety issue.

So I would urge us, I hope we don't get into a situation like this again.

But should we ever get into a situation like this again?

I would urge whoever is involved to have forthright, direct, open communication, in rapid in quick order, answer the question, questions that are asked, provide the documentation, and air it air it out and and move on.

And by the way, Commissioner Bott, I agree 100% what you just said.

But obviously, since in this case I was not the one who made the decision, uh it was this was a police matter handled by the police department.

Um uh Mateus Alinas.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

I also want to just say that anti-Semitism has no place in Miami Beach, and we have a very large Jewish population here.

This is their home, and they deserve to be safe and feel safe, just as our LGBTQIA community deserves to feel safe here too.

This is their home, they deserve that safety.

And frankly, all of us deserve to feel safe in our homes where we live, where we raise our children, where we go to school, where we go to church or temple.

I wasn't aware of anything that had happened here.

Um I'm not on Facebook, and I won't be on Facebook.

It's a toxic mess of negativity, and I just I don't want to participate in that.

I you know, I'm sorry that I didn't wish you a happy birthday on Facebook.

Um, but I I will not be going on Facebook.

So people can and will say many, many things about me on Facebook, and I'm just I'm not gonna read it or react.

Um it's just not my deal.

But but bottom line is is that we all deserve to feel safe here, all of our communities, and you know, uh Chief, I respect you and your department and what you need to do and investigate and whatever procedures you have, I respect that.

I'm not gonna get in the way.

Um, and I thank you for doing you know what you felt was best.

Um and you know, again, I just want to reiterate that that we all deserve to feel safe here, and um and I will I will I will always you know elevate public safety to to number one.

So thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Dominguez.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh well, I agree with what's been said on the day is there is no place for anti-Semitism in our city or for hate of any kind.

The climate lately has really been escalated.

It's uh shocking to me to read my email and see uh some of the messages I get from residents and what they feel is appropriate to say to another human being.

Um it's it's quite uh shocking.

Uh but you take it in stride, and um I agree with Commissioner Fernandez who mentioned um uh the Hispanics and the things that have been happening with ICE and also the LGBTQ community who has really come under fire uh with the state, and it's unacceptable.

And thank you for the job that you're doing, keeping uh residents safe and leading our city with uh the police department and um let's see if the climate uh starts to settle down and change because right now, even the last few days reading emails that were sent to me.

I I think back I'm like what makes someone think that it's okay to send that to someone else.

Um so we all need to take a step back and take a deep breath.

Thank you.

Thank you all.

I I'm actually very emotional right now.

Mostly because of what I've heard from these days.

This is I'm hoping a real moment for us.

This is in a difficult moment.

It's been a difficult moment for Jewish people in general, uh, since October 7th.

Um I don't want to speak for others, I always say, but two, three years ago, the thought of America not being the greatest country ever for Jewish people outside of the state of Israel wasn't a thought on almost every Jewish person's mind.

It is on every.

I don't want to speak.

I don't speak for every.

When I say every, I mean 99%.

It doesn't on every Jewish person's mind.

To live like that.

And I know we're not the only group.

But that right now is the issue of the day.

So to hear the comments and the coming together is very meaningful to me.

It is anti-Semitism 101 to portray Jews as trying to commit violence against others.

It's blood libel.

It goes through thousands of years of Jewish history.

That's how it starts.

The blood libel against Christians.

They're all lies, they're all false.

To accuse me of saying something so horrific that I've clearly never even remotely said.

But I've also said that the tragic loss of life from any innocent civilians is tragic.

Except I blame Hamas, not Israel.

That's the difference.

But I have said, and I will go to bat for any person, any group in our city.

Actually, recently there was uh an individual from our LGBTQ community who had received some threatening remarks, disparaging remarks.

Commissioner Fernandez had come out and publicized it.

And then I came out with a Facebook post because that person had reached out to me.

I don't know if he reached out to me first.

I don't know all the details, but he wrote to me in an email, this member of the LGBTQ community.

He said, Thank you, Mayor.

You can read my post.

You were the first one to act.

You the first one to respond, and you took immediate action.

Didn't matter.

And I even told him when he said it to me.

I said, I treat this no differently than I treat an anti-Semitic attack.

Everyone in our city deserves to feel safe.

Everyone.

And I will go to bat for any person, any group, and I'm not just saying it.

I did it.

And this hopefully will come together.

This is an incredibly safe city.

It's a diverse city.

We're a welcoming city.

We get ratings from all different demographic groups as being the highest level of scores that they do is Miami Beach.

And I think today we really learned a lesson why that is.

It's the seven of us sitting up here.

It's the seven of us up here that come together when there's a threat made or perceived threat or potential for the incitement of violence against any group.

We act fast and we act quickly and we condemn it.

And it doesn't matter if it comes from the far left.

It doesn't matter if it comes from the far right.

And that's what your presentation, Commissioner Suarez shows.

You're seeing the same rhetoric.

In this case, we're talking about anti-semitism against Jews.

It's the same rhetoric is coming from both sides.

By the way, Tucker Carlson reached out to me after the Vendome incident.

I didn't I didn't go on that show.

Because I don't want to give a platform for somebody who is spreading hate and lies against the Jewish people.

I'm not going to do it.

We have we have to, we have to stick together.

And that's why I say I'm emotional because today I see seven of us.

This is leadership.

This is leadership, and that's why Miami Beach is one of the greatest cities in the world.

And we're going to continue that way.

And I have full confidence in our city.

Thank you, everyone.

Thank you, Chief.

Now we're going to get to the important business of the day.

And I think one of the more important items on the agenda is spring break.

So we're going to go to C R7V.

I'm sorry, Mayor.

Can we do the consent and the pull items or at least?

I got so excited talking about spring break.

I have to make the announcements.

Thank you, Mayor.

Sorry about that.

Just for the record and for the public to be aware, the following items have been separated from the consent agenda.

Commissioner Dominguez is separating C7U.

Commissioner Fernandez is separating the following items.

C4A, C4H, C7E, C7Z, C7AZ.

Again, I'm going to repeat the items.

Commissioner Fernandez is separating C4A, C4H, C7E, C7Z, C7AZ.

Commissioner Suarez is separating the following two items.

C7S and C7AS.

Again, C7S and C7AS.

Mayor, we need to set the agenda.

We need approval of the uh five Simons approval to add the following items to the agenda from Commissioner Fernandez.

It's C7X, Paint Lifeguard Stand in Patriotic Theme.

C7AD, approved galleria exhibit, MB Ocean Rescue 100 Years.

C7AF expressing hope for peaceful transition to democracy in Venezuela.

C7AW enforcement, I guess, unlawful Cuba related commerce.

If we can have a motion to approve all to add all those items to the agenda, please.

I'm moving.

I'll second.

All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Anyone opposed?

No.

Item carries 7-0.

Items are added to the agenda, consent agenda.

I'll do a motion to set the out to adopt a consent agenda excluding those who are.

Yes, sir.

So consent agenda of a motion by Commissioner Fernandez, second to by.

Aye.

Aye.

Unapposed?

Hearing none, the consent agenda is approved 7 0.

R7V.

R7V is authorized administration to deviate from measures set in Resolute 2025 33783 spring break.

R7B.

Thank you.

And I'll turn it over to uh this is actually uh Eric Carpenter, City Manager's item.

Just I'll tee it up.

Um I think we have a lot to be proud for the last two years.

The measures we have taken as a collective body as a commission, but also obviously our city administration, our police department, working together with our state law enforcement partners and our county partners and local um sister uh neighboring cities, police departments.

We have a lot to be proud for, but as as is natural, we look to potentially look to improve things.

And what's interesting is sometimes the narrative gets set that you know, businesses were against all the measures.

Uh I think nothing can be further from the truth.

There are select businesses, and they're they're here and they're vocal that are against uh some of these measures, but by and large, I've heard nothing but positives, and our resort tax numbers and our our hotel uh occupancy rates and hotel room rates, uh which are uh through the roof, uh, actually show that we've uh we've done a lot to protect not only our residents and our businesses.

But let's make no mistake.

Before the measures we took two years ago as a body, we had murders on our street, a level of chaos that is unacceptable, stampedes, people's lives were put in danger, and we took measures that saved people's lives.

That is an absolute fact, and that is what we're here to do.

Save people's lives, and obviously have an open, welcoming city, which we've done.

You see families coming down Ocean Drive in strollers, people rollerblading, people enjoying our city, going out for dinner, sitting outside, and that was not the case in past spring breaks before the last two years.

So I'm very proud of the measures we've taken, but today is a good time to discuss, and I know there was a discussion yesterday about potential uh steps we could take to um to to improve certain things, but ultimately I can tell you I'm just saying right now, for the most part, I am gonna be inclined to with certain exceptions to keep the measures we uh we have taken that have been so successful.

Eric.

So thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Um we have heard all of the commission loud and clear that we don't want to backslide on safety, but we do want to pivot slightly from what we've been doing in the past few years to make it a little more balanced approach.

Um and so we do have a comprehensive plan.

Um I have challenged all of the departments to try to find um where the right location is for us to be heading into March 2026.

Um it's important that we highlight that there was a resolution 2025 33783, sponsored by the mayor and commissioner Fernandez to uh allocate resources to specific 16 specific items uh that were related to spring break 2026.

Um if I could just one second, roll through those items to remind everybody.

Um adopt and execute a heightened law enforcement staffing plan, including Alpha Bravo staffing from Thursday through Sunday on the second and third weekends in March.

Um we are going to have enhanced staffing all throughout the month of March, but particularly on those second and third weekends, the 12th through the 15th, and the uh 20th through the 22nd.

Um those are the two weekends with historically we've had challenges that bookend St.

Patrick's Day.

Um we are going to have Alpha Bravo staffing of our police department outside agencies, and we are going to have significant police resources on the ground.

As we've heard pretty consistently from everyone that they want to continue to see.

Um we are going to, as enumerated in the second item, vigorously enforce the open container law.

Item number three was originally to close public beaches on the first, second, and third weekends at 6 p.m.

We are here today asking for a little bit of flexibility on that because we've programmed the beach just off of Loomis Park with some very high quality events.

We're gonna be bringing in future proof.

We're gonna be bringing in Guadapalooza, we're gonna be bringing the Adidas AFEX program.

Um and we want to have some flexibility in this item.

So that is one of the things we'd like to discuss and get uh a vote on today if possible.

Item number four, uh if necessary, suspension of sidewalk cafe operations on ocean drive.

This is already an if necessary and is discretionary.

I don't believe that that will be necessary.

Um, but certainly we will make those decisions based on what we're seeing on the ground in real time.

Number five, enforce the city's noise ordinance as we do 365 days a year.

Umcreased code enforcement, parking enforcement, and fire staffing.

We will absolutely be doing that throughout the month of March.

Um, continue to explore the implementation of a secured perimeter on ocean drive or portions thereof.

We will have secured perimeter areas in the activations on the beach, um, and we will continue to explore that.

Um, continue to explore the implementation of midnight curfews as deemed necessary by the city manager.

Um, obviously that would be a worst case scenario, and we would have had to have really had things go terribly wrong for us to have to implement that, but that is still something that is a tool in the toolbox, should it be necessary.

Uh implement a robust marketing and communications campaign.

Um we have already put together a robust campaign.

We'd like to uh talk that through today and show that to you.

Number 10, work closely with Uber and Lyft and other rideshare apps to communicate restrictions.

We are working with Uber and Lyft to make sure that they understand that traffic will be heavy, um, and we are going to be trying to identify pickup and drop-off points so that they're not a part of the problem.

Um, close all city-owned and city operated parking lots and garages in the Art Deco Cultural District between 5th and 15th streets, Thursday, 6 p.m.

through Monday, 6 a.m.

for the second and third weekends of March.

Because of the activations that we have on the beach, we will be asking for some flexibility on this.

Um I don't think that we are going to need to close those garages.

Um, but I do think that we want to keep in place the high impact measures that will allow us to increase the pricing up to the $100, which is item number 12.

Um3, restrict on-street parking on Ocean Drive, Collins Avenue and Washington Avenue.

This is the item that results in the barricades that I think everybody has at one point or another voice to me their concerns.

Um we are asking for the ability to have the flexibility on that to make decisions in individual areas, not blocking parking on Washington Avenue, Ocean Drive, or Collins Avenue, unless there are specific locations that will be that are problematic that we need to address in real time.

Uh number 14, work with the county to explore the closure of the Venetian causeway.

Um, we have gotten the ability to lock down the bridges for extended periods with the county, but they have not agreed to the closures and create special event zone or zones.

Uh we will be doing that.

That will be part of our comprehensive plan and explore all alternative modes of transportation to reduce traffic congestion.

That is an ongoing process that certainly will be helped by the new um trolley contract and the new water taxi that we've implemented.

So happy to dig into any of the details further.

We had a very robust and constructive conversation yesterday at the uh neighborhood sunshine meeting, and I welcome any feedback from the commission and committee.

The department directors are here to answer any specific questions.

Sorry, Commissioner Fernandez first, and Commissioner Bott.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Um I think what we need to look at is a calibrated and flexible spring break uh operational plan, um one that keeps public safety as our priority.

I think public safety is all of our priority, especially uh with spring break, it's a plan that preserves the tools we've developed and we've adopted over the past year, but applying some with precision based on the real-time conditions of what's happening in our city at the at the moment.

Um so I just you know, I think it's very important for us to understand that I don't think anything of what the city manager is saying is about undoing um the spring break strategy that we've had over the past few years.

They've been incredibly successful.

Um that works.

Um the question is how to apply it in a way that's intelligent, that's proportional, that doesn't hurt our businesses, that doesn't hurt our residents' quality of life, and that keeps us being a welcoming community.

So, first with sidewalk cafes, uh, Mr.

Manager, I support keeping sidewalk cafes open unless and until conditions uh would require otherwise.

Uh I believe you know these are permitted businesses.

Um they count with the sidewalk space.

Um, and the people who come from other parts of the country, they want to be able to sit outside, have a meal outside, enjoy our weather.

It's why they're here during during uh the month of March.

So any idea of automatically shutting them down, I think would would send the wrong uh signal and penalize uh business owners who otherwise are not doing anything anything wrong in in the city.

So what I do support is you maintaining the full discretion together with our chief police to be able to make targeted decisions to shut them down if conditions deteriorate.

So I completely support you in your in in keeping the sidewalk cafes open.

Second, the barricades along Ocean Drive, Collins Avenue, and Washington Avenue uh sends a very uninviting uh message of I believe it's a very aggressive visual.

Uh so I support uh rolling removing scaling back barricades where feasible.

Now, yesterday we were discussing that uh while we want to generally remove or see the removal and the scaling back of these barricades, there might be certain hot spots where you may want to be able to consider keeping them, like the 900 block of Collins Avenue that Mitch mentioned, or the 700 uh block of Washington where we know based on what the chief told us, based on data uh and history, these are hot spots of our city where it might be prudent and wise to keep those barricades there, but not imposing them by default asset policy along all of Washington Avenue, along all of Collins and Ocean Drive.

Uh, we shouldn't normalize a lockdown posture when a managed open condition uh can work safely.

Uh third, as it relates to uh the parking and garage topic that you brought up, Mr.

Manager.

Um last year we shut down the garages.

I think we had the 100 dollar parking rate.

I absolutely support given the amount of activities that we have coming into the city, the health and wellness activities that are coming in, future-proof that I believe is is coming back.

These are good tourists that want to enjoy our city, that want to respect our city, they want to support our economy.

I support keeping our garages open and allowing flexibility on the parking rate as you see appropriate, uh giving you that flexibility if you need if you feel that the market is saying that the parking rate should be $30, we will do it $30.

And if you feel that you need to raise it to $100 to control, to control the amount of vehicles coming into our area and all that, well, that is under uh your your discretion from from my perspective.

Um I also believe that opening up the garages, it prevents the illegal parking situation that Commissioner Magazine uh so eloquently mentioned yesterday.

Uh, when the garages are closed, when on-street parking is completely unavailable in areas like Washington Avenue.

What happens then is that people go into the residential zones and they start to illegally park in the in the residential zones.

So I believe opening uh opening up our garages and our parking um it reduces that illegal parking activity.

Um as it relates to the beach closing time and beach access.

Again, we have events that are coming up.

To me, it doesn't make sense to close the beach at 6 p.m.

when you have events that might need for the beach to be open later.

So rather than imposing uh closing time, I'm completely supportive of giving you, Mr.

Manager, giving the police chief uh support and flexibility of the uh of of the closing time.

Uh I believe also one of the things that has been brought up over the years is access points.

Access points to the beach uh over the years has been limited to two locations.

I've received feedback from residents who have concerns that it limits the access to the sand too much when you have only two locations, you kind of create congestion and unintended crowding at these access points.

And then um people go to other areas.

So go south of fifth, they'll go north of 15th where there are those access points.

So we could figure out a way where, in addition to keeping the beach open later, you could have more access points so that we avoid that unintended consequence, something I would be supportive of.

And we've heard from uh from our businesses about the LPR readers uh and traffic controls.

I think we're all supportive of having DUI checkpoints and all an LPR readers uh as people enter the city.

And I think it's also great messaging.

Um but what I would want to make sure is maybe you know, moving it a little bit later.

I believe usually we start around 9 p.m.

Maybe we can push it back to 10 p.m.

Um, you know this so that people who are coming into our city to go enjoy dinner, they don't get stuck in that traffic.

It's such an important tool.

I think it's an important tool to have.

Um, but I think we've also heard from our business community and from our residents, people who have been stuck in that traffic and the unintended consequences of that.

Uh I think ultimately what this you know brings together is not undoing the measures, keeping them in the toolbox, keeping in the toolbox.

If you need to close the beach at 6 p.m., you can.

If you need to close the sidewalk cafes, you can.

If you need to put up barricades, you can.

If you need to do a hundred dollar parking, you can.

It's all in your toolbox, but it's not going to be the policy, you know, from day one.

Is there in case of an emergency and an as needed basis?

That's what I would support.

And thank you for attending yesterday's meeting and for listening to the discussion.

Commissioner Bott, and then actually I want to say a few things.

So I want to thank uh Commissioner Fernandez in his new role for convening the meeting yesterday to have this conversation.

Um something I had had on the agenda for months and it we didn't reach it.

Um it wasn't that I was hoping to spill the state secrets about what our plans were, but it was to have the kind of robust conversation.

It took, I mean, we we talked about it for two and a half hours.

So, you know, we we fleshed out, hashed out a lot of um the nuance of what we wanted to see yesterday.

And you know, that's what my desire had been months ago when I put it on on the agenda.

So I'm I'm glad that happened.

Um for anybody who might not have seen it, I encourage you to go back and watch.

It was really constructive, a lot of uh good ideas back and forth.

Um Commissioner Fernandez has hit on a bunch of things that I was gonna mention, but um a couple of other things just to confirm um Mr.

Manager, the sidewalk cafes will be open during the day by default.

Confirmed.

Okay.

Wanted to clarify that.

That is a big deal.

Um Lady Gaga is playing on Friday the 13th.

It's a one-night only event.

It's a makeup for um the night that she had to cancel last year.

We need to plan proactively because even if a fraction of those um concert goers come over to the beach, um, you know, we need to find out when that show is letting up.

We need to make sure that our MacArthur Causeway is clear and not backed up.

Um, you know, I don't want our police to be less vigilant that perhaps we can delay um LPRs and um DUI stops until after that concert lets out and give it a little breathing room.

Um I will defer to the experts, the police department public safety um to figure out how to manage that push and pull.

Um the beach access, both in terms of when it is closing and how people can get onto beaches, needs to be rethought to have only two is counterproductive.

And um I understand it gives more control, but I think we can manage that in a different way.

And it is um it also makes the beachgoing experience less pleasant because you have all the beach visitors bunched into these spaces versus spreading across the entire length of our beach.

Um and more importantly, you know, the weather is beautiful, knock on wood, um, and there are plenty of people who don't want to be on the beach at the height of um the heat and and strength of the sun who like to go at the end of the day with their young family or you know, whatever, and we should make that available to them.

So I really you know I I am supportive of having the measures in place in case, you know, kind of a break glass if needed situation.

But we we had to we had to throw the circuit breaker for two years.

We had to disrupt and re-educate about what behavior is acceptable here in Miami Beach.

But we also want people to come back to Miami Beach and treat our city with the care and respect and affection that it deserves.

Um don't do things here that you wouldn't do at home.

Um we live here, people have staked their entire lives to build a business here, and we welcome you to be a part of it, um, whether you're coming across the causeway or coming from around the world, and just have a little consideration for your fellow human and and um proceed accordingly.

Thank you, Commissioner Bott.

Uh, just if I I'm gonna weigh in just big picture where I'm thinking.

So I I like I agree with some of the ideas to ease some of the restrictions.

The barricades is probably the biggest one for me.

My concern about, and don't take this personally, Eric.

My concern about leaving too much flexibility, I feel like that was part of the problem that we had in the past because our commission came together and gave some strict restrictions that you those preceded you, our police chief really followed through incredibly.

I think it makes it difficult when there's this amorphous moving goalpost, uh, depending on the situation.

So I'd like to for us maybe to do some of those easing if if we deem necessary, but I think we should be clear-cut in what they are.

Um barricades is a perfect example if it's parking.

I is is something on the table, I and I've heard this from from businesses.

Is there is there a way to implement like a voucher program like where businesses actually whatever the business is that they have uh X amount of vouchers that they can use uh a QR code for their this way you know a person is is I'm I'm stopping to say we have uh parking direct.

You can introduce yourself parking director when we battle.

When we got a parking director.

So uh short answer, yes, sir.

Um the the challenge is uh the breadth of reaching out.

So, for example, even in our current system, uh we hope to begin installation of our new system within the next few days.

Uh it will be fully completed within the garages uh before spring break arrives.

Uh obviously our technological capabilities will be leaps and bounds above where we're at right now.

However, with be with it being the very first few weeks, um, we will be able to do everything we do now with some added benefits.

So whether we're talking about uh uh both on-street and in parking lots using the apps, or whether we're talking about garages, we have that ability to give out vouchers, the challenges, the outreach to every single business, uh, who gets what, because obviously we have uh uh we've talked with the uh Lissette Argante, our our uh T CD director.

We had a meeting with the anchor uh institutions regarding this exact item on what could we do to ensure that these individuals that are coming for this particular event have parking.

We have that ability.

It just at that point come down comes down to who gets what and when.

Um that's that's the difficult part.

But yes, the technological capabilities are going to be there.

Okay.

Um thank you.

I'll also uh mention so talking about the causeways, and again, I'm I'm giving just my thoughts so everyone knows where I stand.

So on the causeways, what's interesting because I spent a lot of time actually on uh the MacArthur and the Julia Tunnel during last spring break.

Actually, I was out there at one point where the officers um had to confiscate guns, illegal weapons from uh from a vehicle.

So and and there were also social media posts that the police highlighted about some serious ammunition that our police took off the roads um due to these DUI uh checks uh and drugs.

So the problem is serious.

What's interesting is and uh my recollection is several years ago, probably three, four or five years ago, there were waits up to four hours.

I remember residents used to reach out.

The longest complaint I got, and uh I'm sure maybe somebody can come up with a different the longest complaint I got this last year was 45 minutes.

So I think our police and and in coordination with us from policy is we've done a better job about doing the police work they need to do, but also not having uh extreme wait times.

So uh again, it's all the balancing act because it's real, the guns we took off the roads that could have been in Miami Beach, and obviously it's all unknown to uh to what extent if any of those uh weapons would have been used.

But we do know that prior to two years ago, some of those weapons were used in our streets, and we had gang style shootings that we certainly want to make sure we continue to prevent.

Commissioner Dominguez.

Thank you.

Um Mayor, I hear you, but I also think that before 2024, um, the audience was COVID, post-COVID, it was completely different.

And with the activations that we've done from 2024 to now, it's um improved dramatically.

And uh so I understand your concerns, but I personally feel comfortable with making some changes and and pivoting.

Uh, one of my colleagues mentioned that month, the month of March is uh beautiful weather.

And I said this yesterday, but a lot of our businesses rely on March uh to get them through July, August, September, which are really, really tough months in our city.

So some of the things that I would support that have already been mentioned are the DUI and closing to one lane.

If that absolutely needs to get done, it should start later, so that people that are coming over to have dinner in our restaurants can do so without waiting and missing their reservations.

Uh sidewalk cafes to remain open, no barricades except for the hot spots that were mentioned, um, 7th, 9th, Collins and uh Washington area.

Uh we have beautiful programming that's coming to our city, and there will be people that will be looking for parking.

And the barricade look, it's not a good one.

So to get rid of that is great.

Keeping the garage and lots open on Lincoln Road, the businesses last year really suffered, and this year they on top of everything, they also have construction.

So it's a really tough time, and um we need to help them any way that we can.

So one of the things you mentioned, uh, Mr.

Manager, was that the city had worked with the county on the bridges.

Um that's really the Coast Guard.

Is the Coast Guard also in the loop?

The Coast Guard is the one that controls the bridges going up and down.

The county is the one that we've reached out to in the past to see if there was any possibility of closing the causeway to only residents.

Um, and the few times that we've had those conversations with the county, they've been resistant.

Okay.

And let's see what else we had here.

Um I saw the uh marketing campaign on social media last night.

Um, I think it's fun and uh really excited about it.

Uh so great job uh to the communications team and GMCVB uh for getting that done.

Um those were my comments.

Commissioner Magazine, thank you, Commissioner Dominguez.

Commissioner Magazine.

Appreciate it, Mr.

Mayor.

Uh appreciated Commissioner Fernandez for your leadership in public safety.

Uh the committee yesterday that had a great collaborative discussion.

I think when we talked about changing uh or keeping any of these measures, it's important to reflect on where we were, where we're trying to be, and why we took some of these measures.

It was four years ago where unfortunately CNN was doing a live broadcast on Sunday morning for motion drive, our beloved postcard.

And why were they doing that?

There were shop owners cleaning blood with the hose after the second night of a public execution on our streets, right?

So that is what is at stake.

But where we're coming from, the owner of the Betsy just shared with me over the weekend, he got contacted by CNBC for the second year in a row for them to set up a live broadcast production from our beloved beautiful Ocean Drive to do a full day of programming on the largest financial network in the entire world.

Right.

So that's where we were, and that's where we've come.

In addition to the events that have been mentioned, and to talk about the progress and where we're at in a different stage, uh I have on the agenda today.

I've been working with two multinational international brands that want to do an activation that they're rolling out in six cities globally, including Monaco, Sandro Pay, cities like that.

They are going to do or want our approval to do on Ocean Drive in the middle of March.

And those international brands are Prada and National Geographic.

So those that's the type of caliber of branding and clientele that we can now be proud we're bringing to Miami Beach in the middle of March, which years ago would have been unfathomable.

About why we took some of the measures that we did.

One of the goals was a lot of the problems stem from not really people that would come here and stay in our hotels, but would drive in from quasi-surrounding areas, party in their cars.

Those are the ones that were able to bring weapons.

You're usually not bringing it on the plane.

And that's where all of the trouble, the overwhelming majority of trouble, largely stem from.

So I do think that it's important to still be vigilant about keeping measures like that and really limiting the amount of people that are driving in from surrounding areas and partying in their cars and bringing those problematic atmospheres.

So I think we want to address some of that.

We also want a very good vibrant crowd, but in years past, we also don't want to be overwhelmed.

So when we talk about some of our uh traffic or parking, I think it should be with that goal of threading the needle of having a very robust public crowd, but uh preventing us from being overwhelmed.

Ways to do that are talking about opening the garages, but some type of uh pricing mechanism and control.

It's not three dollars an hour or anybody can come.

Uh, but there is some sort of cost control there, and also really have a robust discussion on whether we should be allowing uh street parking in our commercial corridors, whether we continue not allowing parking along Washington Avenue, we free that up a little bit, but if we do so, obviously we need diligent enforcement where people aren't partying out of their cars.

Uh the barricades just cannot remain.

It just uh echoing the comments from some of my colleagues, it just sets a very negative tone, it tenses people up.

Uh, it's just not the image that we want to project.

That is not CMBC coming here, that is not National Geographic and Prada coming here.

We are better as a city and we expect better.

Even in those problematic hotspot areas along Washington Avenue, if we do need to control uh on street parking, I wonder if we could do it in more aesthetically pleasing and welcoming ways.

Everybody loves our firefighters, loves them.

Maybe even putting them on calendars.

Um perhaps we have fire trucks that are out there instead of barricades.

Something like that, something that is interactive and welcoming to the community, but still serves as a public safety mechanism.

Uh, for the license plate readers, um, I agree with you, Commissioner Fernandez about pushing it back.

I do believe, Mr.

City Manager, they started being implemented at 6 p.m.

in years past.

I think over time it's gotten later and later.

Uh I don't know if we ever started it that early, but certainly seven o'clock, uh, maybe six.

Uh, but last year we originally planned to be eight.

I think by the end of March last year, we were at nine o'clock when we were implementing it.

And I think you know, the the later pushback time is uh is reasonable.

I I may have to recuse from that because full disclosure, I'm a I'm a little monster.

I'm a Gaga fan.

I hope to be going over to that concert.

So I'm not sure if I'm able to vote on that regard, but you know, I do think that we have to recognize that.

Um, and then one thing that we haven't talked about, but I think would be great to enforce uh to implement is some sort of evening wellness activations along Ocean Drive.

Uh I know lighting is often an issue, but it would be great to see evening volleyball games in our volleyball courts, evening pickleball games in our pickleball courts.

So we want a vibrant, lively Ocean Drive.

Uh the word my friend David Wallach uses oxygen, right?

We want to keep that oxygen, but do so in a way that's conducive to really elevating the nature of our city.

I think uh evening wellness, uh, Pilates activations, things like that along Ocean Drive, it goes hand in hand with the brand that we're uh going to be rolling out for our marketing campaign.

So those are some of my thoughts.

Uh really appreciate some of the um things that have been mentioned here, and just uh two more points.

I I do uh wholeheartedly agree with more beach access points.

And when we talk about um wanting to maintain that semblance of order that we've worked so so hard for and doesn't just impact March, but it impacts our brand for 52 weeks per year.

Uh while I am comfortable providing these accommodations uh that we talked about because we are in a very different place.

Uh it also should come with knowing where that line is.

So while we want to be as welcoming as possible, I also want to ensure we're having strict, strict enforcement and zero tolerance for public drinking, drug use in public, loud music and speeding.

So really doubling and tripling down on our traffic enforcement.

And because I don't want to push that bottleneck of trouble indoor residential areas.

I also suggest going alpha bravo with our parking enforcement, really doubling down in our residential areas because I know where some of that problem came in was not so much on Washington Avenue, where the enforcement is very robust, but when the um those visitors those visitors got routed into our residential areas like Flamingo Park.

So thank you for leading the discussion.

Commissioner Fernandez, Mr.

Mayor, for your leadership, uh city staff, really you're the ones that uh have worked so hard in the in uh oftentimes in the background, but you helped us get to where we are.

Uh Commissioner uh Mateo Salinas and then Commissioner Bob.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

So I agree with everyone and the remarks that have been mentioned up here.

I also um think we do not need the barricades on Washington or Collins.

Let's allow people to park and let's allow people to park and go into our businesses in the area.

I also agree with opening up the beach access points so it doesn't um kind of cluster in one area, coming in and going out.

Um and I also agree with the license plate readers starting later in the evening so folks can come over here if they have an eight, nine p.m.

dinner, they're not caught in a bunch of traffic.

I will say though that I want to suggest that if we are gonna do license plate readers, that they we actually have them, and maybe we already do, Chief.

I don't know.

Um, but have them going actually um westbound on Fifth Street instead of coming in because you do get folks that like to drink on the beach and then leave while they're inaburated.

And sometimes people come in Uber or they'll have a designated driver.

Um and I think that would also alleviate some of the when we get the revving car engines off of Fifth Street that um you know upset people so much late at night, that might be a good tactic.

But again, I'm not the police chief, so I'm gonna allow you to you know decide on that just as a suggestion.

Um and lastly, I just want to reiterate that please uh parking well, whenever we look at uh garages and enforcement and and all of that to please always remember the Fifth Street Garage at Fifth and Alton, the public's garage there, because folks have figured out that that garage is the first two hours free.

So whereas they might go closer into the entertainment district to park and pay 20, 30, 40 dollars, they get two hours free um at Fifth Street Garage, which causes a lot of chaos because it's right there at the entrance and the exit of our city.

So with that, um I think those are my thoughts.

And have you, Chief, have you considered doing uh LPR or excuse me, DR DUI checkpoint leaving the city on Fifth Street as opposed to coming in?

Sure, DI checkpoint, yes, we can do that leaving the city, but the LPR detail, I think it would be sort of counterintuitive to do it um on a way out as opposed to way in.

Uh we confiscate a lot of weapons uh folks uh coming through the LPR on a way into the city, we confiscate um I'm sorry, I misspoke the DUI checkpoints because people drink on the beach and then they leave.

And that's you know, sometimes they might have a drum driver.

We can certainly do that, yes.

Chief, why while you're here, I know I'm sorry, Commissioner Bob, but uh the license plate readers.

What's your thoughts on pushing that back?

And what's the significance of that?

License plate readers is obviously a technol technological tool, which needs follow-up from officers, but what's your thoughts on moving it back?

I any concerns?

Uh so like concern.

Like the manager mentioned, we've actually pushed it back year after year after year.

In fact, even last year we had a a start time um that we had tended to start it.

And because of complaints from our business community, mostly from restauranteers, uh uh claiming that their guests weren't able to get to the restaurants to honor their um reservation time.

We actually pushed it back even further.

Can you be specific?

Uh push it back.

Well, I think last year we started at 10 o'clock.

We started setting up at nine, and the actual implementation started at 10 o'clock because of concerns from our business community.

And so we've been very, very flexible and amenable to pushing it back um each year.

Can you explain what it means to push it back the license plate readers?

What is it?

What does that mean in practice?

So start jumping is actually later.

Um can you be very specific?

What what tell tell us the technology that's being used and what's right?

Yeah, okay.

So the LPR license plate reader, or ALPR, license plate readers, um, is a system of cameras that read tags license plates coming into the city at a rapid, rapid speed, uh process those tags and uh give us information, for example, whether or not the owner of the vehicle has a has a suspended driver's license, whether or not the owner of the vehicle is wanted uh for whatever reason, uh giving us probable cause to stop that vehicle and uh do an investigation, sometimes it leads to arrests, oftentimes leads to taking uh weapons, seizing weapons out of cars and all sorts of uh other things as well.

Okay, so now thank you for that.

Now in practice, what does it mean pushing it back?

Pushing it back means starting later in the evening.

Uh may would it may have uh a negative impact on the volume of cars we're able to process and push through the the LPR system.

Um but um we can certainly uh push it back.

Does that mean, for example, at six o'clock uh the LPR is not actually active and would not trigger if there was a car someone wanted for murder, for example.

Not active in the manner um that we we use in terms of narrowing traffic coming into the city, um slowing it down considerably, not active in that manner.

We do have other means of um running license license plates.

Okay, just a follow-up question on that, Ms.

Murray, if I may.

So we have license plate readers coming into the Mc into the city on a permanent basis.

Is that correct?

That's correct.

So so even though the lane reduction, so what we're talking about is the deployment of the lane reduction.

And and rather than starting that lane reduction where you pretty much only have one lane, I think it is coming into the city, saying, okay, push that back, you know, by an hour or so or whatever time you all determined to be appropriate, that doesn't mean, and I guess building upon the mayor's point in question, we still have the permanently fixed, a fixed LPR reader that if someone is wanted and it gets identified by that tag, our police department department, the Arctic, the real-time intelligence center would get notified.

Yes, uh and that's 24 hours a day.

That's correct.

So regardless of the lane reduction getting reduced, the technology will still be used and the alert, the notification would still happen if a dangerous person is coming into the city.

That's correct.

Okay.

Thank you for the clarification.

Commissioner Bach.

Um this is a small detail that PJ, could you please put up the slide?

Use it while you got it.

Um the um we can do better than this when we're closing our beaches.

We are a world-class city.

Um we need to do better than this.

It's an embarrassment.

And so I don't know whose jurisdiction this falls in.

Um I know it's expeditious to print something off on your printer and put it into a sleeve and uh zip tie it to the fence, but let's up our game a little bit.

Well, that's up our game a lot.

We don't need a permanent installations, but come on.

Okay.

Chief, that wasn't specifically directed to you.

You happen to be standing at the podium, but between Melissa and whoever's putting together the the beach closures, make it beautiful and and uh not disarm, not uh unwelcoming.

Thank you.

Mr.

Mayor.

Commissioner Suarez.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

I'll just be brief.

Eric, uh city manager.

Given all the proposals that you've put forward with the chief, do you feel that the measures you've taken in place are gonna keep our city safe during the spring break?

Yes.

Okay, thank you.

I just want to add if I can.

Commissioner Fernandez.

Um Commissioner Magazine mentioned something that was important, um, which is the parting we've seen in the past out of the cars that are parked.

So it's important to open the garages and to encourage people to use garages.

Um on the on-street parking, I believe the on-street parking is important, especially for locals.

I remember last year, you know, and the and you all remind me I was saying you could throw a bowling ball, roll a bowling ball down Washington Avenue.

Um, you know, I was trying to go and support some of some of the local businesses.

I wasn't able to park because of of the barricades.

Um for us as commissioners, we have access to garages and all that, and even just getting around, it was difficult.

Even when you're a commissioner, even when you have access to parking, all that it was nearly impossible.

And so while while I agree we don't want that unruly activity on the streets, we do want to have parking available.

I think we should have parking available on the streets, but we need this enforcement.

We need to make sure that we are enforcing uh that we don't have loud music coming out of these cars.

So we don't have open containers, people tailgating out of these cars.

We don't have people selling drugs out of out of these cars.

That's what I think we need to make sure.

But you know, very uh focused enforcements on those vehicles to make sure that they're not engaging in illegal and dangerous activity.

And that's how I think we find that balance.

And Commissioner Magazine, I don't know if you would uh agree uh with that.

That would address you know some of the concerns you had mentioned.

Yeah, you agree with that?

Yes, sir.

This is why you are strong in leadership and policy.

Eric?

So all of the things that we've discussed today are currently within my discretion, with the exception of the three that we requested as part of the agenda item.

The only thing that I would ask based on the discussion today is that the agenda item be modified slightly so that we're talking about removing the barricades in the parking areas number 13 from Washington Collins and Ocean as opposed to just Washington, which was what the administration had put forward just open the item R7 V.

I support that.

Could you repeat that or 7V?

Just what you proposed there.

Uh so yes.

The the agenda item R7 V is asking for the administration to have some flexibility on the beach closure times, the um closing of the parking lots and garages in the Art Deco Cultural District from Thursday, 6 p.m.

to 6 a.m.

Monday on the second and third weekends, and restricting on-street parking on Ocean Drive, Collins Avenue, and Washington.

Yeah.

Well, one thing I I would like to ask you to consider to possibly add is parking enforcement had been one of our sharpest tools before.

And if we're going to allow parking in the garages, which I think I we all collectively agree with, and then also along select uh corridors, we still want to maintain that complete discipline and diligence in the residential areas.

So consider having our uh parking enforcement staff do alpha bravo like the rest of our first responders.

Happy to do that, and also uh I want to reiterate that we will have the neighborhood protections in place for both Flamingo Park and South of Fifth.

So I just want to make sure I I understand.

So the motion that we have before us um or is there or I'll move I'll move our R7 V as amended.

I just want to make sure that Mr.

Manager.

I just want to make sure.

So with the item before us, your item, and if we amend it, it's gonna address uh keeping sidewalk cafes open and giving you discretion.

Uh I already have that discretion and I had shared with you my intentions, and I don't plan to deviate from that unless something goes wrong.

Okay, and as part of the adoption of this item and amended version of it, we would be removing barricades from Ocean Collins in Washington?

Correct.

And keeping them in certain hotspot areas that that you all like ninth and collins or the 700 block of Ocean Drive.

I mean the summer block of Washington Avenue.

So yeah, we'll have to we'll have to wordsmith that a little bit.

Right, but that's at your discretion.

You know, you with the chief identified those areas, but not have blanket barricading throughout.

Okay.

Correct.

Garages open with flexible rates that for you to adjust depending on the need.

Restoring the parking on the street of Washington Avenue with enhanced enforcement to ensure, okay.

The beach not closing at 6 p.m.

as a matter of policy.

Correct.

And exploring more more openings for the beach.

Yes.

Okay, but you maintain the flexibility that if you need to close at 6 p.m.

you can do that.

Yes.

Okay.

And then uh a later time for the start of the lane reductions for the LPR reader.

So that's not dictated in the resolution.

But as an amended motion, we it includes that.

I'm happy to include that.

Okay.

So I make that motion that that we adopt R7V as amended to include these items.

Second it again.

Sorry, go ahead.

Linking road.

Commissioner the garage and the lots open for Lincoln Road.

So right now the direction that is given to me is only the lots and garages along Washington Collins between 5th and 50.

I think we should we should consider as Commissioner Dominguez mentioned, reopening uh the garages on Lincoln Road.

And I think that was already contemplated in the resolution that was passed.

I just want to make sure that it's clear that you have clear direct.

I don't want you to leave with unambiguous direction.

I appreciate that very much.

And 41st Street.

Unambiguous.

Sunset Harbor and 41st Street are both off the table.

All right, so R7V moved as amended.

And the D point.

Can we go through can we go through the amendments again?

Sure.

I have some I have some concerns about it.

Um the amendments that are required to effectuate all of the things that we just talked about are giving me the flexibility to extend the beach closures beyond 6 p.m.

They are giving me the flexibility to open and operate lots and garages at high impact parking rates up to 100 within the Ardeco district.

So let me let me let me step in right there.

So right now, as we're sitting here, you have the flexibility.

Do we know what you're gonna do?

Do you know what you're gonna do?

So I can tell you that my intention right now is to start at 40 dollars and go up from there based on what the results are and how many people are showing up.

You know my concern, uh I mean this is this is the practicalities of how our city government runs.

When you have flexibility, and you have seven of us, and when things are happening in real time, I mean think about this.

This is like this is like the NFL.

Things are coming at you fast and strong, and you better have make quick decisions.

But you got seven of us, and we got a lot of pressure.

We got businesses telling us, hey, you need to open this.

You got residents saying I don't feel safe, and it's coming at it, and then we're throwing it at you to try to take all of what we're saying in real time.

Of course, while then directing our police department and others.

I I just have concerns about, and it's not you per se.

I just there these are real-time decisions, and I think one of the successes we made was not having all that flexibility was saying this is what we think is appropriate, and implemented it.

And you know what?

You did.

You did it to perfection in our police department, did it to perfection.

I I just I'm very concerned about having all this flexibility because when things come fast, when you get sort of that famous line from Mike Tyson, when you get punched in the face, things go awry.

Mr.

Mr.

Mayor.

I yeah, I just I get you.

Um I think we need to trust our when it comes to this.

I feel we need to trust our city manager, we need to trust our chief of police who have done an incredible job managing uh this there's things that some things I'm I may not may not like on certain issues, which I'm very clear to you about, Eric.

Um this is not one of them.

And I believe that those emergency style restrictions that we adopted were never meant to be permanent policies.

We can't say we're having a successful month of March only based on safety.

We need to have a successful month of March based on safety and people being able to enjoy our city and being able to conduct business in uh in in uh in in a proper way in our city.

Um so I don't I I feel comfortable giving Eric this this flexibility because the promise to the businesses was a number of years, at least my commitment to the business community a number of years ago was thank you for coming forward with these recommendations because a lot of the recommendations came from them, as you mentioned, Mr.

Mr.

Mayor.

Um, but it was with a commitment that it wouldn't be permanent, that it wouldn't be permanent, that once we started turning the page that we you know start reconsidering you know issues relating to you know blanket closures of entire streets, blanket closures of parking, blanket proposals about curfews, uh the barricade grids and the automatic shutdowns of certain areas of our city like the beaches and and all that.

Those who are crisis tools, and they belong in the toolbox.

They absolutely belong in the toolbox, but this is why we delegate to you the trust to be our city manager to make emergency decisions as may be needed, closure of sidewalk cafes, closures of the beach, closure of of garages, moving up LPRs, uh curfew if if necessary, this is what we trust you for.

Um and we're giving him the tools.

You know, he can implement these these tools without making it the blanket policy.

Let me ask this question.

Um, if you mind, Commissioner Suarez, I'm gonna ask your question, because a couple of years ago I had worked on a plan and uh Commissioner Fernandez, you and I had co-primed uh sort of the outline of what we implemented, and Commissioner Suarez, you came up with the idea about the parking, if that's my recollection at least.

What's your thoughts on sort of rolling that back at this point?

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Um I'm not a public safety expert.

Okay, I'm um just the regular guy who lives in Miami Beach.

I think I have to take the advice from the chief and the city manager, and if they feel like they need the flexibility for um to to move the parking rates up to $100 uh at this point, uh I mean, who am I to argue that?

I think um I think there's been certainly a large sentiment from the community that we want to you know open up Miami Beach.

Um and that's why I I simply asked our city manager do you think the measures in place are gonna protect us and keep us safe for the spring break?

And he just said yes.

Um I I think it's it's we have good dialogue, but at the end of the day, really you know we're not professionals, we're just lay people, and you know, Eric and and the chief are experienced government officials, and if they feel like this is gonna keep us safe, you know, who am I to argue with that?

Um so you know, those are my thoughts.

I I think we've done a very successful job transitioning March from a party all you can day and night for spring break to now a fitness destination.

We have high rocks coming, athletics, Watapalooza, we have blue zones coming.

Um it's it's gonna be completely transformed.

Um and it's in my opinion, I think it's okay to sort of take a pivot and start to change the sort of uh dynamic of our march.

And like I said, if the if if our the people that we hire to tell us what's best as far as public safety and event planning, think that this is appropriate.

I'm okay with that.

Mr.

Mirror.

Uh just a follow-up on that.

Commissioner Fernandez, I asked uh I have a question for the chief, but but just to follow me, you know, I and I and I just want to highlight um Commissioner Commissioner Suarez's response because you've been so consistent.

Your first discussion on this day is uh our first spring break discussion a number of years ago.

You asked the same exact question of the city manager.

Then the following year, you asked the same exact question of the city manager.

Do you believe that this is what you need to keep our city safe?

And and you supported that.

Uh and so I just want to highlight um your consistency in trusting.

Uh we speak a lot, actually, a lot of times when we compliment our police, we speak about police discretions.

We trust police with this question.

Uh and I and I trust um uh Chief Jones with uh with that level of police discretion that a chief should be trusted with I'll add Commissioner Fernandez that predating Commissioner Suarez.

I think every because I've been on this day as now six years, uh first as Commissioner Mayor, which I think I noted.

I think I'm the longest standing member, which is hard to believe.

But um, I think every year somebody asked our city manager at the time and our police chief of the time, are you comfortable with these measures?

Yes.

And obviously it didn't go well.

So I I'm not sure that's the uh but I but I hear your point, Commissioner Fernandez.

Um I'll ask you the same question, I guess Commissioner Suarez asked uh the city manager.

Is it and please tell us is there anything that you're uncomfortable with these rollbacks?

This is something a tool that you think you need to ensure the safety of our residents and visitors in our city.

Thanks, actually.

And I'll and I'll add the safety of the officers as well.

Certainly.

Uh, thanks to asking the question, um Mr.

Mayor.

The answer is no, I'm not uncomfortable with it.

In fact, I am looking forward to this year, a spring break uh for this real reason.

Uh the activation of the sporting events that's happening.

Uh one of the things in police work, positive activation of space actually reduces crime.

Classic example of that is the C V C FP we just went through to this the um football game, right?

A lot of people into in the city, tens of thousands, more people than as usual.

Of crime numbers went down.

I anticipate and expect crendoms to go down this March because of the activations we're having.

So very comfortable with uh the flexibility being given to the city manager to make decisions in real time.

And we have enough resources in place on the ground.

Not only the police officers will be working alpha bravo on the two highs uh weekends, but also all the support we're getting from outside agencies coming here to help us as they have in the past.

So we have resources to make the the pivot uh in real time if we so have to.

Thank you.

Uh who has to speak?

Commissioner Mateo Salinas.

So I anticipate that March is gonna be a great month because of these activations that we have, the sporting events and future proof great conferences.

And I think that the thing that when we talk about releasing um relaxing some of the measures is that the beach is different now.

People don't party on the beach.

After the Colin Harris concert, every everybody left.

Everybody left.

They hopped in their cars and they went to Winwood.

So I think we've grown up a bit, and that in large part I credit that to our marketing campaign.

We are leaning into the wellness activations.

We are leaning into being less of a party city.

People aren't drinking anymore.

Young people, old people, some blame Ozempik, who knows why, but people don't drink like they used to alcohol sales are down throughout the country.

So I'm comfortable relaxing these measures because I don't anticipate having parties and drinking in cars and streets to the level that we had it for three, four years ago, because parties have changed, habits have changed, Miami Beach has changed.

And again, Melissa and and GMCBB, great job on the marketing campaigns that we've done.

We have made it loud and clear to anyone that wants to come here.

That's not what we we're about anymore.

We are very much health and wellness, and I will be participating in these events, and I do challenge my colleagues if you want to um take me up on that offer.

I think we should all participate in these events that are happening.

And I I really uh feel comfortable with all these measures because we've done it correctly so many years now.

Um and and if I may, Melissa, can can we run the uh new campaign that just launched yesterday?

Is that okay?

I'd love to watch that again.

Okay, and this is exactly why I'm comfortable with these measures because I I just we're we're different now.

We're different.

Everything is different about spring break now, and I I'm really looking forward to what what the year is gonna bring.

Right.

So good morning.

Well, PJ cues that up.

Um we obviously had a very public breakup two years ago, gave a reality check.

Um, and this year we're really flexing about being the health and wellness capital.

So I hope uh what's that?

I see what you do there.

Yes, thank you.

Um so with that, hopefully, PJ, it's ready to go.

March, Miami Beach will continue its beach restrictions, DUI checkpoints, and parking limitations.

In other news, a man has woken up after 10 years.

The first thing he wants to do with his new lease on life party, like it's 26, 24.

Excuse me, sir.

There's no drinking in public.

Green tooth.

Green tooth.

Oh, good, he's breathing.

Why don't you come play with us?

I'll give it here for another 10 years.

Great job, Melissa and team and everyone that uh brought that together.

And I want to thank you also for having our actual Miami Beach police officers in that video.

Um that they weren't actors, they were real, and I appreciate that.

So and also uh Raven, that was shout out, Raven, for being in that.

That was that was great.

And I believe I understood that uh the run club, the Miami Beach Run Club were the runners that run past the the guy.

Um so great job.

I mean, it just really was uh we're we're changing, we're growing up, and I think we're gonna be in a good spot this year.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So we had um, Mr.

Mayor, we had a motion as amended.

Um Mr.

Manager, I trust you with the execution of spring break.

I trust the chief.

Uh if something goes wrong, you know, we're here to back you.

And in fact, I I trust you and the chief so much.

I'll put my name as a co-sponsor of R7V of your program because we're all in this together.

If things go well, we're all together.

If something happens, because it's a dangerous society out there, because it's the state changed laws that allow people to bring in weapons pretty much anywhere, or we're here to back you.

But we also need to back our community, our businesses, uh, and those who want to enjoy and prosper in our city.

So I move the item as amended.

I I promise Mitch Novick, he's been asking to say something.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Mitch Novick Sherbrook Hotel, 9th in Collins, which is no longer a hot spot.

Uh I am not in support of barricades uh or any uh the green ballots or anything that impedes traffic in our urban urban traffic grid, especially along Ocean Drive.

The barricades should just be at the flamingo park entrances on the west side of Washington Avenue.

Thank you, Mr.

Thank you.

Okay, I believe we had a motion and a second.

Yes, sir.

I have a motion by Commissioner Fernandez as amended, seconded by Commissioner Suarez.

Let's call the vote.

Yes, sir.

Uh all in favor of R7V as amended, please say aye.

Aye.

Anyone opposed?

The items approved 70.

We're listening, Commissioner Fernandez as a sponsor.

Okay, thank you, everyone.

Good good discussion.

Uh R5A.

Yes, sir.

R5A is an order to the mayor of City Commission of the City by Miami Beach Fort Amending Chapter 2 with the Maybe Beach City Code and Title Administration by amending Article 3 and title agencies, boards and committees by amending division one entitled generally by amending section 2-22 thereof and titled General General Requirements to Amend the Term Limit Provision applicable to members of city agencies, boards, and committees.

I'm providing for repealers of ability qualification and an effective date.

I move my item.

Second.

Anyone in the audience requesting to speak?

I see none, none in Zoom.

Oh, that's okay.

We have a motion and a second.

Call of it.

Uh Commissioner Bott.

This is an R5A.

Yes.

Commissioner Magazine.

Yes.

Commissioner Fernandez.

Yes.

Commissioner Dominguez.

Yes.

Vice Mayor Matil Salinas.

Yes.

Commissioner Suarez.

Mayor Minor.

Yes.

Motion carries the item is approved.

That was R5A.

Oops.

Like we are honored to have with us our tax collector Dariel Fernandez with us today.

Gave you a nice shout out last night at the state of the city.

Thanks for joining as well.

And you've been a great friend to Miami Beach and a great partner.

And I know you have some updates, so thanks for being with us.

Yes, I just wanted to um uh thank you for the opportunity to speak with all of you today to this morning.

Uh my name is Dario Fernandez.

I'm the county tax collector, and I'm here today in support of Iron C 7AW, sponsored by Commissioner Alex Fernandez.

This item create more coordination related to compliance with federal Cuban sanctions and reinforce the importance of proper authorization for businesses operating on the federal sanctions programs.

For more than 65 years, the Cuban Communist and Socialist dictatorship has approved the people of Cuba, support the reproduction and continue operating with financial support and special agreements from other nations.

No community understand that reality better than ours, and that is why sanctions, enforcement and contact members.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak, and thank you for your consideration.

God bless Miami Day County.

Go bless Miami Beach, and God bless the United States of America.

I have another good news for all of you in just three weeks.

I know that is the good news that all of you are waiting for.

So in uh three weeks in March 5th, uh, we're going to uh open in the new office of the tax collector for the first time ever here, Miami Beach.

So all of you all invite to come and celebrate this important milestone with you know with the office of the tax collector, of course, with Miami Beach.

Dario, why don't you explain to all of our residents uh what what that means?

What services are you gonna provide?

So Miami Beach.

First, I wanted to say thank you to to the uh city manager.

Thank you, Commissioner Alex Fernandez, thank you, Mayor, and thank you to all of you for supporting this.

I think for the first time the uh people, Miami uh beach wanted to have their own office.

What does it mean for all then?

Then now you don't need to go into uh downtown Miami to do to open your business.

Now you have the opportunity to come into our office, um, you know, apply for the local business tax.

Also, you're going to have the opportunity to renew your car registration, renew your ID, getting a new driver license in uh Miami Beach.

If you need to have any license like a you know, uh fishing and homesy license, uh if you need to pay your property taxes, if you have an equation, if you need help with your property taxes, we're going to be there.

Uh so we're going to have like a 13, 14 uh window.

Um our amazing thing is uh you know, waiting for for that day and ready to to serve the people of Miami Beach.

Thank you.

Mr.

Mayor, Commissioner Fernandez, thank you.

Uh and uh I just want to go back to the resolution that's that's before us, uh supporting your initiative, Mr.

Tax Collector, supporting the county's resolution sponsored by Commissioner Natalie Orbis Melian uh calling for stronger oversight of the regulations of commerce with communist Cuba and are acting for better coordination and enforcement at the local level.

Because we are the community with the largest Cuban exile community in the United States.

Uh and for many families in our community, including my own, your family, Dariel, the family of so many of our of our colleagues here, Commissioner Dominguez, whose family are exiles, the families of so many who have placed their trust on us.

The reality of the communist Cuban regime is tied to exile.

Yes.

It's tied to loss of freedom, loss of property, loss of rights, the denial of democratic rights, the loss of free and open elections, the arrest of uh of opponents of the government, the execution, the murderous execution of people that that they disagree with.

And that's why this initiative, Darriel Fernandez, that you have put forward is so important, because it's grounded on something very big basic.

It's compliance with existing law.

At the federal level, at the state level, uh at the county level, there are already laws uh and sanctions governing transactions and business activities involving involving Cuba and uh and other sanctioned foreign governments.

It's not just Cuba.

There is other uh sanctioned uh governments.

And our here, our role here, um we're not creating foreign policy.

What we're doing is uh is ensuring that we're laws already exist, that they're actually being followed and supporting your efforts.

And when you identify a business that is engaging illegally with an enemy of this country like Cuba is, that we go after their operations and that we shut them down and that we tell them that they have no place in our community.

Follow the law, support democracy, run your business, but follow the laws of this country, and let's not be supporting regimes that have destroyed families, killed people, uh, and and arrested, arrested and imprisoned their opponents.

So thank you, Dariel, for bringing this forward.

Thank you, all of you for always putting people first in Miami Day County on here in Miami Beach.

Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Fernandez, thank you, Dariel.

Oh, Commissioner Magazine.

Uh Mr.

Tax Collector, uh, sounds like a nickname, but uh it's uh your commitment, uh not just to Miami Beach, but I I follow you closely um to the county is just incredible.

You seem to be everywhere at all times at all places.

So I'm familiar you've uh done a similar initiative around the county.

I thank you for that, Commissioner Fernandez.

Thank you for making sure that this is uh front and center of Miami Beach.

I'd like to be added as a co-sponsor to this.

Please um my daughter's mother uh grew up in a communist uh regime in in Poland, and she was a young girl uh and she saw her father kidnapped out of their home never to return.

Uh so this hits uh near and dear to my family.

And while Poland is uh turned the corner, I couldn't imagine having that tied to my family if they were still living in a regime like it was the mid-1980s.

Um so thank you for what you're doing.

This is supportive of the people uh that deserve freedom and need it, and thank you for Commissioner Fernandez for the leadership here.

Thank you.

And Mr.

Mayor, I'd be remiss not to thank all of you uh also for on consent uh approving our our resolution expressing hope for the peaceful transition to democracy in Venezuela.

Amen.

In Venezuela, where they finally have captured and arrested yet another murderous dictator who repressed rights uh who executed people.

Um and it's so tied also to what's going on in in Cuba.

So I want to thank all of you uh for standing in unity with our Venezuelan community because at the end of the day, what unites all of this is oppression.

Yes.

People who have been oppressed by their government, and we're standing in unity with them.

Thank you all for your support of these two items.

Thank you.

Thank you.

God bless you all.

Come anytime, Dario.

Good.

Uh I'm looking forward to March 5th.

Yes, yes.

Uh sure that was intentional.

Yes.

You think of everything.

Uh R5D.

R5D is a temporary uh it's an ordinance of the Mayor City Commission of the City of Miami Beach, Florida, amending the code of the City of Miami Beach of Part B entitled Land Development Regulations by amending chapter two thereof, and title administration and review procedures, Article 5, and title Rezonings and Development Approval, Section 2.5.2 and title conditional use by amending section 2.5.2.1 and titled purpose to provide for exceptions from conditional use regulations for certain neighborhood impact establishments in the designated commercial districts and provide for administrative review and enforcement and providing for codification, repeat or sub-ability and an effective date.

R5D is a second reading public hearing, it is uh requires five sevens vote.

That's R5D.

Commissioner Fernandez and co-sponsored by Commissioner Bott.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Uh this is a proposal that establishes a pilot program intended to incentivize the reactivation of uh vacant storefronts.

When we speak uh to people throughout our community, you know, our residents speak so nostalgically about the old Miami Beach that where they often recall live music places where they could go uh have dinner, have coffee, have brunch, listen to some live music.

And actually, in fact, um when I when I talk to a lot of residents, they think of places like Van Dyke's, okay.

And a beloved establishment like that that people reminisce about, if Van Dyks wanted to come back to our city today, it wouldn't be able, it wouldn't be allowed to open as of rights uh in in our city because our zoning code, our laws don't allow it.

Um and and so that became clear that we need to do something.

We need to correct.

Uh we need to correct to be the community that our residents want us to be.

A community where not only they can go out and dine, but have fun, have bring back joy uh to some of these corridors so that our families and our residents and our visitors can enjoy them.

Uh it this establishes a um a temporary period until December 31st, uh during during which uh businesses can apply to the administration uh to have live entertainment in areas like Lincoln Road uh from Collins to to Alton Road or other areas of our city like Washington Avenue where we see high amounts of of vacancy without having to go through the conditional use process.

It has an expiration date.

If there are unintended consequences, we we don't have to extend it, but if we see success, we can always uh extend the um the the duration of the ordinance.

Uh Mr.

Director, I don't know if there's anything you want to add that might be pertinent.

Uh no, Commissioner, you covered everything.

With that, I moved the item.

Tom, can you go through?

I followed the planning board meeting from afar.

I was in and out, and they had some things.

So can you talk about what this includes and what this covers?

Sure.

It basically, as um Commissioner Fernandez indicated, it creates a temporary set of regulations through the end of this year, which could be extended by the commission that would allow for um alcoholic beverage establishments, restaurants that have indoor entertainment to forego having to get conditional use approval for indoor entertainment.

There are some guardrails to make sure that establishments that are too big would still have to go through the process, but within these um identified areas of the city, Washington Avenue, Lincoln Road, uh Collins Avenue, 71st Street, and 41st Street, they would be allowed to simply come in for their CUNBTR without having to go through the lengthy uh certificate of use permit process.

I I love this.

Um I want to be added as a co-sponsor.

Uh I haven't done my homework with staff about some of this.

Um if it's no, it's no, would you be in any way amenable to hearing this in two weeks at the February?

And I'm I'm gonna be totally supportive.

Uh I want to better understand some of the nuances, or if Tom, if you'd be able to just go a bit more in depth, maybe I can get people here.

Basically, I'll I'll basically go through the eligibility criteria.

Yeah, this would apply to businesses um within an existing building which has a certificate of occupancy that was issued before January 1st of 2025.

And the reason we have this is because what we don't want is somebody that has an existing CUP to vacate that C UP and then try to come in.

Um so there's a safeguard there, and and they they in order to be eligible, they would have to meet that.

Um the um there would be no outdoor entertainment and no adult entertainment.

So this would not apply to outdoor entertainment or adult entertainment, or rooftop, or rooftop, it would not apply to any open air or rooftop facility.

The maximum occupancy could not exceed 750 persons.

So as I said before, this is not intended to be for very large venues, but for those that are smaller to more moderate.

So basically, right now, if your restaurant without entertainment has an occupancy of, say, 350 or 400, you have to go get a CUP.

Under this, you would not have to get a CUP, you could open up, but that occupancy could not exceed 750 persons.

Similarly, if you have indoor entertainment, right now, if your occupancy exceeds 200, you have to go get a CUP.

This would give you some flexibility, but not over 750 persons, so it wouldn't be the bigger.

And to add clarity, if I may, Commissioner, if you if you yield, uh, Mr.

Director, what safeguards do we have in the event someone abuses us?

Let's say um they go in, uh they get an administrative approval to have live entertainment.

Will we have the ability, or the administration have the ability to revoke that privilege and then say, you know, you gotta go then through the conditional use process?

There's a provision.

We already have a provision in the code in sections uh 102-381 through 102-385 that give the administration the authority to revoke a BTR based upon that criteria, and so that would apply here.

So, and and I just want to confirm with our chief deputy city attorney, and I love that title because when I say chief deputy city attorney, it usually gives them enough time to walk from their seat to the podium.

Um with the adoption of this ordinance, if someone is found to be a nuisance, to be abusing this, to be creating uh noise, we would be able to take away uh the right that this is giving them and send them then if they want to continue, they would have to go through the conditional use process.

The if if the if the establishment violated, for example, if there were habitual conduct in violation of the city, state or federal law, or if there are material misrepresentations, if there were um gambling, prostitution, there are specifically.

I mean, habitual violations of the noise ordinance could be part of the reason to shut a business down for this.

I just want to make sure I want to make sure it's in the toolbox.

And then and then they would then rather than having this privilege to help good businesses, you know, be able to fill up vacant storefronts, they would have to go then through the conditional use process where they would have to show operational plans and you know meet a whole different other number of requirements, and that's obviously as a much lengthier process.

That's right.

Okay, excellent.

I I appreciate that.

And one question I have, given that this program sunsets, if somebody gets a CUP and they have no violations, it's not as if that CUP sunsets at the end of the program.

They maintain that until maintained it.

Okay, excellent.

And given that we're concentrated here in our commercial corridors, right?

It's not as if this is in Sunset Harbor or South of Fifth or West.

Even along West Avenue or Bell Isle, areas that we've intentionally kind of restricted, I hate using that word, but restricted some of our entertainment options.

Given this is really concentrated in our commercial corridors, really not a butting uh residential areas.

What is the um intent of excluding kind of open air or any type of rooftop activation?

In uh in our experience, open air and rooftop can create a type of nuisance that has a much bigger impact on both neighboring residential areas as well as potentially neighboring commercial areas.

And that's why, under the code, regardless of what your occupational content is, all rooftop and all open air entertainment establishments have to get a CUP.

So if you're even just a restaurant, right?

Let's say there was the new restaurant on Lincoln Road, uh Oro or Aura, right?

And it's inside, but they they have that like meal it type vibe where they have outdoor entertainment, it's not a nightclub on a roof.

Um they wouldn't be able to fall in under this outdoor portion, no.

And they also already have a conditional use permit.

I know them, but I'm just saying uh a similar example, right?

That they seem like both those entities like great operators.

Uh it's not a nightclub on the rooftop.

Uh is there accommodation for that or under this program, or that we could consider even?

What's challenging with outdoor entertainment is the way that we define entertainment is a performance.

And so under the code administratively, we really can't pick and choose what type of entertainment you have or how loud it is.

It's just a performance is entertainment.

As part of the CUP process, the planning board can regulate that.

So using MILA as an example, they can regulate to make sure that any entertainment they have is going to be ambient level, that there's going to be certain hours of operation, there's certain guardrails that are part of the CUP that would be challenging for us to do administratively.

Indoors, it's not the same type of challenge because it's fully enclosed and it's not going to interior.

Entertainment that they have.

Isn't it just uh outdoor dining?

I believe that they either have a DJ or some limited ambient entertainment.

So even ambient music would be considered entertainment?

If it's performed, yes.

Performed.

Okay.

By like a DJ DJ or a three-piece or a solo singer, all of that falls under the definition of energy.

And I guess I'd see Sarah and Marilyn like appear behind me if I go, should we always consider a DJ's live entertainment?

Yes.

Okay.

So have a question.

Thank you, Commissioner.

This is uh when we talk about peeling back some of the red tape, this is front and center with that.

And you've been front and center of pushing that pill back.

You you know the process, Mr.

Wally, you don't have to raise your hand from the middle of the crowd, come up to the podium.

Well, I'd like to ask Joe, would you like to be a sponsor of the ordinance?

I'm happy to have you a second co-prime.

Perfect.

Because you've really been very vocal about rolling back bureaucracy.

So I have a question about um obviously I'm supporting this.

I'm a co-sponsor.

Um what is the mechanism if somebody uh gets this administratively and then turns out to be a bad actor?

I mean, if you've got a CUP, get hauled before the planning board and that potentially gets revoked.

So can you illuminate that, please?

Yes, it would basically be if they began to get violations, um, they could potentially be subject to Section 102-381 through 102-386, particularly if they become habitual violations.

Because these do not include outdoor entertainment, even if they were to get indoor entertainment violations, there's less of a chance that it'll become a long-term nuisance.

But should it become a long-term nuisance, the provisions of that section of the city code could potentially be effectuated and they could potentially lose their VTR.

So, what's the mechanism for triggering that?

Who's watching, who's monitoring that?

Uh, our enforcement uh proceedings are complaint driven.

So if neighbors uh file complaints and code enforcement begins to issue violations, we would be notified, and then we would have to keep a tally of those.

Um also, as you're aware, because this has a sunset provision, I'm sure at the end of the year, we'll be able to provide a report on who may have opened up using these revised procedures, and we can see whether or not any violations were issued, how it's working, whether or not it needs to be tweaked and potentially extended.

If it looks like it's creating problems, the commission may just decide to let it sunset and um not implement it anymore.

Okay, but thank you.

And I want to echo if I may, Madam Vice Mayor, something that I mentioned to the Lincoln Road bid, and thank you to the Lincoln Road bid for expressing its support of this ordinance.

But something that I mentioned to those property owners is that since it does have an expiration date, the intent of this is to encourage property owners to fill up their storefronts while this policy exists because it's not a given that it will continue.

So while you have this opportunity to bring a venue up to 750 people and have live entertainment without having to go through the rigorous process of uh of a of a conditional use permit, you know, fill up your your your empty storefronts because you have no guarantee that next year uh this policy is going to continue.

And I mentioned to the business owners, one of the things that I'm gonna be looking at is has it been used?

Because if they haven't used this, if this policy doesn't yield them filling up their storefronts and retail spaces remain empty, then I'm not gonna sponsor uh or so or or support a continuation of of the pilot.

It really it really is about reactivating uh our our corridors that need help.

Uh Commissioner Bond, I don't like you as a co-sponsor.

Would you be a coal prime?

I would be able to do that.

You're my planning board sister.

You are yeah, you can be a co-prime too.

Co-prime for me too.

Yeah, thank you.

Mr.

Mayor, may I make uh uh just uh an in front you know, just to give some context uh for you all, just to give you a scale size.

750 people is not a small show.

Mangoes is 800.

That's mangoes.

I was thinking this kind of a thing would be for jazz clubs and that kind of live cool stuff that we used to have on Washington Avenue, but 750 people with a DJ.

Remember, it's indoors.

There's not going to be anything about volume.

It'll be kicking if it's a DJ.

And indoors, it won't affect the street.

But I just want to be careful and and uh to keep the guardrails on this kind of a thing, because these uh at 750 people, it can be uh something that can get put us back into the category of trouble that we had before on Washington in certain instances that we all reeled from and reacted to, and it's years later, but I just want you to understand the scale of something that's 750 people.

Thank you.

If I could just because I just on that, Tom or Nick Sorry.

As it relates to the 750 people, and I and I really value David's perspective because he is an expert in this in this industry, the differentiation mangoes.

Is Mangles and out is an open area, an outdoor area, or is it an indoor establishment all indoor?

Mango's is primarily indoors, and I believe that their entertainment component, and then David can correct me if I'm wrong, is indoors.

They do have a very sizable outdoor sidewalk dining area, but I believe that most of their uh entertainment is indoors, and also it's important, but I I thought based on our 2 a.m.

conversations uh that Mangles was an open-air uh establishment.

I know that Mango's recently obtained approval from the HPB to enclose the inside courtyard.

But that has that happened yet?

But I think the courtyard, well, David could probably speak better to to his timeline, I'm not sure, but but I think the courtyard portions of the courtyard are outdoor.

Okay, yeah.

So um, and then and I'm asking my questions.

Thank you, David.

Um so then does this apply to nightclubs, or we're talking about restaurants?

What are we talking about?

It does not apply to nightclubs.

We have a specific provision where if entertainment is proposed, it can only be for a restaurant or a supper club.

So this was not intended to foster standalone nightclubs, but instead to foster restaurants or restaurant supper clubs.

Okay, so like what was the name of that place that was on Washington on like 15th Dave and you don't remember?

A place like Vendome wouldn't be able to open with something like this.

No.

They you would have to be uh you would either have to meet the definition of restaurant or restaurant supper club.

Okay.

All right.

So I just uh David, does that address your concern?

That's a big difference.

Okay.

I just want to make sure because I I don't want people that don't understand the technicalities of this or get concerned and think we're bringing back places like Exchange or Vendome.

That's not what this ordinance does.

To the contrary, keeps things indoors, and we're talking about places like restaurants where they were people can go and need in strictly commercial corridors away from areas where we have neighborhood vision plants like Sunset Harbor and West Avenue and South of Fifth where we prohibit uh this type of entertainment.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Mitch, let me just Commissioner Mateo Salinas uh speak and then Mitch Novick.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Um I love this legislation.

I think this is great.

And I appreciate uh Mr.

Wallach's point about 750.

I think that um if the legislation reads up to 750, and I think that you'd have to have one heck of a marketing team to get 750 people in a startup uh that want a party in Miami Beach and B you know that want to come to a new business.

It it takes a while to grow that crowd, and so I think that um, you know, 750 is nothing to be worried about at this moment, but thank you for this legislation.

Mitch Novick uh Mango's neighbor.

I agree with uh Mr.

Wallach.

Uh reason I'm standing here is something Tom said.

Open air entertainment is a nuisance, uh, especially along the 100 or 1,000 block of ocean drive.

Uh when those businesses exploit the public realm with blasting music or noise, that's that is what fuels the carnival circus atmosphere.

Open air carnival.

Whatever it is.

I forgot, I haven't said it in a while.

Carnival-like circus that we're so familiar with.

Thank you.

Troy.

Hi, Troy Wright, Washington Avenue.

Thank you, Alex.

Um, Commissioner Fernandez, we will definitely encourage Washington Avenue businesses to participate.

This is something that is needed, and I think we'll encourage and do as much as we can to support this.

Thank you.

Mr.

Mayor, thank you.

Since Troy, Troy, is there any other uh bid representative here?

I see Lincoln Road bid if and if Claudia could approach the podium.

Is any other bid present here?

Just for the record, Amy Mayhew from 41st Street is on Zoom.

Okay.

I and if if I just want the two of you and the other ones that are participating virtually to know the intent here is for your bid for your property owners to use this to fill vacant space.

Our city needs the support of the private industry.

The city on its own cannot rely on positive activations of special events and great events, and my colleagues have brought forward.

The best positive activation is of the free market of commerce coming in and filling our open spaces is why I've sponsored this ordinance.

We need your property owners to cooperate.

And if they do not use this ordinance, and if I do not see spaces being filled up, I will not sponsor its continuation at the sunset of this ordinance.

And I need you to please relay that to your property owners because we need to activate our commercial corridors.

The incentives will be there.

You have a government that's willing to cooperate, but that means the property owners need to cooperate, but with what they control their rents.

All these policies mean nothing.

We can throw them out the window if property owners do not cooperate with the rent.

So while policies like this exists, please try to encourage them to be flexible with the rents, to be flexible with their demands.

At some point it comes to them, and if they don't cooperate, then I'm not going to continue it.

Mr.

Mayor.

Well, we will reach out as much as possible to what it's not going to be easy, obviously, but we will definitely reach out Washington Avenue as much as possible, and I will contact as many property owners as possible in the spaces that could be used in this to encourage the entertainment.

So you will get that commitment from us.

Lincoln Road bit as well.

Thank you.

Commissioner Bott, then Commissioner Mateo Salinas.

So you know, we had um this little unoccupied space up in North Beach, and it has become into it has become possibly the singest single most successful business up in North Beach, which is La Poupelle, which is a live uh cabaret enclosed.

Um shows get sold out within minutes of tickets being released.

It is live entertainment, it's local entertainment, it's awesome.

Um they had a pop-up show at a an open and unused venue on Lincoln Road, and it was sold out and it was spectacular.

And so that is the kind of thing we're looking for for the residents who are chiming in saying you're bringing in terrible operators and you're you know you're encouraging encouraging club culture.

We want live music back in the city because we all love live music.

We don't want people, you know.

Uh we don't want chaos, but I believe I think we all are united in the belief that we as a city have evolved and are continuing to evolve and value different things.

So we are going to rely on good operators coming forward, and we won't tolerate bad operators trying to pull a fast one.

Um, like another business in North Beach who claimed to be a cabaret and was nothing of the sort.

Um I will also say, and this is a tangential comment, but I will also say I've heard now of two businesses, two long-time established businesses who are being forced out because of egregious rent raises.

Um the Panther Coffee and Sunset Harbor, that I would venture every single person in this room has gone to at least once, um, got their rent jacked by $15,000 a month, which is egregious, and the new tenants were in there measuring for drapes before they had even you know made a final decision.

Um and now Cheeseburger Baby on Washington Avenue.

Troy, I don't know if you I don't know where you went, but uh there you are.

Um, I I'm about to reach out to you, not on the dais to talk about that, but you know, this is a business that's been around for decades, it has been awarded proclamations, and so this is absurd.

We cannot have landlords price gouging um rents whether you are talking about a space that is sitting empty and vacant and bringing down the quality of life for the block that it's upon it's on, or you know, trying to gouge rents out of people who are you know good operators.

We had another one in North Beach, um uh chachos.

Uh you know, they they had they'd been around for three or four years, and all of a sudden their rent was through the roof, and that's I mean, you can only charge so much money for food.

So um another conversation for another time, but that's looming on the horizon.

Commissioner Mateo Salinas.

Mitch, just to alleviate your concerns, it says in the uh legislation no outdoor entertainment and no adult entertainment is permitted.

Okay, and also no portion should be located on the top floor of a building, so it won't be the outdoor entertainment.

Okay.

Okay, good.

Want to make sure you uh thanks.

Okay, thank you.

Right to call a vote.

Uh and just just quickly, Mr.

Mayor, uh, just one confirmation.

Pop-up uh establishments uh because we have our expanded pop-up legislation.

Um would they be able, would pop-ups be able to use this?

There's nothing prohibiting a um a business operating under a pop-up permit now from applying under this program.

Okay.

And a building that has received a CO before January 2026 or 25.

It would be this the application is limited to an existing building which has a CO that was issued on or before January January 1st, 2025.

Let me ask you something.

When a business goes in, let's say a space has been empty and is about to be filled.

Do they let's say it's been empty for 10 years?

I don't know, space has been empty for 10 years, and they're gonna go in and fill it.

Do they need to apply for a certificate of occupancy?

Yeah, only if they um are changing um attributes that would require it, but in an example like that, we would interpret that to be a building that was issued a CO because it's I'm sorry.

You're interpreting it to be what?

We would interpret that to be a building that was issued a CO prior to January 1.

It's not a tenant space or a particular use, it's the building.

So in that particular instance, a building.

Yeah, if it's a building.

But not the individual unit.

Exactly.

Okay, so let's say an individual unit currently has an open permit and or that's and they haven't for that individual unit received a CO or even a TCO.

Um, but they find a tenant that is willing to complete the work and get a CO for that space, they would be able to qualify for this.

Correct.

As long as the building was issued the CEO prior to that.

I appreciate the clarification on the record.

Thank you.

With that, I move the item.

Second.

Let's call the vote.

It is a public hearing, and I have three individuals requesting to speak online.

First speaker is Sara de los Reyes.

Please unmute yourself.

Hi everybody, Sarah de los Radio Sunser Harbor Neighborhood Association.

Um I've been listening.

Thank you, Alex, for clarifying the fact that if the neighbor who has an ordinance that there's no entertainment, that they're now going to be able to they can actually open up uh a place, but no entertainment in it.

Uh so I was happy that you actually enforce that.

And yes, a DJ is entertaining, Mr.

Magazine.

And we have that issue right now with Harbor House.

He has DJs up there.

I haven't gone up there to actually see it, but the neighborhood has called me and say that they do have DJ DJ in that area from time to time.

And that's entertainment.

And I know he wanted a piano.

So I'm just want to make sure that in our neighborhood, because we keep it so non-entertainment and open until 2 a.m.

And everybody's happy about it that it continues to be that way.

Thank you very much.

Thank you so much.

Our next public speaker is Amy Mayhew.

Morning, Commissioners.

Amy Mayhew with the 41st Street Business Improvement District.

Just want to express our gratitude to Commissioners Bott and Fernandez for supporting sponsoring this item.

Um and then also for the reasons that Commissioner Fernandez, you expressed into helping re-engage vacant spaces.

We're extremely excited to see that be potential opportunity for them, but also as a lifeline for even one of our own existing channels.

Um Capi Avante, hopefully we'll be able to see them soon be able to take this up as an op option that helps uh really bring vibrancy to the street and see that encouraging moving forward with the vacancies.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Our next public speaker is Johan Moore.

Please go ahead.

Yes, good morning.

Uh I believe it's still morning.

Uh while the the neighbors I think are enthusiastic about having empty spaces filled.

I just want to want to back uh back up and backstop the comments um concerning noise.

Um I understand this is meant for indoors.

Um I'm hoping that customary uh uh noise uh limits in terms of how far it shall not be audible will be strictly enforced um certainly after a first warning uh for these businesses.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, sir.

This concludes our public hearing.

Thank you.

Let's call a vote.

One that wants to prime is all of our legislation.

Anyone that wants to prime is welcome.

I have a motion by Commissioner Fernandez, seconded by Commissioner Suarez.

I have listed as co-prime sponsors, Commissioners Magazine, Bot and Dominguez.

Uh start roll call.

Commissioner Fernandez.

Yes.

Vice Mayor Mattel Salinas.

Yes, and I'd like to have Prime as well.

Give me one sec.

Yes, ma'am.

Commissioner Suarez.

Yes.

Yes.

Commissioner Bott.

Yes.

I heard a yes.

Uh Commissioner Magazine.

Yes.

Mayor Minor.

Yes.

Motion carries.

This was item R5D.

The item is approved.

Thank you, colleagues.

Thank you.

Commissioner Fernandez.

R5G.

R5G is an order to the mayor of City Commission of the City of Maya Beach Forum.

I mean chapter 14 of the code of the city of Miami Beach and titled Building Regulations by amending Article 1 in title in general by amending division two and title permit fees by amending section of 1465 thereof and title mechanical permits to limit the number of temporary tenants use permit renewals allowed for elevators and further amending appendix A to the city code and title fee scheduled to revise and increase fees charge for the temporary tenant use permit renewals for elevators and providing for repeat or servability qualification and an effective date.

This is a second reading public hearing.

It's item R5G.

Commissioner Dominguez.

Thank you.

This item was brought to me by public works because there were uh loopholes making infinite uh extensions and work not getting done.

I'll let uh public works director John Norris uh expand.

Good morning, John Norris, public works director.

This is a situation where there were uh temporary use for temporary use renewals being given over and over to elevators while they're in the process of being brought up to code essentially.

So what we're doing is taking this loophole away.

It will allow for up to three temporary use renewals.

The first one will be 162 dollars, and then after that, they'll increase to 2090 dollars.

That way we give them ample time to get whatever issues exist fixed to get their uh uh permanent uh certificate.

So I'll move the item.

This means a co-sponsor.

This is great policy, Commissioner.

Call the vote.

It is a public hearing.

I see no one in Zoom, no one in the audience requesting to speak.

I have a motion by Commissioner Dominguez, seconded by Commissioner Fernandez, co-sponsored by Commissioner Fernandez and Commissioner Magazine.

It is item R5G.

Vice Mayor Mattel Salinas.

Yes.

Commissioner Suarez is out.

Commissioner Magazine.

Yes.

Commissioner Fernandez.

Yes.

Commissioner Dominguez.

Yes.

Commissioner Bott.

Yes.

Mayor Minor.

Yes.

Motion carries the item is approved.

R5H.

R5H is an ordinance of the mayor of City Commission of the City of Maybe Beach Florida, amending chapter 70 of the code of City of Bay Beach and titled Miscellaneous Offenses by amending Article 2 and titled Public Places by Amending Division 2 and title Bicycling Skateboarding, Roller Skating, Line Skating, Motorized Means of Transportation, Electric Bicycling, Mopeds, Motorcycle, Motorwise Vehicles, and Motorized Scooters by creating section 70-73 to be entitled safe operation of personal delivery devices and mobile carriers to impose additional local safety requirements consistent with state law providing for repeater subability codification and effective date.

This is a second reading public hearing.

It is item R5H.

Commissioner Bott.

Yeah, so we are preempted by the state, which is ironic because this is the state that passed the home rule laws, and yet we are preempted.

Time again on doing what we think is right for our community, and we have these delivery robots where in some cases they are not causing a problem, but in many cases they are.

We have very old, very narrow sidewalks that have overgrown bushes and lots of different uses, and um people stop no one.

Um sorry, we're not supposed to have fun up here.

Um we have narrow sidewalks that were designed a hundred years ago plus that did not contemplate bicycles and um delivery robots and uh people with strollers and ADA mobility devices, and yet we are being forced to accept these onto our streets.

So this is um making the best of an unfortunate situation, and I'll let staff to come up and um talk about the the changes that we've made.

I don't know if Rob is here to last time.

Rick is is Rick is Rob available to Rob is right there.

Oh, yeah.

Somehow I can't see right in front of me today.

I'm blind as a bat.

Um but separate from this, and this was passed on consent was an item to do a survey of the sidewalks in our city to better understand um whether or not they pose an actual hazard in some places, and we will take that up separately when we have actual data points.

But um, and at that time I will come back with uh you know photographs of um standoffs and um tipped over machines and people trying to figure out which way to go and um you know near misses in traffic and actual collisions.

So um, but in the meanwhile, we're gonna try and make this as safe as we can for our pedestrians who should take precedence over corporate profit.

And um, with that, I'll turn it over to Rob.

Good morning, Commissioners Rob Rosenwald with the city attorney's office.

I'm sorry I got caught outside, so I didn't hear your introductory uh comments, so I'm sorry if I repeat any of them, but we are governed under state law uh as to how we can regulate these delivery robots.

They are allowed to operate on this sidewalks in the crosswalks.

There are state imposed rules about how they're operated, and we incorporate a lot of those into our ordinance, and even if we don't, they are required under state law.

Uh the breadth of what we are allowed to oper uh to regulate is safety regulations uh within the sphere of allowing them on all of our all of our side or on our sidewalks and on our streets.

Uh the original version of this, which still has uh many of the same provisions, uh required a permitting scheme, it requires uh safety devices to make them more visible, it regulates the speed of the devices uh and so forth.

On second reading, after uh Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez completed her term of service, and Commissioner Bott picked this up as a sponsor.

Uh she has added uh additional uh uh regulations which are allowed under the statute uh to include that they might they cannot uh display commercial advertisements, uh the speed was set at eight miles per hour.

Uh the time that they could remain stationary on the sidewalk was uh changed to 30 minutes, and let's see.

Uh and there is a new regulation that no uh robot may operate on any of the city's beachwalks or baywalks, and uh and there's a six-month grace period for the operators to come into compliance.

And excuse me just if I may jump in.

So the Baywalk and Beachwalk is actually a separate ordinance that will be heard next or whenever it's called.

Um and I believe the other change was may not exceed a speed of eight miles previously.

We had six miles miles per hour.

So I want to um thank Commissioner Magazine for bringing the item on the beachwalk um as a in case this gets hung up someplace, but it is in this uh language, so hopefully it's it's not gonna get hung up, so we'll just with your permission roll it in.

No pun intended, but roll it in together.

Within six mile per hour speed up correct.

And this is second reading, so you are your you're voted that this is the version to pass the actual uh resolu and ordinance if you chose to do so.

Commissioner Dominguez?

Um I have some questions.

I think we all received um an email from uh the organization uh served robotics.

So I just want to go through some of them because I have questions on it.

Okay.

Their first uh comment was that the per device fee was not reasonably related to our city's stated regulatory objectives.

The ordinance grounds its regulatory authority on public safety, predictability, visibility, and active monitoring, all of which are imposed on an operator level, not an individual device level.

And the fee structure should bear a national rational relationship to the government interest.

A pro uh per robot charge functions as a revenue mechanism rather than a safety-based regulatory tool.

So why is it per a robot as opposed to organization?

Well, that's a policy decision that you all can make.

Either scheme would be legally defensible.

A per robot scheme is rationally related to our ability to regulate and keep safe however many they send us.

And so if there are 10 bots, we might we have to do less enforcement.

If there are 150 bots, we have to do more, and it costs more.

Uh if you wanted to, you could charge a lot more than 100 per bot, or if you wanted to, you could charge by the organization.

There's there's a many different rational bases to uh reimburse the city for the cost of keeping these things safe.

This is the one that uh that was written into the that I wrote into the ordinance, and that I think is the most rational, but it's a policy decision that uh you can make.

The other comment was that the state has already determined that 10 miles per hour is the safe standard, and Florida law explicitly allows personal delivery devices to operate at a speed of up to 10 miles per hour.

We are allowed to regulate the safety of the uh bots.

There's nothing that says that we can't set our own speed, and we have at least this legislation proposes to have a slightly lower uh speed limit.

I will say that the original first reading version was six miles per hour.

Uh and after speaking with uh serve robotics, it was raised at their request to eight, and they said my understanding was that that was their suggestion, and they were but that was just I'm sorry to interrupt, but that was um eight to cross the street, not on the sidewalks.

Uh that I think it was just generally.

Okay, I uh I was under the impression it was eight to get across the streets so that they weren't gonna be um potentially hit by a car, which would be unsafe for everybody.

I'm not super in favor of of raising it, and I definitely don't want to go up to ten anywhere because I don't know if anyone's ever been hit by a bike going ten miles an hour or anything else, but feels pretty lousy.

So, you know, these this is a commercial enterprise.

Um I have no concerns that they are gonna make a lot of money and good on them.

Like that's great.

I have no problem with with companies making money, but um they also have to pay for the the cost of doing business and um a per unit cost of doing business is a viable way to to manage this, as Rob pointed out.

The more units there are, the more issues we're gonna have.

Um, you know, when back in the day when there are taxis, regular old yellow taxis, each taxi cab had a medallion.

And so, you know, that's just how things work.

I I got a question, Mr.

Mayor.

Are they online to talk more about what they emailed us?

Yes, uh, we have one rep.

Can I just ask a follow-up?

Commissioner Suarez.

I just want to ask a follow-up.

So is it eight miles per hour crossing a street, or is it eight miles per hour?

The the ordinance as written and would be passed on second reading is eight miles per hour, period in the crosswalks and on the sidewalk.

Okay, because I share Commissioner Dominguez's concern if they're in the middle of the street and they can't get out in time, because I know I personally know that some of our crosswalks are not functioning properly and the timing is not adequate.

There may not be enough time to cross certain roads.

Um, and I certainly don't want to see an accident from one of these delivery robots getting going too slow.

This the speeds, uh, if you wanted to have a different speed limit for the crosswalks and the streets, you could certainly do that right here today.

Uh and if you wanted to make it six miles an hour on the sidewalks and eight in the crosswalks, or eight on the streets and ten on the uh sidewalks or something different.

Uh you could do that the way it is written, is it's uniform eight miles everywhere.

And so let's say these one of these robots do hit a pedestrian who's liable.

I mean, uh is the city in any of which way possible liable if there is an accident because we passed either eight miles per hour, ten miles per hour, six, I think with no, as long as we have a rational basis for the choice that we made, and I think that we have a very legally defensible record.

And apparently the state has made that decision that 10 miles per hour is.

Okay, so if we if we go a little bit below that, then we should be right covered.

There is no real and anybody can sue us for anything, and we get sued all the time for things that aren't really realistic, but we don't have any actual liability for something just because we regulate it.

It's this would be just like if you got hit by a taxi cab or an Uber or any other uh delivery mechanism.

Yeah, but here this is a little different because we're setting a speed limit on a sidewalk.

So right, you know, it's it's not like it's not like the state where they have or the county that's at certain speed limits.

Um but I get okay, cool.

Right.

I'm okay with eight.

It's whatever you guys want, so you let me know and we'll and the speed limit doesn't apply to a bicycle or an e-scooter, they can do whatever they want where these robots are more regulated, they have cameras, they stop uh for pedestrians.

Is it public comment?

Can we hear from the operator?

Well, before we do that, if I may, Commissioner Bott.

So um I agree, Commissioner Dominguez, it's very frustrating that we don't currently have a mechanism to regulate e-devices and bicycle speeds.

It is something that I've spent the last two years working on.

We're finally seeing some movement in Tallahassee.

Uh, we're working with our um County Commissioner Lopez, and and hopefully soon that will become something that we can manage better as well because we have seen talk to any of the police officers here, talk to Julio Blanco who was hit by an offending um uh e-biker and was you know broke his elbow.

Um I have friends who are emergency room doctors, and if they could share the photographs without violating HIPAA, it would curl all of our hair.

It is really dangerous, it isn't being addressed at the state or federal level yet, and that needs to happen.

That being said, that doesn't mean that we should just uh accept a willy-nilly approach to yet another impediment for pedestrians work walking on the sidewalks.

Um I would be very happy to amend this here on the dais to um 10 miles an hour to get across uh crosswalks to get them out of the lane of traffic, and six miles an hour on sidewalks to ensure there are no or to try to ensure there are no accidents with people minding their own business walking where people are supposed to walk.

Call the vote.

It is a public hearing.

Yeah, let's I want to hear from the that is a public hearing.

Is there anyone in the audience requesting to speak on this item?

Seeing none, we're gonna go to Zoom.

The first speaker is Yadiel Diaz from Serve Robotics.

Good morning.

Uh my name is Yariel Diaz with Serb Robotics, located at 730 Broadway Street, Redwood City, California, speaking on R5H.

I appreciate the city's work on this item.

We also share the same goals of keeping the sidewalk safe, accessible, and comfortable for everyone while allowing for this new technology to operate responsibly.

At CERV, we work with our delivery partners, Uber Eats and Doordash to provide robot deliveries for small restaurants within Miami Beach.

As of today, February 5th, we deliver for over 161 restaurants in Miami Beach.

So I just wanted to make sure to get that on the record.

Uh, with that shared goal in mind, we have a few suggestions as were shared in an email last night.

First, on the per robot permit fee.

We operate whether we operate 20 robots or we operate 30 robots or we operate five robots.

I've heard arguments about the enforcement cost for the city to be more or to be less, which is why in the initial first reading item, we suggested a uh per organization fee, but obviously much larger than what a presumably per robot fee of 20 robots would be, which would entail um not having to switch back and forth between what you are charging for operators uh per robot.

On the eight-mile cap, the amendment that was made by Commissioner Bop is acceptable to us.

We really appreciate uh the consideration of the commissioners on that crosswalk speed.

That's honestly one of the biggest concerns we have because uh lowering the crosswalk speed may actually limit the robots' ability to safely cross very busy intersections, especially since they're not not time the same.

The one thing that hasn't been brought up yet is the uh that was brought up by Rob but hasn't been brought up yet is the ban on advertising.

Uh we feel that a total ban raises fairness and constitutional concerns on First Amendment grounds.

There may be more targeted and content neutral ways to address this.

Some other cities like um Chicago have put in place a review period for advertising that makes sure that there's no obscene or pornographic items as part of what is intended to be reviewed and added to these robots for advertising versus a flat out ban.

So we believe that small adjustments would help the ordinance to better achieve its goals.

We support the ordinance.

We think uh most of it is common sense.

And I'll be on also to answer any questions.

I thank you for your time and you'll continue to work to improve our communities.

Our next public speaker is Carl Hansen.

Thank you.

Um I'm uh Carl Hansen.

I had government and community relations for Cocoa, the the pink sidewalk delivery robots uh out in Miami Beach as well.

Um we we also uh strongly support the uh 10 mile per hour, six mile per hour split um as as served just um suggested and think that's uh uh a good balance for for the lower speeds on the sidewalks and and and the speed necessary to get um across uh the the crosswalks.

Um we the I think main point of concern we have here is with the advertising prohibition.

Um this wasn't part of the initial discussion and uh kind of came in here at the end.

Um we absolutely support the city exploring and discussing what would go into um regulating advertising on personal delivery robots.

Um, but we we we think it merits more time and and would really appreciate if that was like pulled for a separate discussion so that we could meet um and talk, talk through the advantages of this.

Similar to um bike share programs and buses, uh operating these devices out in public is very expensive.

The ads help us keep prices low for local business.

Um if we're hit with new fees to operate and lose the ability to subsidize the cost of delivery uh from the advertising, that's gonna be very hard on our merchants, very hard on our customers.

Um, our goal is to help get cars uh off the street, help reduce the parking impact.

We absolutely want to do that safely.

Um we think it's smart to have rules in this space, and we uh look forward to working with you on this.

Um, but would hope we would have some time to discuss an advertising policy that made sense for all parties.

We really appreciate your time and thank you again.

Thank you.

Next caller is Johan Moore.

Please go ahead.

Good afternoon.

Uh I'll speak as as John Q pedestrian here with a couple of observations.

Um, first, I will uh swear that I saw uh one of the robots dash across an intersection on the crosswalk while the light was red.

Uh the other uh concern from the community is that where corner curb cuts are at too steep an angle.

I have witnessed a robot uh stop sufficiently far back from the intersection so that it could see the crosswalk light, but in that position, it blocked the sidewalk.

Uh anyone with a wheelchair, I caution the city about an ADA compliance uh lawsuit.

Uh I've said some of this before.

Uh, please keep that in mind.

Uh, an elderly person, someone using a cane, uh, someone with a schlepper with groceries or uh laundry in it, uh, someone with a baby carriage.

Uh, it starts to get a little difficult.

And I wonder if the commission can give some thought to how to address that.

Either simply by making all the crosswalk lights automatic again, as I believe they all were during the pandemic, or more complicatedly, uh, for the delivery robot uh developers to add a garage door opener like feature uh to enable the robots to in fact request uh a crosswalk light uh so that they can cross.

I would submit a possible metric to you uh to compare accident rates of delivery bikes, let alone motorized delivery bikes and robots.

And I have to say that I suspect that the robots might be safer, but the the speed limit is key.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Our next caller is Bruce.

Bruce, please state your name.

Unmute yourself.

Hi, Bruce People.

I'm a pedestrian also.

And I'll point out that we walk typically a mile in 20 minutes.

You do the math that's three miles an hour.

We've never had a problem crossing the street, even Fifth Street.

There are people older who walk a lot slower.

So do you hear people need eight or ten miles per hour for a robot?

When pedestrians do three miles an hour or slower if we're not running across the street.

I that number is off the wall crazy if you think about it.

That's all I have to add.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you.

Next caller uh is called in user seven.

State your name, please.

Hi, uh good afternoon, mayor and commissioners.

My name is Matthew Golpanoff, and I want to thank the sponsors and those who work on this piece of legislation uh because speed regulation is sound policy, and I'm supportive of those aspects.

Uh on my beach, the sidewalks are varying width.

They're from relative relatively wide eight feet to in some places under three under three feet.

And my beach is an urban area.

Crossing the street, uh, I agree with some of the other people here that sometimes these bots have issues.

And once I was even walking with my daughters on Elton Road, and it had a message asking to please push the button for the bot.

I didn't see it, but my daughter mightn't push it for it, and then it said thank you, which I thought was kind of cute, but it highlights the issue of accessibility.

Lastly, I want to clarify that the city does have the ability to regulate speeds of bicycles, e-bikes, and micro mobility on pathways, such as the beachwalk.

And it's a best practice and one of the tools available to keep people safe, to keep everyone safe on those pathways.

And it's a policy that should be considered now to manage safe access for everyone.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Our next caller is Wayne.

Wayne, please state your name.

Hi, this is Wayne Sutpafift.

Um, I have no issue with the technology except that as a society, we should make it harder for these companies to uh take over jobs for like Uber drivers and delivery services because ultimately homeless populations will increase as a result because jobs that are for uh that level of education and and immigrants will disappear.

Um I'm sad for the society, but you know, technology will move forward without us or with us, and we can't be uh we can't be a wall against it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

There are no other requests to speak.

I need a motion.

I'll move it.

As amended.

Second.

Yeah, please.

It was pretty quick.

I I'm sorry.

Okay, I'm sorry, go ahead.

No worries.

I wasn't prepared to speak.

But um your name, please.

Uh Kevin Kruger, uh, nine-year Miami Beach resident, and I just figured I'd add to some of what uh what I heard on on Zoom, which I appreciate.

But it's a sidewalk, not a side roll.

And if I understand bicycles and others are not permitted, we kind of use them.

But uh, I'm a people person, so resounding some of those uh sentiments.

I'd rather see pedestrians um out there instead of robots.

You know, technology is great, but I do believe that it is taking away jobs and giving it to corporations and other states.

Um the public safety is an elected officials first foremost role, and then usually it's job creation, the economy's stupid, etc.

etc.

And I do feel like we're losing jobs for those that uh might be uh need the flexible delivery jobs or maybe it's entry level and now they can afford their rent, but we're giving away to robots that are uh nameless, faceless in spite of the cute names and smiley faces and advertising that go on it.

So those are just a couple of points as a uh pedestrian myself.

I find it incredibly annoying.

Um, I I don't know, I probably I don't have all the macroeconomics or the legalities of it, but I feel like it's a little Orwellian.

I'd like to see us do the right thing for our beautiful beach town.

Commissioner Bott mentioned some a lot of this about where preemptive, so we're trying to work within the framework that we have.

Oh, sorry.

I was gonna say exactly that.

Uh, Kevin, I wholeheartedly agree with you.

I I don't personally particularly like these uh whatsoever.

I do think that they unnecessarily clogged our sidewalks, but we are preempted by the state, so we're trying to put some uh guardrails around here.

So we have a motion as second.

We have a second.

Commissioner Bott.

Yes.

Commissioner Dominguez.

Yes.

Commissioner Suarez, yes.

Commissioner Magazine.

Yes.

Yes.

Vice Mayor Matasolinas.

Yes.

Mayor Minor.

Yes.

That was item R five Het Take a break for lunch.

I see a lot of nods.

Uh, let's reconvene at one fifteen and we'll start with the Sutnik time.

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.

We are going on air.

We'll listen to a paper.

Welcome back to our afternoon session of our commission meeting.

We'll begin with the uh open forum if anyone wants to be heard.

Ralph, take it away.

Yes, sir.

Anyone who wishes to speak, please approach the podium.

Again, if anyone wishes to speak, please approach the podium.

Seeing nobody on the podium, I'm gonna go the state your name.

Glenn Hall.

Uh 5748 Ponchy Drive, President of LaGuis Pine Tree HOA, also chair, still chair of the Miami Beach Black Affairs Advisory.

I think Commissioner Bott has some proclamation, but I wanted to just to say Happy Black History Month.

You can clap everybody.

Bring some joy to this every morning.

So of course, every year we like to highlight that to reaffirm the city's commitment to that.

Um also too, we like to highlight all of the events that are being put on by the city.

Um we have the Soundskate Symbol Series, we have the Seoul Beach Food Festival that's coming up this Saturday, Black History Night celebration on the February 3rd, 15th, sorry, that we're gonna be honoring Officer Art Martineau, um, who was you know a very great man and untouched families and children all over the city.

So um that's gonna be a big deal there.

And if you haven't gone, it's just amazing, amazing event for all families, and you get to see a lot of the culture, especially the Bahaman culture that have the Joncanu bands and everything else, and it's magnificent.

And also we have um that we started last year, the Miami Beach Botanical Garden Groove, which is an also amazing event um that uh basically highlights another genre of black culture of house music, which is which is fantastic.

And as you know, um the black culture and black you know vibe on Miami Beach is 365 247.

So it's uh that's not just for February, so of course we've already had the um South Beast Jazz Fest in January, um Martin Luther King Day, the Art Duck Co weekend events, 5,000 role models that a lot of you guys attended, and also the ABFF is coming, Black Business Month in August.

Thank you, Mr.

Hall.

We have annual love is love, etc.

etc.

etc.

So continue.

So yeah, thank you for cheating that up so nicely.

I'm sorry.

Um I just wanted to make sure that um in case somehow you're under a rock that um which I don't think anybody else anybody is here, um, but that our um we are as a city acknowledging and celebrating our collective shared black history.

Um we are a city that has had a very complicated genesis of being radically anti-Semitic and um racist for many many years, and over the last 40 years, I think we have made great strides to overcome that and not without some bumps in the road, but definitely um with a uh purposeful mission to make this a welcoming, inclusive, open-minded place for everybody.

And so um whereas Black History Month is observed nationally each February to honor the achievements, resilience, and cultural contributions of Black Americans throughout our nation's history, and this national this annual observation began in 1926 through the efforts of Dr.

Carter G.

Woodson.

It's grown into a month-long celebration, many of the celebration celebratory um events you heard Glenn articulate of the pivotal role the black Americans have played in shaping the United States, and the city of Miami Beach recognizes that the stories and accomplishments of black leaders, innovators, and everyday citizens have enriched our community and advanced the cause of justice equal and equality, and we'll continue to do so.

Progress has been made.

And if you don't know where to find all these great events, you can go to the city's Facebook page.

There are numerous wonderful events throughout the month and throughout the city.

And so therefore be it be duly resolved by the mayor and the city commission of the city of Miami Beach, Florida, that the Mayor and City Commission hereby commemorate February 2026 as National Black History Month and reaffirm the city's commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.

And so the reason why it was important to do this today formally was because last year, because of scheduling SNAFUs, we couldn't recognize formally.

We had all the programming and it was amazing, but we couldn't formally recognize that February was the um was our uh commemoration of Black History Month until the middle or end of March, I think.

So I wanted to make sure we got it on the record so everybody knows.

So thank you, colleagues.

Thank you, Glenn.

And thank you to the Black Affairs Advisory Committee.

You're welcome.

Thank you, Glenn.

And I can I can actually say that Glenn shortly before I got up to give my remarks at the state of the city uh mentioned, hey, maybe you can mention Black History Month, so I made it, I made an on-the-fly uh change to the speed.

Yeah, to the point.

I think I gave you the point out.

Thanks for all you do for our is there anyone else in the audience?

Good afternoon.

My name is Francisca Medina.

I'm a Miami Beach uh resident, and I would like to implore you to extend the lease of the current home of the Miami Design and Preservation League.

Uh it's uh in my opinion, it's uh integral what the preservation league uh does in regards to tours, education, also uh preservation, uh which is known for worldwide worldwide.