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 in five, four, three, two, one.

Good morning and welcome to our commission meeting of March 18th, 2026.

Thanks everyone for being here.

And I'll turn it to our city clerk, Rafael Granada, to give us any instructions.

Good morning, everyone.

The city commission is physically present in the commission chamber at Miami Beach City Hall, 1700, Conventional Center Drive, third floor.

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

If you're joining us virtually, you can log in using the Zoom app or visit the Zoom.us on your browser.

You can also phone in at 305-224-1968.

That's 305-224-1968 or toll-free 888-475-4499.

The webinar ID is 813-928-576-71 pound.

Again, 813-928-576-71 pound.

If you would like to speak virtually on an item during the meeting, please click the raise hand icon in the zoom app or press star 9 on your vote on your phone.

The Zoom link, webinar ID, and phone number stay the same for every commission meeting.

All lobbyists must register with the office of the city clerk located on the first floor of the city hall.

You do not need to register if you're an expert witness giving only technical or specialized testimony.

A representative of a neighborhood association or nonprofit speaking without pay, or a private citizen speaking on your own behalf without compensation.

However, if you're an expert witness or a nonprofit or a neighborhood rep, you do need to submit a written disclosure form to the office of the city clerk before speaking with a commission or staff.

Forms are available at the office of the city clerk.

If a lobbyist gives or agrees or agrees to give a thousand dollars or more to a neighborhood association or its representative regarding a city matter, that must be disclosed in writing to the clerk.

Note that contingency fees are not permitted to compensate lobbyists.

If you plan to speak during the public comment today, please sign in.

Thank you, Ralph.

It's my honor to uh introduce Rabbi Sholem Korf of the Chabad of Lakeview to give our invocation.

Uh I will say it's uh it's a fairly new synagogue to the Miami Beach community, and it already has a tremendous profound impact on the uh Lakeview and surrounding areas.

Uh I actually visited uh not too long ago on a on a Shabbat, and you were you are packed.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Welcome.

Thank you, Mayor.

Good morning.

Morning, Mayor, Commissioners, City staff, and all members of the community here today.

We gather with the shared purpose to serve, to lead, and to strengthen the community of Miami Beach with the help of God.

As we approach the holiday of Passover, where we tell the story of the exodus of Egypt.

The Jewish sages teach that a name actually holds within its essential meaning.

The name Egypt in Hebrew means limitations.

So the exodus of Egypt doesn't just mean a story of physical freedom from bondage, but actually traversing beyond our limitations, going out of our comfort zone, and leaving perhaps what we're comfortable doing to go a bit greater more beyond to do a little more.

Each of us faces moments when we're called to rise beyond what is easy and beyond what is known.

Leadership at its core means exactly that.

To be able to do beyond what is your comfort zone, to rise beyond what is the usual, what's easy, and to go a bit above the call of duty.

With the help of God, may the work here done today be guided by wisdom, clarity, and compassion.

May there be an openness to new ideas, courage in the face of challenge, and a sheer commitment to progress that benefits all those that call this city their home.

Just as the journey of Passover reminds us that growth begins when we step beyond our boundaries.

May this gathering be a place where meaningful steps are taken towards growth, towards unity, and towards purpose that benefit the city of Miami Beach.

May this meeting with the help of God bring about outcomes that promote opportunity, growth, joy, and well-being for all the residents of the city.

May we merit the coming of the Mashiach, where there will be peace and harmony amongst all nations, people and creation.

And let us say Amen.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Robert Korf.

You had the room mesmerized.

Thank you.

So as I look around the room for our Pledge of Allegiance, uh I will say we're in the middle of spring break, getting toward the end, and for the third consecutive year so far, tremendous success.

I don't want to jinx it, but uh really congratulations to everyone up here to our city manager, our police department so far.

I agree.

But we also have to thank our marketing department uh and the great marketing campaigns that you continue to roll out.

So I'm gonna ask Melissa Berthiara, director of marketing to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Mr.

Mayor, as a fellow baseball fan and a superstitious baseball fan, what do you never do?

You never call a no-hitter before it's over.

Fair enough.

All right, everyone, please rise.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

One nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

So, Commissioner Bot, you actually teed it up perfectly because I was gonna wish congratulations to the country and the people of Venezuela who uh beat the United States in the world baseball classic last night.

Uh it was an incredible, incredible game.

The uh the dedication, the love, the love of country, but really what I what I saw was the love of people.

And uh that's really what sports brings out.

It's what the arts and culture it brings out.

We just had the Olympics.

It's it's really great when you see people come together and you obviously you support one team, but then uh you literally high-five the uh the opponent next to you and just wish them congratulations.

So it was a it was a great moment for our country um and and for the world last night uh to see and witness the competitiveness and the spirit of uh togetherness.

We're gonna start the uh Sunday hour, our open forum.

So thank you everyone for uh coming and speaking.

Good morning, everyone.

If you're gonna speak, please approach the podium, state your name, address, and you have two minutes.

Please go ahead.

Good morning, everyone.

My name is Kirsa Rafo.

I'm part of the seniors committee representing for Freedom's Tower.

And these are all my friends and neighbors from Fort Freedom.

Um we're here because we're a little bit concerned about the cut um donation cut regarding our senior the senior programs or classes.

Um I understand that there might be funds allocated for bingo in several buildings, and we really we play bingo in our building every Friday and Saturday.

And God forbid, you know, you cancel the you probably cancel Christmas before you can cancel bingo.

But the thing is that we do it on our own.

We don't need city money for that.

People can bring chips, somebody brings soda, the other one brings paper, the other one brings cups.

What we do need are the classes that we have, because we have yoga, which helps with balance, which helps our muscles.

Um we have a dance, which she also gives exercises that will help us, helps our hips.

She does exercises for hips and bones.

We have sumba, which is for seniors, and we do sit it down.

Even our 94-year-old does the sumba sitting down because she exercises.

And um, and we have painting, which is the only class where we're not exercising our bodies, but then we're using our minds.

And all those classes we consider are very important.

They have been growing.

It took a while for people.

Well, the classes not only help physically but also mentally.

A lot of people are inside their apartments alone.

Some of them have family that are very far, and they're alone all the time.

Like our 94-year-old, she participates in everything.

And she goes in a walker because she wants to get out of the house.

And even though she doesn't exercise her legs, she exercises her arms.

And it gives some muscle strength.

They teach us how to fall.

If you're gonna fall, how to say, you know, it be safer.

So to us, all those classes are really important, just as well as transportation and the activities.

We need more.

You know, there's places where like the extravaganza at the Scott Center.

Most people don't come because there's no transportation.

For some of them, they have to cross the street, they have to, you know, and I understand you don't put a bus for some of the things, but maybe Ubers, you know, six people in an Uber.

So instead of less, what we really need is more.

I mean, we paid our dues, we pay taxes.

We put you guys, you know, uh, our children to college, and now that we are seniors, Miami Beach has always been known for having so many programs for seniors.

I hope that doesn't change.

You know, um actually if you can improve it, it will be better.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Commissioner Dominguez asked the speaker.

Thank you.

Um, I just want to change um and clarify the narrative.

You were given misinformation.

I'm sure it's coming from the mayor's office because several seniors called me saying that Gloria told them to come in today and to call me.

I have an item to add more, not to take away from your services.

That's first and foremost.

I've been working very hard to get things uh additional things for you.

As a matter of fact, one of the buildings that asked for bingo was Federation, and Vicky Lopez is gonna pay for it.

So when this item gets called, I'm gonna make an amendment.

Your building specifically did not ask for bingo, but Rebecca Towers did.

So that's another amendment that I'll make that um I won't be asking for.

We spend a lot of money uh with the seniors, and we're always looking to help and spend more, whether it's the senior meals at um the different comedores, but also through the parks department.

Do you know that our parks funding is about 193,000 for the seniors?

You mentioned buses.

We spent about 37,000 dollars in bus services for the seniors for the different events for the party, and we're looking to spend more on that.

Part of that 193,000 also includes senior classes, our contractors for yoga, tai chi and all of those different things.

So we are looking to add and help more.

The housing authority asked us for that additional funding, and as I mentioned, the county is gonna help with some.

So, in my amended item when it's called later, it'll be three thousand dollars as opposed, but it's not for any cuts whatsoever, and I'm so sorry that you were given misinformation because that was not at all what's happening with this item.

I always want to try to give you more.

No, thank you so much.

Yeah, and I I I have no problem with your response, and and I take it in good faith that what you're trying to do, Commissioner Dominguez, but since you invoked my office, I I have not directed anyone to make those calls.

I just asked my chief of staff who said that she has not made any calls, and Gloria Campus, I'm being told is on vacation this week.

I'm just saying you you directly pointed at me as saying that I was directing these calls from my office, and I I didn't say you, I said the mayor's office.

I didn't say the mayor directed his office.

It's my office uh for clarification.

Um your office was calling seniors to call me, and that's what I wanted to uh clarify the narrative.

That's not at all what this is.

Okay.

Can you come up here?

Did you get a call from anyone from my office?

No, I got an email.

Come up to the I'd I'd like to know.

Okay.

No, I did get an email from Gloria Campos, and it wasn't just directed to me, it was directed to Estrella, which is our administrator, our social worker, and a few other people.

And it was in regards to to that, you know.

And she uh she said that the donations were uh the person or the company that was donating was cutting the funding in half, and that's where the worry came.

Okay, thank you.

But she didn't say to call you Lara that's a good thing.

You didn't call me, but I did get calls from somebody, other people in Rebecca Towers, and I know that you guys are so busy, you don't read the agendas, like how would you this even come up?

And then they told me that Gloria had been calling, and and in my case, she didn't call and she didn't and emailed the clarification keeps up.

Didn't even mention your name, so okay.

Thank you.

Next call, a next speaker.

Good morning, Mayor.

Good morning, commissioners, good morning, neighbors.

My name is Alina Valdez, and I'm here at the invitation of Kisa.

She already went over basically what I was going to talk about also.

So I'm just gonna make it very short.

I just want to remind everyone, commissioners and the mayor, that uh when election time was here, uh you all approach us and promise us that we will always be taken care of.

And I just wanted to remind you all of that, that uh we have given you our trust, and uh, we're very happy living in Miami Beach, very grateful for all the services, and just please don't forget us.

We count on you all.

Okay, thank you so much for your time.

Thank you, and thank you for being here.

We we as a commission and I have certainly uh made it an uh strong effort to increase the amount of uh services that we provide to our seniors, and I and I I am I'm confident that we'll only continue.

Thank you very much, Mr.

Mayor.

I just Commissioner Fernandez, thank you, and I just want to thank all of you because you all have always the entire commission, you Mr.

Mayor, each one of the commissioners have always looked out for the seniors in our community um with great passion, and I think it's one of those things that unite us, unite us not only as a community, but as elected officials, how much we value the senior community, how much we owe to you, how much we respect you, and most importantly, how much we love you.

We serve you with love.

And this entire commission has always been unified uh in that, and in a matter of fact, because of a political matter, uh, one point was saying, well, maybe we shouldn't be doing this certain event, and the entire commission was like, oh no, each one of my colleagues actually, I was the only person I think that ever in the history of the city that said maybe we should do something a little bit differently.

And the entire body was so united and continues to be so united, and that is the beautiful part of the city of Miami Beach that we really care for each other as neighbors.

And so I just wanted to put that on on the record because sometimes things can get tense, but there's beautiful stuff happening beyond that.

Thank you.

Good morning.

My name is Meg Lusteau, I'm the executive director of the Miami Design Preservation League, and I'm here to speak in strong support of Commissioner Fernandez's resolution R7AH, which will be coming up later today.

This would authorize the city attorney to explore legal action regarding House Bill 399, which was passed by the legislature last week, which takes away the rights of Miami Beach residents as well as your rights as our elected representatives to make decisions about the development of our city.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Next, please.

Good morning, everyone.

Mitch Novick to piggyback on to what Meg stated.

Uh House and Senate approved uh Live Local 4.0 last week.

I hope you guys uh consider discussing that at some point.

On another note, uh I want to say my numbers for March have been uh uh fantastic.

Uh there's no longer utter chaos or a police lockdown outside of my home and business.

Uh I have to admit I never heard of uh what a Palooza or Hydrox or any of those other fitness events until last year.

And uh many of my guests uh from this past weekend were in town uh from Switzerland, Germany, uh Brazil, Uruguay uh to attend these events.

So you're on uh you're on a good track, and uh thank you.

Next, please.

Good evening, Mayor and Commissioners.

Uh my name is Brenda Jordan.

I've lived here in Miami Beach for over 35 years.

And you know, when I came to Miami Beach, it was not a diverse community.

As a matter of fact, I was appointed to the housing commission and denied because I don't speak Spanish.

And the first thing that people would say, get a lawyer.

A lot of people did, and I didn't.

I gave the city a chance.

As an artist, I brought my culture, my diversity to this city.

And as an artist, I'm being discriminated against because they set up a program without any input of artists.

It was set up, maybe with good intentions, but it totally left the artists out of away from the table.

And it was set up by people who know nothing about art, have no degree in art, probably don't even have arts tag on their car, which I do.

I pay extra money.

And the problem is that I had a non-for-profit.

They cut me out of the grants.

I said, Miami Beach.

She said, Oh only white people live there.

And I said, No, you can live wherever you want.

Even though I've been discriminated against, I will not be discriminated against in the arts.

The program that was set up recently, revised, made it worse.

I'm paying double the fees.

I get nothing in return.

There's no website, there's no updates.

And people who are real artists are being discriminated against.

They can't even sell in the city again.

And dictating that jewelry is not art.

I sent numerous emails, and Mr.

Mayor, last meeting, you promised to have a meeting with me.

I went to the office and tried to set up one.

I got no response.

Luckily, some people who promised during the election that they would be there for me, like, you know, um the vice mayor here, Monica, she promised, and she called me.

Mr.

Alex Fernandez, and I also spoke to David Suarez, even though we were on different pages, because he already had a program in his mind and wasn't open.

His heart or his ears.

Thank you.

He listened, but he was limited to because I think he had a program already dictated.

It's not fair.

It's not fair to elderly people who lived in the city who can't afford to live in the city.

They moved out and now they're discarded.

Thank you so much.

That's not fair.

Thank you for listening.

Thank you.

So I I uh I do get a lot of requests for for meetings.

I try to accommodate all of them.

I uh uh if you did reach out, I apologize that we didn't do it.

Because you promised, and this has been going on before you were re-elected.

I vote.

It's not a matter of voting.

If you ask if you ask to talk, we will talk.

You told me we would.

Last meeting.

Okay that was a month ago.

I I was not aware that you had reached out.

I am giving you my my commitment that we will talk before the next meeting.

Again, and I hope this time you're saying in front of a lot of people.

Well, you did last time.

I hope you honor your word.

Because words are sacred.

You and I have spoken.

We may have not spoken since the last meeting, but I we have talked about this issue.

I've sent you emails, but we have not individually spoken, no.

So I'm giving you my I'm giving you I'm giving you my commitment that we will have that conversation.

Okay, I hope you honor your word.

Commissioner Mateo Salinas.

Uh Ms.

Jordan, another artist.

Um I'm I think that you're aware uh that I do have an item, a referral to the neighborhoods committee to discuss the artist vendors program so that way we can at committee talk about what um how we can improve the program and we can have further discussions about this to see what can improve the program.

Commissioners, because I have emailed like a ridiculous amount of time.

Yes, even giving you like a blueprint, yes, how to set up an artist program.

And this is the first step in that process.

So we we are definitely I'm definitely trying to help some.

I appreciate it.

You're welcome.

We are commissioner Suarez, I know you had good intentions.

And you know, art is inclusive, it's not just painting.

I'm sure we'll come to a good place here.

I hope so.

We will.

I'm optimistic.

Thank you, Mr.

National.

Yeah, yeah, because I'm not against anyone.

I just want to be at the table when you're setting up something and you know nothing about.

It's not your field, it's not your lane.

Bring someone in.

I'm not even asking for pay.

I'm a cultural ambassador for this city, bringing diversity.

I'm not trying to take away, I'm trying to build.

So I appreciate all the help.

Yes, we will have further conversations.

Thank you, with all of you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next, please.

Yeah, you're not sure.

No, you shouldn't be Alberto Galvan.

Amigos Agravended Miami Beach because no.

No, it wasn't.

Hi, you all know me already.

My name is Janet Figueroa.

I'm one of the artist vendors.

Um, I've been here some of the meetings with Miss Mateo with Mr.

Fernandez.

Um, I have talked to the mayor, have talked to Miss Tanya on the side lines.

And I'm very grateful that you all have taken out the time to talk to us.

And we're trying our hardest to be patient.

But some of these people, they are elderly.

We are already more than 55 and older in this program.

I'm 61 this year.

So we're all struggling to try to make it.

And it's very difficult when your person that has been injured in a car accident like me, and I was hurt here in the Makatra.

My car was totaled.

My neck and my back is damaged.

I cannot proceed with our surgery because I would not be able to work ever.

So this is all I have, and this is how I keep my home.

And I live out of Miami Beach because I don't live here because I cannot afford to live here.

You cannot tell me that I'm paying for 1300 square feet for 957 dollars is my mortgage, my taxes, and my insurance.

To turn to trade that to come live in Miami Beach to keep a job.

It's insane.

None of you would do that.

So you have to understand.

I keeping my budget among my needs, what I what I could afford.

I am not exceeding my budget because I know that I can't exceed my budget.

So this is very important to me and my family.

Because I don't want my children to have to take care of me.

I chose this place and I afford I will afford this place that's 957 dollars for a reason.

I went through this, I planned my life.

For like that, I won't be a burden to my children.

You understand?

This is so important to me.

As a senior, I don't want my kids to have to take care of me.

I want to be able to take care of myself.

And this is program is all I have.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Thank you, everyone.

I see no one else in the audience requesting to speak.

Therefore, I'm going to go to Zoom.

First caller, Alicia Casanova.

Please state your name, and you have two minutes.

Hi, my name is Alicia Casanova.

I'm here this morning as vice president of the Mid Beach Neighborhood Association as president of the Blue and Green Diamond Condominiums representing over 2,000 residents and is a lifelong Miami Beach resident.

We hope that Commissioner Fernandez's resolution R7AH is heard today.

We fully support it and hope that it's voted on favorably.

We heard the mayor's virtual town hall and fully understand the concerns about Miami Beach potentially losing millions of dollars in state grant funding if the city uses its legal resources on House Bill 399.

But this is about protecting the rights of Miami Beach residents and ensuring that we are not silenced by decisions made in Tallahassee like the one made last minute in the Senate last Friday.

Our city cannot be intimidated.

No amount of grand money can justify giving up our city's rights, our home rule, or our voice as residents to be heard before our historic preservation board.

Commissioner Fernandez's resolution is not about starting a lawsuit next week.

The resolution will serve to preserve the city's ability to explore legal action if and when it becomes necessary, following all legal advice available to defend its rights.

It's also about our elected officials making a statement in support of its residents who will be severely impacted by this bill.

Governor DeSantis will be leaving office in a few months.

And while we cannot predict what will happen, we hope integrity and honor will prevail with the next governor.

We know this is a difficult decision for all of you, but please listen to the voices of the residents who voted for you, who will suffer the consequences of what the state just voted on, and who strongly support this resolution R7AH.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Our next virtual caller is Mid Beach Neighborhood Association.

State your name, address, and you have two minutes, please.

Good morning.

I am also with the Mid Beach Neighborhood Association, where I chair the beach and water quality working group.

MBA recently attended a meeting of the beachfront management plan.

And we appreciate the opportunity the city provided the community feedback.

We also want to thank Commissioner Fernandez, who served on that ad hoc committee and her for his support during that meeting.

MBNA has submitted public comments on roughly 10 areas of concern.

Our overreaching concern is that the draft plan lacks vision.

It does a reasonable job of describing current conditions, but it does not go far enough in setting a forward-looking strategy for the environmental challenges that could make our beaches unusual in the short term and over time.

As you know, our beach is one of our most valuable public assets, and this plan should do more to bind the county to prioritizing and preserving this asset.

In our view, this is an important opportunity to create a stronger accountability and ensure that beach management decisions match the value of the resource being protected.

Our top concern is sargasm.

The plan needs a stronger strategy for surge response, operational scaling during peak periods, and long-term adaptation if conditions worsen.

A second major concern is water quality, including recurring bacteria issues and a need for stronger integration between beach operations and public health protection.

We also submitted comments on additional issues, including concession enforcement, breakwater performance, special events.

Yes, I'm done.

This item is coming before the commission in the coming months, and we remain available to discuss concerns with any commissioner or their staff.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next virtual caller is Johan Moore.

Mr.

Moore, state your name, address, and you have two minutes.

Good morning, Johan Moore, 717 Jefferson Avenue.

I'm calling to oppose, as you might assume, item R7A, which would authorize the demolition of the South Shore Community Center.

I would remind that the uh Planning Board, no Historic Preservation Board, um, declined uh unanimously uh declined uh to support that demolition.

Uh we continue to believe it is a bad idea and that this infrastructure should not be forced into our residential neighborhood when other neighborhoods fail to carry their fair share of heavy urban uh infrastructure.

Uh I also object to our item R5T, R5U, and I'm not sure whom Commissioner Fernandes was intending to benefit with the suspension of the color review requirements for the exterior of buildings.

But speaking uh in um echo of what many of my neighbors have said to me over the years, I believe that many of us who live in the historic district very strongly support continuing uh outdoor color uh review requirements for paint on the outside of buildings.

Uh, I am supportive of R7AH uh, and in fact, uh would echo um Mitch's useful language uh rather than getting caught up in the weeds, it really is difficult for the public to keep track of all the negative legislation coming out of Tallahassee.

But I think it's a useful shorthand to refer to it as Live Local 4.0.

Uh and finally, uh, in light of the focus on uh the beachfront and the dunes, uh, I would encourage uh the commission to fill the vacant position uh formerly held by um Juanita Vallesteros in the environment and sustainability department in order to further that work.

Thank you.

Our next caller is Judy Smeigle.

State your name, address you have two minutes.

Judy, unmute yourself.

PJ, I think they may have a double caller because we also have Judith Smeigel.

So let's try that.

Judith, please unmute yourself.

Okay.

Thank you for waiting.

Um I'm you hear me, right?

Yes, perfectly.

Go ahead.

I am very happy to praise so many important people and bodies in this area for their advocacy of trying to balance our interests with Tallahassee, the extraordinary efforts of the Mid-Beach Neighborhood Association, the Miami Design Preservation League, the advocacy of uh Commissioner Fernandez, the mayor, other people.

We have we're certainly in an uneven battle.

Um to keep local control, and I just wish you all the strength to go up against Tallahassee, which is very difficult.

I would love that more and more our community be a beacon of free speech, diversity embraced, and a balance of interest between residents and wise development.

And I thank you all.

These are not easy times.

That's it.

Thank you so much.

Our next caller is Patrick Breshaig.

So your name address, you have two minutes, sir.

Hello.

Uh, my name is Patrick Brescick.

I live at 1754 Meridian Avenue across from Py Park.

I'm calling uh to thank Commissioner Dominguez for item C4M to discuss moving the Sunbuys uh further east to include the near shore reef and the reef line.

And thank you, Commissioner Bott for co-sponsoring this item, and really all the commissioners and the mayor for supporting the CC initiative in the past and hopefully in the future, um, so that people can enjoy the ocean safely without having to worry about getting hit by a boat.

The reef line was just listed as one of the new great places uh in the world by time, so we know there's gonna be more people going out there to swim.

Uh so it's important that we uh keep this safety initiative uh moving forward as more and more people are going to be going out there to visit it.

And speaking of safety, I also notice there's an item to discuss the Jefferson bike lanes, and I want to say how wonderful these bike lanes are.

Uh they are the highest standard of bike lane safety and support support both bikers and people using e-mobility and giving everyone safe space, including pedestrians, bikers, and cars alike, uh, by creating separate zones for each of them.

I hope the city continues to invest in these high-quality infrastructure projects that prioritize safety.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Our next caller is has a screen name of Vashiva's uh iPhone.

Please state your name, address.

You have two minutes.

Please unmute yourself.

PJ, let's go to the next call.

Oh, go ahead.

Hi.

Hi, this is Bacheva Katz.

I live at 4747 Collins Avenue.

I'd like to request that the commission please support item R7AH, sponsored by Commissioner Alex Fernandez, which will authorize the city attorney to challenge HB 399 if it is signed into law and if it is deemed necessary by all legal committees.

This bill interferes with Miami Beach's local local zoning authority and strips residents of their voices and decisions that directly impact our neighborhoods.

Please vote yes on R7AH to protect Miami Beach and its residents.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Our next caller is Susanna.

Susanna, state your name, address, and you have two minutes.

PJ, let's go then next to Dave Dolphin.

Okay, hello?

Go ahead.

Hello?

Yes.

Yeah, sorry about that.

Uh, my name is Susanna Santoro.

I'm the president of 5600 condominium association and a proud residence of Miami Beach for the past 30 years.

I respectfully urge you to vote yes on R7 AH.

This resolution is not about filing lawsuit tomorrow.

It's about preserving our right to act, our home rule, and ensuring that if and when the time comes, the city has the ability to defend itself and its resident.

Commissioner, mayor, you're entrusted with safeguarding critical elements of this community, our infrastructure, emergency response, traffic management, and budget.

Those responsibilities do not exist in a vacuum.

They require authority.

Because responsibility without authority is not governance, it's exposure.

And today the risk is real.

Increase the density, traffic congestions, train on emergency services, and pressure and already limited infrastructure, are not abstract concerns.

They are daily reality.

Your residents are asking you to address.

This resolution is about standing up for your residents, ensuring that their voices are not overridden and that the city retains the ability to act in their best interest.

This is your opportunity to make a clear statement that the city of Miami Beach will not relinquish its responsibility, its authority or its commitment to the people it serves.

Stand with your residents, protect your CD, vote yes on R7AH.

And thank you, Commissioner Fernandez, the mayor, and all the commissioners who have stood with residents in opposing HB 399 and defending our community.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next caller is Dave Dobler.

Mr.

Doubler, say your name, address.

You have two minutes.

Good morning, Mayor and Commissioners.

My name is Dave Dobler, living at 8000 West Drive.

And I'm the chair of the sanitation committee and former chair of the Sustainability Committee.

I'm here to support C7L, the updated special event permit requirements that enhance sustainability and sustain and sanitation plan guidelines that reduce waste and improve diversion from landfills.

Miami Dade County and Miami Beach has a waste crisis.

We are almost out of landfill space and are already putting our trash on trains, shipping it to landfills in central Florida.

Reducing and diverting waste from landfills is not just an environmental priority, it's a fiscal one.

If we don't reduce and divert waste now, those rising landfill costs will ultimately fall on our residents and businesses.

Special events can generate tremendous volumes of waste, but are one of the few places where we can actually control both the input and the output.

What material comes in and what happens to them afterward.

That makes them a powerful opportunity to reduce waste, improve recycling, and keep plastic out of our waterways.

We know this can be done.

Ultra Music Festival at Bayfront Park has shown that with the right planning, execution, and engaging of vendors, large-scale events can dramatically improve waste diversion, and they've won worldwide awards for their sustainability programs.

After you vote to implement these new guidelines, it is important for staff to develop the support systems to help event producers succeed and strong compliance oversight to ensure accountability.

And I'd like to tell the environment and sustainability department, good job.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next caller is Mark.

Mark's state your name, address.

And you have two minutes.

Hi, good morning, everyone.

Thank you, Mayor and Commissioners.

My name is Mark Weiss.

I'm the founder of Stop Six Flags.

I found a blue the viral resident movement, representing over 4,500 residents.

The biggest threat to Miami Beach today, and the biggest story on Miami Beach today, according to every news article, is the destruction of our beaches with the Fountain Blue water park.

Uh, let's be very clear.

What happened to Tallahassee was not preemption, it was a bill paid for by a single developer with a representative who doesn't live in Miami, who openly admitted that he worked with the Foundablu to draft a bill that overrides all of our local zoning control.

And commissioners and mayor, when this gets built, the complaints are going to be much worse than we don't have bingo.

This is going to be absolute gridlock on our Miami Beach.

The traffic is going to be a disaster.

The environmental impact will be a disaster.

We got gut punched.

Let's be real.

We got punched in the gut by Tallahassee, by Jeffrey Silver, and by the Hotel Barrero handout.

I'm going to support R7AH because it's the bare minimum.

A city has the right to control its zoning, its planning board, its environmental protections, its coastal lines, its historic preservation.

This is basic.

We have to defend our home rule.

We have to protect our local zoning.

And we have to put our foot down and say, Miami Beach is beautiful because we know what we're doing.

And Tallahassee from 500 miles away should not be barreling down legislation paid for by billionaires.

It's that's an awful precedent.

And I want to thank Commissioner Fernandez for taking leave here and fighting so hard.

I want to thank Mayor Minor for fighting so hard.

And we must fight with resolve because it will send a message the next time you think this is bad.

There's much more coming.

Every developer is watching with drool coming out of the side of their mouth saying, Wow, I don't even have to go to those annoying commissioners and mayor and talk to those pesky residents.

I can go right to the top.

Thank you very much.

Our next excuse me.

Our next caller has a screen name of Sum User.

Please state your name and address, please.

You have two minutes.

Zoom user, go ahead.

Good morning.

This is Carol Ann Alt at 408 West 25th Street.

I'm also a member of the Sustainability Committee.

Um, thank you, Mayor and Commissioners.

I'm calling in to give my full support to C7L special events requirements and guidelines.

I support the updates, particularly creating the standardized template for sanitation plan process.

I also would like to draw attention to be mindful of the language that suggests the applicants with a thousand plus participants must assign a paid sustainability coordinator.

I suggest that applicant fees compensate for a designated code compliance field inspector that will monitor and evaluate events to adhere to sanitation plans during events, so any infractions can be corrected in real time.

Additionally, I did not see on the agenda an item for the new commission committee.

Um work, water, environment, resource committee, but I do give my full support of that as well.

Thank you so much.

Have a great day.

Thank you.

Our next virtual caller is Miriam's iPhone.

Please state your name, address.

You have two minutes.

Hello, my name is Miriam Weiss.

I am the co-founder with Mark Weiss of Stop Six Flags at Fountain Blue.

My address is 4779 in the blue diamond.

The residents have been working to fight this monstrosity for six months.

It has unanimous opposition from everyone that lives in the community.

There is no one that wants it on our beach front.

When you walk on the boardwalk, you are going to be see this 120 feet towering in the air, coming all the way wrapping around the building, right into the setback lines.

Because now Jeffrey Sopher does not have to follow any of the basic rules that the city sets out for planning.

Even if you wanted a water park, you now even have no say where that water park is going to be, how it's going to be constructed.

It's going to come all the way up to the beach front.

It's going to be tremendous noise.

It is up to you.

You are the city.

You have to lead the way and show the residents that Jeffrey Sopher cannot buy whatever he wants on our beach front, that democracy still exists.

The residents still have a voice in what happens.

And our local leaders and officials yet to lead us and decide what should be done in Miami Beach and if it's appropriate and if it's compatible.

Please vote for R7AH.

And please, as a city, consider all the possibilities whether this is actually a water park and therefore is not permitted by zoning.

Because Jeffrey Sopher is going to sell day passes, and that is not a permitted use.

The city should be evaluating all the possible avenues to stop this train that's coming down the tracks.

And then the next thing that he's gonna go for is gonna be gambling.

Thank you, Mr.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next caller is Vincent Vincent.

Please take your name, address.

You have two minutes.

Vincent.

Yeah, can you hear me?

Go ahead, please.

Do you hear me?

Yes, go ahead.

Yeah, Vincent Mafey.

I'm uh condo owner at the Sorrento, right in 15 feet away from the proposed water slide.

Um, I'm calling in support of R7AH, and I have to thank uh the mayor and commissioners uh to take to consider uh to consider keep uh opposing uh the situation.

And I want to give you guys just an idea and turn this thing, flip it over and turn it on its other side.

I think this bill, this carve out is discriminatory.

Just think if you owned a hotel that only had 499 rooms, or you had 4.8 acres or whatever.

The the arbitrary cutoffs were that were conveniently fit the fountain blue.

Would would you gonna have to play by a different set of rules?

I believe this bill was discriminatory.

And it was so bad they had to put a five-year limit on it.

So we hope you guys can don't throw up the white flag and keep doing what's right.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next caller has a screen name of iPhone 275.

Please state your name.

Please unmute yourself.

Good morning.

Can you hear me?

Yes, go ahead, please say your name.

Hi, this is Chris Carney from the Fountain Blue Tracer Tower and Sorrento Tower.

Uh along with everybody else who's already spoken.

I totally support resolution R7AH.

And if if we allow Callahasse to do this to us now, uh, what's going to be next?

Is the Eden Rock gonna have a um water park as well?

Uh they're gonna have a Ferris wheel.

Uh it's just gonna turn Miami Beach into a monstrosity.

So please consider resolution R7AH and uh let's try to stand up for our rights.

Thank you.

Uh our next caller is Anna Marie.

Go ahead, please.

Good morning.

My name is Anna Marie Ferreta de Melo, and I'm the president of the Mid Beach Neighborhood Association, and I reside at 4779 Collins Avenue.

I'm here today in support of resolution R7AH and thank Commissioner Fernandez for putting this forward and Commissioner Bott and others that have co-sponsored this item.

What happened last Friday in Tallahassee, where the state stripped local authority and disregarded the voice of our community is not proper business.

And exploring all possibilities is essential to protecting our city and upholding our principles.

I thank you for your consideration of this item today.

Thank you so much.

Our final caller is Andresong.

Go ahead, please.

The noise order.

Good morning, Commissioners.

And I I hear the C5.

How upset our residents are regarding the water park and the traffic nightmare that's going to be coming, having a mini six flags on Collins Avenue is going to be a nightmare for everybody in that area.

But we're fighting to, you know, to have historic preservation board have a say.

But when the historic preservation board had a say to try to keep the more slap this building uh alive, uh, and the county voted to place the fire station on Alton Road and the 11th, that sort of feels like it got vetoed, uh, even though they had a say on that.

It hurts uh to think that we are going to um destroy that Morris Lapidus building.

You know, I am on the board of OIC Miami, which I know there you came by, Commissioner Bot, you came by, Commissioner Dominguez, you came by.

That was a 22 million dollar facility that we built for the community to be able to have after school programming and programming for the seniors.

As a matter of fact, we have Ann Brutner himself doing a blue zone box uh in the building that's worth added more.

We're gonna take that building and we're gonna tear it apart instead of building on a site that is not used now by a simply by a bathroom in a locker room on Alton Road where the police office where the firefighters actually preferred that site because it's one block away from their current site, and they're gonna continue to be able to use Flamingo Park for training, the track, the field, the pool, and everything else.

So when it's working, Mr.

You're breaking up, but your time was up.

Thank you so much.

Was the last caller originally in line?

Uh, so we can conclude Sutnik at this time.

Okay, let's uh let's go over the consent agenda.

Thank you, everyone.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh the following items have been separated from the consent agenda.

Mayor Minor is separating items C7T and C7U.

Again, Mayor Minor is separating C7T and C7U.

Commissioner Dominguez is separating C7J.

So Commissioner Dominguez, C7J.

Commissioner Suarez is separating C4P as in Paul, C7AF, and C7AG.

Again, Commissioner Suarez is separating C4P, C7AF, C7AG.

Uh the mayor has not approved the inclusion of any uh addendum item, therefore they will be heard after five o'clock.

And just for the for the record, uh the consent agenda and uh these items have uh the following items the city commission must waive by a six-seventh vote the requirement for the land use and sustainability committee to review and transmit its recommendation before it reaching before referring each of the following items to the planning board.

That would be C4B, C4C, and C4D, and C4E.

Again, C4B, C4C, C4D, and C4E.

So any motion on the consent agenda would include that.

Motion to set the consent agenda.

Second.

So this is to set or to approve.

To approve the consent agenda for those items that have been separated as announced by the city clerk Al Granado.

So I have uh motion by Commissioner Fernandez, seconded by Vice Mayor Matil Salinas.

All in favor of the consent agenda as set, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Anyone opposed hearing no 7-0 approved.

Thank you everyone for calling in and uh we'll get started with our with our business.

Hopefully, we can uh get through a lot of items that I think we can.

R7L.

R7L is regularly monitor beachwalk camera feeds to ID address visibility issues.

Um I'm sponsoring.

Thank you, Commissioner Fernandez, for co-sponsoring with me.

Um who's gonna be speaking on this, uh, Eric from the administration?

This would be our police department.

All right.

Thank you, Chief.

Okay.

And so far, so good.

Uh as we mentioned on spring breaks.

I'll give you uh kudos for that.

And uh obviously with uh geopolitical issues going on around the world in the Middle East.

Um really we've we've all seen the stepped up presence from our police department.

So yeah, again, thank you.

Good morning, Mr.

Mayor Commission.

Uh, appreciate the uh the comments.

Um as you know, we've got a robust camera system covering much of the city, particularly along the beach and boardwalk.

Um total of almost a thousand cameras and uh almost two thousand camera views.

Uh much of those uh cameras are monitored uh in real time through our Arctic, a real-time intelligence center.

Um but there are times obviously when those cameras are used retroactively uh to help us solve mitigate uh crimes that may occur in and around those those uh camera coverage areas.

Um but you know it's something that we we do regularly and we'll continue to do.

I mean, can we can we quant how how do you monitor, for example, that there's no obstructions of cameras?

So there's a maintenance program that we have, and on a regular basis, we have people that go out, uh survey the areas where cameras are installed, particularly on the on the beach and boardwalk where it's really problematic at times because trees grow uh need to be trimmed back to make sure they're not obstructed.

Okay.

Are you comfortable that uh that is being done and we have enough resources to ensure the cameras are operational and not being obstructed?

Yes, we we have we do have a line item on our budget for camera maintenance, and that those funds are used to do just that.

How are we with uh a full operational camera system throughout the beachwalk?

Uh I think there are some gaps still.

Um not because there's not a wish to get it done or desire to get it done.

Um the project has been put fully funded, but it's gone going on in stages.

Um I don't have a timeline as to when that's gonna be fully completed, but I can get that for you.

Okay, yeah, let's follow up on that.

And uh I guess it came to mind as we heard a number of uh members of the Mid Mid Beach Neighborhood Association.

I know they've they've often uh championed uh the completion of the cameras uh throughout the beachwalk.

So we'll follow up on that.

We are e to get it done, sir.

Okay, thank you.

Commissioner Suarez.

Um Chief, have we considered using possible AI solutions to detect what a crime might be happening that you can send an alert to the department?

I mean, because you can't have you can't cover a whole beachwalk unless you have dozens of uh officers looking at the cameras.

Yeah, so we we are we are constantly looking for new technology, emerging technology to help us uh be smarter in how we approach predict um prevent crime, and so we we do look at this uh on regular basis.

But are we using AI to do that?

Or are you looking into AI solutions?

We are.

We are what?

Looking into AI solutions.

All right, you can't close.

I mean Yeah, yeah.

I mean, I I can give you an update as where we are next time I I we have this conversation.

Um, but we are.

Okay, yeah, I'd like I'd like an update next commission meeting.

Absolutely.

My fellow co-sponsor, Commissioner Fernandez, anything?

No, just um it's it's impressive the work that we're doing with the cameras.

Um I know that there's a lot of different areas where we want to expand into into parks for, for example, like Bay Shore Park.

Um, and the police department has done its part in making sure that the technology was was implemented as part of the park design.

Um the the technology, the I guess the infrastructure that's necessary for other areas of the beachwalk is there, it's just a matter of getting the technology in.

That's correct.

Um Bay Shore Park is one of the places that's high priority for us to get uh cameras in there.

It means such a large real estate, if you will, and we we like to be able to see what's going on there at any given time.

You know, one of the things that I appreciate, Chief, that I see our city doing now more frequently than what we did years before is that as we're looking a new spaces, you know, whether it be the Bay Wonk that we're uh hoping to complete at some point, uh, or whether it be a completed project like like Bay Shore Park.

Uh this department has been very forward thinking.

Instead of having to come in after the fact and run the infrastructure and think about how are we going to keep this safe?

This department is planning together with a planning process of of whether it be our public works department or our capital improvement departments or our parks department, you're working side by side with them to ensure that as we envision new public facilities and new public areas.

The department is up to speed with a safety resources that the users of those facilities are going to need.

And so I'm for that I'm very grateful for this item.

I'm proud to support it.

I'm happy to co-sponsor it, but most importantly, you know, truly, you know, thank you for being very thoughtful and making sure that as other departments are planning the future of the city, our police department is working on a parallel path to ensure that at completion you're able to implement the necessary resources.

Well, thank you, Commissioner.

I wish we we the police department could take full credit for it.

The truth is we've been in collaboration with all the departments you just mentioned.

We're brought into the very ground floor to make sure that we're being smart about how we think about crime prevention um when these projects are done.

Mr.

Mayor?

Commissioner Bott.

Um, so we're heading into our budget planning process, which seems like we just finished one and start another.

Um we know that we're likely going to be facing some hardship imposed by the state.

Uh completing this, expanding it, maintaining it.

Is this um I guess let's start with completing it?

Um is this a function of not enough money to complete it, or it just takes, even if it's fully funded, it takes X amount of time, and we just don't have that yet.

It's really a time and resource capacity issue we're dealing with more so than I think the funding has been funded for quite some time.

So is there an opportunity um to expedite the implementation if we bring in outside help to subcontract out the installation for instance?

Uh that's actually part of the the process as it stands today.

Um much of the installation and maintenance is subcontracted out.

So how do we expedite it if that's already happening?

I like I guess what I'm getting at is what do you need from us to get this finished this year, let's say, hypothetically speaking.

I'm not sure we need anything at this time and have to go back and speak to the folks that uh overseeing the deployment of the uh cameras.

I'm not sure we need anything at this time.

Okay.

Can you come back next month and let us know if there if if you don't come back, we'll presume everything's fine.

But if there is something, let's have that conversation.

Sure.

Okay, thanks.

Thank you, Chief.

Welcome.

It's called R7D.

I need a motion and a second on the present.

Seconded by the mayor.

All in favor of R7L, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

The item is approved 70 R7L.

R7D.

I'm sorry, Mary, what letter?

D as in David.

D R7D is uh restoration of Star Island Water Tower as a fiscal year 27 budget priority.

R7D.

Commissioner Dominguez and co-sponsor by Commissioner Bach.

I think this item was a um was on consent.

I had put it on for it to be a priority in discussions for the upcoming budget.

It was not anything to approve it outright.

Um I had a visit with uh the Palm Hibiscus Star Neighborhood Association, and in going through this and having discussions with the city manager and others in the city administration.

Um the water tower is over a hundred years old, and it has been uh on the to be determined when we're gonna fund fixing it since 2019, and each year it um gets pushed to the side and the cost to repair it get uh increased.

It is historic um and it means a lot to the neighbors in the neighborhood.

I even threw out there if they wanted to tax themselves to pay to fix it themselves, and they do not, they feel strongly that the city should.

So this item is simply to put it on the list so that when we go through our budget workshops, we can discuss it and decide as a whole if we'd like to have it as a priority for 2027.

Commissioner, is that a motion?

Yes, so motion by Commissioner Dominguez, seconded by Commissioner Fernandez, if no discussion, all in favor of R7D, please say aye.

Anyone opposed?

Seeing none, R7D is approved 70.

R7E.

R7E is implement comprehensive and regulatory schedule C grape management planning.

Um I thank you, Mayor.

Um I would like to open and continue this um for another month.

Is John here, John Norris?

Hi.

Do it is a month enough time.

So this is something we've been working on internally as well as legislatively with Amy Knowles and John Norris and uh the chief to really address the fact that um the sea grapes um along our beach walk are an area that um becomes a repository for people doing unsavory things, whether they commit crimes then run in there or they're they're camping out there.

Um this is not an effort, and I I know there's been misinformation out in the community.

Um this is not an effort to chop everything back and make it look like a pile of twigs.

This is a public safety issue, and you know, ensuring that the um the plants grow in a healthy manner.

Um so we've had a lot of internal conversations most recently earlier this week, and what we're what we're going to be doing is um um having the police identify the hot spots um along the beachwalk and then go out and visibly investigate, and we are going to determine if we actually um can fix the issues within the budget that we have currently for these departments um versus the original thought, which was we were gonna need to hire somebody outside to do something.

So um with the clerks uh permission night or whatever the right procedure is to open and continue.

Um I have a motion to open and continue R7E to April 22nd by Commissioner Pott.

We may see great thanks to Commissioner Suarez.

Yeah, um I'm not totally okay with opening and continued, but you know, I just want to make sure because I spoke with Amy about you know my biggest issue with this, and I think Amy actually came back with something reasonable was for sea turtles uh and nesting season because a lot of these sea grapes do block the light from the street and from the street lamps, cars, um, and I want to make sure that that isn't affected.

That's correct.

We've had those conversations that that is a top priority as well.

So I have a motion to open and continue to April 22nd by Commissioner Boss, seconded by Vice Mayor Matthew Salinas, all in favor?

Please say aye.

Aye.

Oh, I'm sorry, just uh it's not gonna change the vote.

Um is a month enough time, or do we do you need two months?

I I think two months would be helpful to us to do the inspection and then get any quotes that we need to address the issues.

I think that'd be important.

Okay, so to May would be is that okay, Ralph?

Yeah, so that would be May 20th.

Thank you.

Thank you.

R7G.

R7G installed traffic delineators.

I just did we take I just want to confirm we took the vote on R7E.

Uh we were.

It's all but it was a commissioner bought Latel Salinas open and continue to uh May 20th.

Okay.

Just wanted to make sure because we had our f we had a motion and a second to do that.

I didn't know if we actually voted.

Thank you, Mayor.

R7G is installed traffic delineators on Altern Road between 5th and 6th Street.

R7G.

Commissioner Suarez.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Um, I I think all of us have gotten almost like a dozen emails of pictures where you have these loading trucks that um are parking on the side of the road uh where you're not supposed to park, and it's causing huge traffic jams uh along Alton Road just as you get onto the overpass for 395.

Um I I believe parking enforcement has gone out there multiple times.

So you can imagine all the the hundreds of deliveries that go to that place, and they think that that's okay.

So I would like to see if the city can put delineators there to expressly and explicitly show that you cannot park here.

So uh, I mean, well, let me know what you think about that, but right now enforcement doesn't seem to be working.

Will McDonald, director of parking city mining beach.

Uh you are correct, Commissioner.

It's uh I will say that particular property creates a game of whack-a-mole.

So as soon as we send a detail through there and we clear it out.

Um, I'll be honest with you, some of the delivery truck drivers who don't deliver there every day just say, hey, I'll take the fine.

Um, they take the fine.

Uh it would be almost impossible for us to actually move them because by the time we get a tow truck large enough to move them, they're gonna be long gone.

Um the barricades, uh, you know, I'll say it's I wouldn't say they're barricades or delineators.

The delineator post uh will absolutely be a deterrent.

Um we can, I mean, obviously, from my understanding, and I'll kind of defer to our transportation director.

I believe that is an FDOT road, so we do just have to get permission to be able to do that.

Um we have been working with the dock master at the property with with mixed results.

It started off amazingly.

They even called parking enforcement a few times when they told trucks to leave and they would not.

Um so there began a great relationship, but I believe as you stated, Commissioner, um, there are uh that is a very dense property, and there are a lot of untimed deliveries there.

So it will continue to be a challenge moving forward.

So what do we need to do to put delineators there?

Good morning, Mr.

Mayor, Commissioners Jose Gonzalez, transportation and mobility director, as Director McDonald mentioned, because Alton Road is a state road, um, to place delineators would require a maintenance agreement, an installation and maintenance agreement with them.

We've we do those all the time.

Um we would negotiate with them, and it would need to come before this body for execution.

Uh and I think that's really that's all we would need to be able to install and maintain them.

Uh Commissioner Monica Mateo Solane, huh?

Oh, sorry, Commissioner Fernandez, Commissioner Monica Mateas Salinas, and Commissioner Bottton.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor, and uh Commissioner Suarez, thank you for bringing this item.

I'd love to join uh as a co-sponsor.

I know back uh in December and January we were getting emails from David Martinez, who lives in in the building Fifth and Alton.

Um I welcome uh the uh change of position from the administration.

I know that when I reached out to the city administration specifically about placing delineators there, I was told and I relayed to my constituent at the time that the city administration believed that it would make situations worse by having cars instead of parking in that striped area, they would then park on Alton Road, and that would create a parking situation on Alton Road with cars.

Uh given that the administration now seems to have a different position on what could have been done administratively.

I'm gonna join as a co-sponsor uh with Commissioner Suarez on this undecidable.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Thank you, Commissioner Fernandez.

Commissioner Mateo Salinas and Commissioner Bach.

I just I have concerns because you know, and I don't mind the delineators, but again, like Commissioner Fernandez said, and what everyone kind of knows what will happen is that that lane going onto the causeway will be blocked.

So I'll support this today, but if that does end up happening and we can't figure out a way, a better way for them to unload and load and whatever they need to do, and it does block that lane, then I'll bring an item to remove the delineators because that would be awful.

That's the entrance onto the causeway, and that it'll be a mess.

It'll be a mess.

So Commissioner Bach.

Um, so can uh the last time I checked on this, the administration was not supportive of this because of the um the concern about traffic impacts.

So can you guys explain to me, maybe Eric, can you explain to me how this changed, why it changed?

I don't believe that it necessarily has changed.

I, as the administration, have concerns that if we take away the parking spaces adjacent to the loading dock area, where are those vehicles gonna go?

I I'd like to show a picture of what what happens.

I think it'll give a lot of context.

Um was that submitted.

PJ, can you can you put up some of the pictures I sent?

I mean, it's everyone has seen it from David Martinez, and I think it's important for the public to see it.

Let's give them one second.

Sure.

Well where they're supposed to sway I think the south side of of five park so if if I can they're not supposed to be there.

Commissioner Bot So I I think we have a delineators are no that's regardless we have a bigger issue.

We see it with trucks doing deliveries on main thoroughfares during rush hour who choose to not pull into their designated loading spots because either the building says they don't want them blocking the driveway or um the drivers don't want to waste the time getting in and out of a complicated driveway we have the writs and the decoplage which have been in a Hatfield McCoy situation for years we have a building that we know is egregiously dense in a in a very dense area already that somehow got approval without taking this into consideration and a dock master who isn't pulling his or her weight how do we and Mr Manager maybe this is a conversation we can bring uh for next month how do we hold people accountable for doing the very things that the various um zoning laws planning boards and other land use committees um traffic studies parking studies are supposed to prevent in advance of these things happening we have I know Will you've been working with um delivery truck companies to have them sign pledges um saying that they understand the rules of engagement and if their their operators violate them then they will be held accountable do we require more dock masters do we hold the building management accountable if there are issues like this I mean this is absurd this affects people beyond just the residents of that particular building um it affects potentially life safety if if there are people backed up and can't get to where they need to go it's a bigger issue than this particular building so I I do want to understand um how the position changed or didn't change because my understanding was that we were not supportive of this and the bigger issue is um as this becomes a citywide problem what are we going to do to make sure that people comply with the rules of engagement of of living and doing business in our city living in and doing business of our city in our city whether it's building a building that is too large for our infrastructure whether it's um bringing trucks in that are too large for our infrastructure I mean bring in smaller delivery trucks you don't need you know you Amazon has those little sprinter vans use those I mean if you're delivering huge amounts of furniture and somebody's moving in that's a different conversation then you get a delivery permit or something where for from nine to four it's blocked off for that particular delivery but this is this needs to be once again a holistic review between departments and you know it planning building transportation and parking holistically to come up with a game plan of how we're gonna deal with this in our city because we're gonna have more new developments not fewer.

I mean look in Northbeach we're gonna have 13 buildings in an eight by six block radius and those are some narrow desperately congested streets are up there.

So I would like to bring an item and Mr Manager if you could take point on this for next month and have these departments work together and put together a comprehensive plan of what our options are and what we can do.

Yeah Mr.

Mayor I think PJ's ready for the uh picture and I think it's important for the public to see it and so you know right now it already sort of blocks traffic and uh commissioner bott does raise a good point and they should the people at five park should know that you you cannot have these massive delivery trucks parking on a no parking section of the of the road so like I I think um we we can we can't obviously I don't think that the amount of education you have given out to a lot of these delivery trucks and the drivers is going to solve that.

I mean that's that's just laziness at its finest.

And I think with a simple fix like this we can alleviate traffic for a an important section of our beach which is fifth and Alton and you know I I think wherever we can step in and and actually make a difference um we should and I'm not I'm not I'm not saying that we we shouldn't have a comprehensive plan but right now this is going on every day and so this is something we can take an action action on relatively short period of time.

Commissioner Fernandez.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Uh and I see we have one of the representatives of our uh toin companies here, and I I want to know are we when these cars when these vehicles are engaging in these activities, have we actually engaged in towing these vehicles?

Are we only giving them citations?

What are we doing?

So when we have trucks of this size, it does require specialized towing equipment, which uh right now does not exist on the island.

It would require an off-island solution.

Um also most of the time these trucks have somebody that is within a three to five minute walk.

So they are they'll be there, and for example, in in one of those photos, a truck was unloading, but they're walking back and forth.

So the minute that a even if we got a big rig to 10 ton to, for example, to tow that out, they would just hop in the cabin.

So uh and and I want to recognize through the mayor or many the uh so I see sitting in the in the audience from one of our twin companies, but it's like how you reacted.

I'd like if you could approach the podium because I would love uh please come to the podium.

Hi, many dials tree month.

Uh we'll not work hand in hand, and uh if we need a medium duty, we could get you a medium duty, but like what he said, by the time the medium duty comes down, they're already running out.

Yeah, but if we know that there is a specific location that it's a recurring nuisance, you know, perhaps it could be kept in close proximity uh to that location, especially the city has property very close to there where it could be stationed, or you know, I'm sure you're very capable to to find that.

But here we have a recurring nuisance where it is predictable that at a location like this, you're gonna be having these problems you know to be in in the vicinity.

If he needs a medium duty, we could work together and I could have a medium duty at all times.

Yeah, because nothing is going to change unless we drop the hammer.

100%.

You know, and so and so what I don't like is when the administration gives me one opinion, and then without notifying me, then all of a sudden the opinion for a solution changes.

Now that we have a different avenue for solutions, Commissioner Suarez, you know, I support you, I join you as a as a co-sponsor of this, but I do think that as we experience more of these types of challenges throughout our barrier islands, uh, we certainly need you to make sure we we have these resources available because ultimately, you know, we can issue citations, we can issue citations, we can issue traffic tickets to people and all that type of stuff.

That doesn't solve the violation.

And what we need is compliance of the violation in order in order to mitigate the impact.

There's a reason why we issue violations.

We issue violations because you have a lack of compliance that is causing a domino effect that is affecting other people.

And it's very wonderful we can give uh a parking violation, we can put uh something on someone's driver's license.

But what we really want is not to be punitive, but we want to drive compliance and achieve compliance as quickly as possible, and that's where we need your collaboration to address this nuisance.

That's how we did it when we first started the freight loading zones back in the days.

Now we don't have those problems.

The tow tricks come, take the cars out, we could do the same with the heavy duties.

I mean, a hundred percent needs Mr.

Mayor, thank you.

No, I have uh Commissioner Bach, Commissioner Dominguez, and Commissioner Suarez.

And then Commissioner Magazine.

Um so I still there are two questions.

Um I still haven't heard why the position has changed, and then I do have a second question that I to raise.

So as I mentioned, I don't know why the position of our parking director and our transportation director has changed.

My position has not changed.

We are going to displace a problem from what is not a traffic lane into a traffic lane.

So Manny, I hope that you're gonna have plenty of tow trucks available because we're gonna be towing people out of travel lanes on a regular basis.

So and uh if you could allow me to clarify, Commissioner, so this is uh six in one hand, half a dozen in the other.

So um, as uh uh Commissioner Mateo Salinas talked right now, the trucks are in violation.

Our enforcement officers show up, uh they they write a hundred and twenty-four dollar obstruction of traffic citation plus generally a 500, 1,000, 5,000 dollar right-of-way violation.

Generally, we receive compliance.

And I say generally, because I would say 90% of the time.

Um there is an absolute risk of the trucks just turning on their flashers in the lane of traffic with these barricades and acting like they're invisible.

That is an absolute risk.

So I I want to make it very clear that this could absolutely push somebody from the striped area, the gore, out into the lane of traffic.

And they could just not care.

So I don't know what that will look like.

So and I don't think anybody can look forward to the future and say, now, will there be some drivers that will be deterred from the uh delinear post?

Absolutely.

There'll be some drivers that are deterred because they don't want to be as brazen.

Um we have from the parking uh department, we have a freight loading zone next to the building.

However, unfortunately, the freight loading zone is on west, it's on the complete opposite side.

So the design of this building is the flaw, not anything around it.

Um because if it would have just, if we could pick it up and turn it around, it would be perfect, unfortunately.

That goes back to one of my earlier comments.

I mean, listen, this was not a small building that just snuck in and nobody noticed.

This was went to a public referendum.

This was designed up the yin yang, it's being sold for bazillions of dollars as beachfront property.

The fact that the loading zone is on the wrong side for traffic impacts is offensive.

It's it's absolutely freaking offensive.

So be that as it may.

I don't know if there's a way to retrofit that somehow.

Probably not, but you know, that is I as part of this comprehensive thing that I want to work with you on, Eric, that needs to be addressed.

There is no way on God's green earth that a building of this magnitude should have a loading dock that is not in the ideal place.

And no other building should go forward.

So that is a big problem for me.

Um, second of all, can we not um, you know, if if enforcement is the issue, why are we waiting for somebody to call enforcement?

I want somebody staffed there during the loading hours, uh, the loading dock hours, so that the second somebody pulls up, they are ticketed and and fined.

Um I believe most buildings have boards with CUPs and and and um plans for how loading happens in their buildings.

I want the buildings held responsible too.

It's affecting their members, it's affecting their residents.

So hold the buildings responsible.

Is there a way to um increase the penalties for repeat offenders?

I mean, this is absurd.

And it is if we don't figure out a solution here and now, it is going to become beyond problematic throughout the city.

And so I want every option explored.

I want it back at the April meeting, a comprehensive plan.

I'm I'm I appreciate the intent with which this was brought.

All of us have gotten the same calls and emails and photographs sent.

I cannot be supportive now.

I think it is going to just displace the problem.

I want real solutions in April, and I want them to be enacted without the delay of an MOU with F dot, etc.

I want to understand how we prevent this going forward, what we can do immediately.

I think staffing can happen tomorrow, right?

You can have somebody assigned there tomorrow 24-7 if that's what it needs to be.

And you know, I don't know how quickly we can get a um a big rig tow truck or whatever available to us, but if that can be as of tomorrow or next week to have on call and and parked nearby, let's get that going.

Like those don't need additional time.

Um, so that's where I am on this.

Thank you.

Commissioner Dominguez.

Thank you.

Um, I had also heard the same thing from the city administration that um having delineators, they worried because we don't own the street and uh the trucks would be parking in the street uh instead of where they currently are.

Um and I keep hearing about bringing these massive tow trucks.

Are boots not a thing?

Are boots only for cars?

Can't we just have the boots and then the trucks can't go anywhere?

That's the same as a toe.

You can.

Um so boots can absolutely um uh be done, but it doesn't say solve the problem.

So right now um we do have advanced penalties with repeat offenders.

So our right-of-ways can go up to 10, I believe $15,000, $15,000 for a third offense, um, which obviously um, you know, that that is where we get the attention of some of these delivery companies.

The challenge of this building right now, there seems to be a lot of unique delivery companies for individuals moving in, individuals buying furniture from this location, this location, having special deliveries.

So this isn't while we do see the FedExes and the UPSs and the Amazons, they are starting to um hear us.

We've had several meetings with all three of those vendors.

Um this seems to be the larger one-off delivery companies that hey, I have somebody moving in, so this delivery truck came from Colorado or came from New York or came from fill in the blank here.

And so we will give them a first-time violation, and they will never come back into the city again.

That is what we're seeing at this current time.

Can the violations go to the building?

They have a loading zone, they have staff that works there.

If they see the truck, they shouldn't be accepting anything until the truck moves to the appropriate place.

Can the building be held liable?

So parking department doesn't have any power for private property.

I would I would probably defer to our code partners or building to see if that could be done.

Yeah, I don't believe that we have a mechanism in the code to currently charge that back to the So what would you need?

Uh a new item for the next commission?

Probably need a code amendment to tie those violations back to the adjacent buildings.

And can something like that can an amendment be made to this item to include that amendment, Mr.

City Attorney?

I think what we're talking about is an ordinance.

So something we would have to look at.

What are you proposing?

Um the city manager mentioned that in order for the building to get uh a violation for not telling their delivery trucks to move.

Um we don't have a mechanism in place right now.

Don't they have a C to enforce that?

And we would need new legislation um to move forward.

Eric, don't they have a CUP that they have to follow that has a delivery plan?

So not all buildings are gonna have a CUP, but part five does not have a CUP.

They weren't they weren't required to obtain a CUP.

Okay, so this is what I'm talking about.

Like I want in April, I want a comprehensive, this is what we can do, this is what we need to amend our code for.

This is how we uh I don't think we're gonna be able to solve it on the fly today.

I we can definitely do staffing, we can definitely get a tow truck into the city that can handle this capacity.

But in April, I want to have a comprehensive review of these are our options.

Here's how we amend the code uh and and address this and and really get ahead of this problem.

Commissioner Fernandez.

Thank you.

And so one of the things I wanted to mention, just to build upon what my colleagues and the city manager has mentioned is that if we do bring back uh an ordinance, uh an enforcement ordinance, you know, when I what I do think should happen is that the enforcement, yes, the enforcement that we're doing on the vehicles and the drivers, but the enforcement on the building and require the building rather than to you know put a hefty fine on them that goes to the city to some fund um in the city's accounts, um, that the violation, the remedy be that they have to hire, you know, whether it be off-duty police or off-duty parking enforcement uh to be there present to do now the work that their dock master is not doing, that their dock master is being negligent and dropping the ball and doing so.

Now we need to allocate our public resources, the taxpayers' resources to do the work that they're not doing right.

So the violation should be once we bring that ordinance, Mr.

Attorney, is that you're found not to be in compliance, your building gets a violation, but you just don't write a check.

You now have to hire off duty to sit there and do the work that you could have done yourself.

And if I Commissioner Suarez is next, I'm sorry.

That's okay.

Finish your thought, Commissioner Bottom.

Thank you.

Um currently when buildings want to hire somebody to trim palms um on their property, there's a right-of-way permit that has to be obtained because they have to bring their truck.

I I you know they're the guys with the cook the hooks and the shopping carts that do it.

But that's not what I'm talking about.

I I know a resident had had reached out and there was a whole process where they had to like shut down the sidewalk so they could bring their large truck.

Let's have as part of this a procedure where um if you are bringing in an 18-wheeler because you just move cross-country, that's fine, but you need to then schedule that time with the city.

And if it needs to be um, you know, we need to have an alternate traffic plan in uh in place to ensure that we don't have an emergency, then that is that's what has to happen too.

Um and you know, it can be selective to just super highly dense uh neighborhoods with narrow streets.

You know, if it's on a four-lane street, Collins, not necessarily um required, but in this case and other cases like what will be happening up in North Beach, we need to look at that comprehensively.

So, as you guys, all the departments work together to bring back ordinance and ordinance for us next uh next month, I want that to be considered as well.

Please.

Commissioner Suarez.

Well, I'm really glad this burn on a very robust conversation on on loading and unloading.

Um look, I I think delineators would be a great way so that enforcement doesn't have to, you know, stand by 24-7 there.

I think that you know, just having it there without delineators kind of invites these uh tow truck deliveries, you know, they that's probably what they're used to outside of Miami Beach, you know, maybe in Hylia or what have you.

Um but um I look I I would love to try this, see how it does.

I mean, we have cameras there and um uh and see if it makes an impact because right now this happens every day all day, right?

I mean, well, you know, between the hours of like maybe three and seven p.m.

So um I hope that delineators are also part of the plan uh for in for some cases.

Now you said it's also they're supposed to load on the west side of Five Park.

So we have uh the the city already has a freight loading zone that also belongs to the building.

When I say belongs, it's there to service any building that's you know within a walking distance that is on the west side of that building because it was pre-existing in the perfect world.

Um the building would have been flipped, and on that side we would have had the entrance into the loading zones off West Nav.

We would have had the freight loading zone uh that is directly north of the road to the causeway um activated.

So there would have been enough room to handle, uh I would say at any one time between the loading zone and the freight loading zone five, uh I'll say relatively large box trucks.

The challenge is that on the Alton side there is no on-street solution.

Um obviously that that uh uh that gore that that hash-striped area that is right there outside is there because there's some um for a reason there's some access to I believe some public works pumps uh under there.

I'm not really sure.

I don't want to speak unintelligently on that.

Uh but unfortunately we have no place to to put additional loading resources on Alton Road right there.

Have you given any fines so far?

Oh uh to that I we can I can we can tabulate it, but it's going to be in the thousands of dollars, tens of thousands of dollars because we we continue to keep that while we don't have anybody stationed there all day.

That is on our I'll say south of fifth or kind of our Southern Island route.

So we do have team members pass by there on a frequent basis, and so every time they go by, um, they will write the appropriate citations.

Uh I was and again, generally compliance occurs while we are there.

Um it's it's one of those things that happens, I'll just say frequently throughout the island.

We show up, um, we start citing.

If there's more than one, somebody generally pulls off, but we will at least be able to cite the main offender at that point in time.

Okay, and and uh if Jose can step up, what what again?

What is the process?

You have to get an MOU with the county with F Tot.

F dot's an F dot roadway.

And what's the time what's the time frame on this?

Um I would give it probably two to two to three months.

We would have to come back to the city commission for execution of that maintenance memorandum of agreement.

So a couple months.

Okay.

Sorry, yeah.

Yes, Commissioner Max.

Have a number of different things I want to address.

Uh agree with the traffic delineators, but what are they aesthetically going to look like?

Because I'm working steadfast in trying to approve the aesthetics of our public rights of way.

And my fear is we're just adding these little orange cones or things like that.

Could we not?

Why would flower pots placed in that area not work?

So the generally they would be the white delineator post with a reflective stripe at the top.

Um, the challenge with any fixed item would be the access.

So we have two different hash marked areas in this specific area.

One is for a fire hydrant, the other one is for access to um some there are these doors for something that's underneath the roadway.

I'll defer to our public works director.

Um I think the challenge is is those those doors are half in the gore and half on the roadway.

So but across the board, we need to do a better job of having a practical purpose for things, but making it more aesthetically pleasing.

We need to have more respect for how our city looks, right?

And I'm so frustrated because I've been emphasizing this for years and years.

And nobody seems to care.

Right?

Nobody seems to care.

You you drive up and down Alton Road or 17th Street, and there's these silly little messaging signs.

For what?

For what?

Looks like hell.

Okay.

We will never fix this problem that we're talking about unless we better design our streets.

And I have been sending our staff and administrators videos for years.

And Jose was one of the first meetings we had about the loading in West Avenue.

And PJ, if you could show two videos that I sent uh our city administration and code uh just in the past couple of weeks.

This is every single day.

And we could have enforcement, but it's going to be a whack-a-mole.

Somebody is going to get killed.

Should we address this after they're killed?

This is a crosswalk right outside of one of the busiest parks in our city.

And we have delivery trucks every single day.

Okay, if that was 15 seconds earlier, I took this video because you saw the mother like this peeking out past the delivery truck with a baby stroller.

And 10 seconds later a car comes flying down.

Is somebody going to have to get killed before we really address this?

This happens every day, every single day, right?

And and saying, well, we're gonna have staff tow or staff, that doesn't work.

That does not work.

We need to better design our roads to permanently address this.

And I've been on it for years and I've got in nowhere.

Okay?

I well, this problem that crosswalk, I've been working for two and a half years to try and get an elevated crosswalk.

What does it say about any of our initiatives if it takes two and a half years to build a freaking crosswalk 30 feet wide or 30 feet long?

Why?

Right?

Hundreds of people walk out of there every single day, kids, families.

And it takes three years to build a crosswalk.

Right?

We we have hundreds of agenda items.

But if it takes three years to do a crosswalk, I I saw Commissioner Bott, uh, she had an item a few years ago about building a new flyover on 63rd Street.

And it was right after I go, well, this crosswalk will take another year.

I go, what are we even doing?

Like, like how how can we possibly be ambitious and think comprehensive and truly game-changing solutions?

If it takes three years to build a crosswalk, an elevated crosswalk.

Well, what are we doing in the city?

What what are we really doing?

That video, PJ.

Can you play the second one?

This is every day up and down West Avenue.

How can we not have an aesthetic design in the median that prevents delivery trucks from doing this?

I took a video just this day.

This is on every block up and down West Avenue.

Are we gonna get calls from people that are pissed and going, you know what?

I want to run into pure Vita on West Avenue, and because you have these beautiful plants there, now I can't.

Yes, we're going to.

Are we going to get calls from buildings along West Avenue, like my own, right?

Where they go, oh, it it's a lot easier for us just to have these cars out in the street.

Yes, we are.

Okay, and we're gonna have to be strong and say this is not the right way to go about things.

Okay, we should have planters in the median, just like we have in Sunset Harbor.

I've been bringing it up for three years, and maybe it'll take somebody getting killed.

Maybe it'll take a mother trying to cross in front of an Amazon driver that's there every single day, and we'll go, you know what?

Maybe now we'll address it.

I really hope the city can show some proactiveness in addressing this that I've sent around to every single department head for years before it's a result of somebody dying there.

Okay?

The widening of West Avenue is five lanes long, people are going there and passing every single day.

People pass in the meetings, they pass on the right side.

I've sent everybody videos, and it's not about having the police out there to enforce, because that can't be a constant strategy.

We have to have better design in our roadways.

Better design so this is a permanent solution.

So who's who's going to take the initiative and do it?

Well, uh guys, seriously, not all at once.

Commissioner, all at once.

I will work with the team and we will come up with a plan that we will bring back to commission next month.

I appreciate that.

Thank you.

You know, I'm getting text messages, I agree.

And it's a meeting ask you, Tom, for for specifically five park.

Doesn't DRB or HPV for that fire park have uh have orders to address delivery?

Yeah, they're well.

And that likely will have conditions regarding loading and delivery.

The DRB order may also have conditions on loading and delivery, but since they have a corresponding C UP, it's likely going to be in that.

One other thing I wanted to mention, and I mentioned this to the manager is that with regard to the loading area, they do have a very robust interior loading dock that's accessed from Alton Road.

The reason that it was placed on Alton Road is because that was really the only viable location.

The problem with the South Side is that it fronts directly on MacArthur Causeway, which is for all practical purposes a freeway entrance.

The problem with the west side fronting West Avenue is that the future pedestrian bridge, the downslope to provide access to that bridge that goes over West Avenue comes all the way down the west side of the building.

And then on the north side, that was the main entrance that has the interface with the park.

But with that said, the uh it was anticipated that the trucks were supposed to easily pull right into that very large loading dock area.

And so there was never an intention for trucks to be parked on Alton Road.

So how come they don't do that?

Sorry.

That's how come they don't do that.

Why don't they go into the loading dock, which is designed for them to pull in?

Part of part of the challenge is every time I've gone down the loading dock, you will see um single occupancy vehicles with inside the loading dock.

Also, the the way that the loading dock is structured, it does require, I will say, a CDL driver to have a certain skill set, and I am sure that there are some, so it would require you to pull head in and then back your vehicle up into one of two bays that that exist um while inside the area.

And um I I will say that there's probably, you know, in my experience, certain CDL drivers that have that skill set and there's certain that may not feel comfortable.

So now that they now that we've confirmed that they do have a CUP, can the property owners be held responsible for these traffic violations?

Yeah, if there's violations that are issued, we can certainly issue a cure letter and then bring them bring them back for a progress report.

So will I and city manager, you see this?

Like, by the way, it shouldn't take this to to get it going, you know, because we've been getting emails like this for the last six months, and for now all of a sudden, you know, the staff to be like, well, this is what you know you have seven lay people telling you that something needs to be done, and you know, we've been telling you this for a long time.

It shouldn't take like a little delineator item to spur on an hour discussion on what to do about traffic because this fucking happens every day.

And it's very frustrating.

And you know, look, I I I think it's I think it's ridiculous that the staff isn't ready to really handle this head on because the number one issue it might be just traffic.

And so when you have blatant violations, and your staff didn't even know it it had a CUP and that we can help hold the the property owners accountable, you know.

I mean, come on.

I think if we would have known that and we would have held them accountable, I bet you those people at Five Park would would make sure that every single delivery driver that comes through is either making sure it goes parks in the bay and doesn't block traffic and doesn't go on the the gore.

Um so look, get your get your get your stuff together, Eric.

Okay, because this is obviously a big issue for us, and obviously we have you have seven of us really encouraging whatever we you need to pass legislation for for you to do your job effectively, we're willing to do that.

But this is a big issue for us and for the residents.

And I just want to Commissioner Fernandez.

Yeah, and I and I just want to say, you know, Commissioner Magazine, you know, I value so much what you're saying about the aesthetics of our city.

It's so important the on-the-ground experience uh that our residents have, that our visitors have, that's they're not gonna look at the details of everything except what is on the surface.

And that's what they're gonna remember when they go back home.

And I think we truly, even though we live in a beautiful city, we truly need to go above and beyond making sure, yes, we're gonna put delineators, we're gonna do some other type of infrastructure, but just don't throw delineators there.

Do it, pay attention to the detail and the final product that people are going to be seeing and remembering.

And lastly, Commissioner Magazine, I share your frustration about the crosswalk.

Um Vice Mayor Matil Salinas and I, when she worked in in my office, you know, we've worked, I think it took us two years to get, or two or three years to get a crosswalk on Meridian Avenue by Lincoln Road.

It was the most frustrating thing.

I didn't understand.

How is it possible for me as a commissioner for us to take two years to get a crosswalk?

A simple crosswalk.

And for it to take an elected official now, you commissioner magazine in your neighborhood, where you're trying to make conditions safer for mothers and families and children, just pedestrians in general, for it to take this long, I to me, then like then why are we commissioners?

If we cannot push an agenda for the benefit and the safety of those who have placed their trust in us, then why do we hold these offices?

So, you know, I I I support my colleagues, Commissioner Dominguez uh and Commissioner Bonn and their efforts and there being an enforcement ordinance with real teeth uh in there, uh Commissioner Um Suarez and his initiative to to to bring forward these delineators and Commissioner Magazine and the finished product and the amount of time it takes on this, and I'm happy to support all of you and second your item because this truly just speaks to just a bigger effort in our city, which is not have things take so long and do things that you know with attention to detail.

And also, by the way, if we go to you guys with a problem, a problem with on you know deliveries, and we're coming to you guys with delineators.

Well, don't tell us, well, no, we can't do the delineators, give us an alternative.

Don't just say no.

It's so easy just to say no.

But if if the administration knows, well, there's there's a development agreement or there's a conditional use permit, and there might be other avenues through which to achieve your objective will guide us in that direction.

Commissioner Magazine and Commissioner Bott.

Few things that I'd uh like to ask the administration to consider when we're looking at this.

Uh, if we're thinking comprehensively, if you look at a lot of our curbs, and again, this sounds silly, but this is the surface level experience for so many visitors or residents.

They are completely destroyed, right?

And I see it firsthand.

It's because some of these large trucks have such a wide turning radius that they go around fifth uh 15th Street, right by the Ile Villagio is a great example, right?

We spend so much money to take care of the aesthetics of our city, and then these large trucks are destroying it.

Uh, right outside on Collins Avenue uh by Council Tower South, it's the same exact thing.

These curbs are destroyed by these large trucks.

Uh perhaps we do need to look at some ways to encourage or I I hate the word, but penalize the larger trucks and really encourage the smaller uh trucks that are more compatible with our city.

Um I want to bring up something specific, but uh I'd like an answer.

The exit of West Avenue right onto the MacArthur Causeway.

Um it's always been a very complicated intersection, I guess compounded with uh the possibility of having that uh crosswalk project going on, but right now the it's essentially split between the the north and south lane, the entrance on West Avenue and the MacArthur, there's about 12 traffic cones that are there, right?

And what what is the purpose of that?

Well, why is it there?

Again, it's because we have a poorly planned road where I mean am I crazy?

Nobody knows what I'm talking about.

It's literally the exit of our city, people have to come and enter every single day.

There's 12 traffic cones right there.

Where are our area managers?

Who who are they?

What do they do?

Why do they not drive around looking at issues like this all day?

Why does our neighborhood affairs community not drive around golf court highlighting this issue?

For a year, we've had 12 traffic cones for no rhyme or reason at the exit of our city and the entrance of our city, right?

West Avenue and MacArthur Causeway, and I'm getting a bunch of blank stairs.

Who's responsible?

This is the thing nobody knows.

Nobody knows.

Everybody will drive by them for years and years with no accountability.

Why are there 12 traffic cones at the end of West Avenue, exiting on the MacArthur?

Thousands, thousands of employees drive by there every single week.

What why do we have them?

Who can answer that?

I don't want you to, right?

Because I get that you want to take one for the team, and accountability starts stops at the top.

I get that.

But this should be individual department heads.

Somebody's department is responsible for them.

Who?

How is that possible?

How is that possible?

At the exit, where thousands of people, tens of thousands of tourists, go out every single day.

It looks like hell.

And nobody knows why.

Nobody knows why they're there.

John.

Commissioner, I'll find out immediately.

I'm not familiar with the exact location, but I'll get you an answer.

When we say the exact location, I'm not trying to be pompous or an ass here.

This is the exit to our city.

Right?

The exit that thousands of people.

Well, we don't have a hundred exits to our city.

We have three main arteries, four main arteries.

This is one of them.

And there are 12 traffic cones for no the reason why they're there is because the roadway is so poorly designed.

But instead of having long-term structural fixes, we'll have a grouping of traffic coons.

And if it weren't for this, for an elected official to say, what are we doing here?

And nobody knows, it would be there for the next 10 years.

Right?

Like, how do we have all these departments?

You guys make and gals make really good money.

An area manager.

We just hired a whole team of them.

Neighborhood affairs, right?

These should be the people day to day just going around our city and saying that looks off.

I'm gonna find the person to fix that.

That looks off, I'm gonna find the person to fix that.

What do they do?

I have my phone full of the detour signs that are thrown in bushes, they're on the bridge of Sunset Harbor, they're laying down on the street.

How can we have thousands of employees going around our city every day, whether it be the city manager or a sanitation worker or anybody in between, and not highlighting that and saying that really looks off?

We need to do better.

Commissioner Bott was next to the Sunday Speaker 1.

Um so we know there are violations at this building, and we know they have a CUP.

Can we have them?

Can we get them a notice to cure um and to appear at the planning board for the next planning board meeting?

Yes, there's a minimum 15-day notice when you issue a cure letter.

Um I can try to have that issued and get them to the planning board for their April 7th meeting.

If we can't meet that minimum notice requirement, then it would be the May 5th meeting.

Okay.

Commissioner Swarez.

I was gonna say something I probably should not, but I understand there's public comment.

Is there public comment?

Our first hearing.

Is there public comment?

Somebody calls, somebody mostly calls in, I say we don't.

Okay.

Yeah, so we're gonna do the people outside of that I'll call you in.

Okay.

Okay.

I'll let Carla go first.

She's okay, Carla.

Oh, I it's it's related to the.

Hold on, Carter.

Come on in.

Oh, sorry.

Carla Provis, uh, live in 20th and Alta now.

Uh, but I wanted to say I used to live South the Fifth, and I go down there quite a bit to go to Smith and Walinsky, everyone knows that.

And Commissioner Swarez, you had an item last week and or last month.

It was about uh uh timing of lights and uh taking over work from the county, and I just want to mention the also the problem that's here at this intersection is at six, fifth, and fourth street.

I know they I got the crosswalk, put it in fourth street.

That is all out of time.

So I think that also causes the backup, you know, sixth and fifth were in time, it would also help with the flow.

Okay?

So I wonder that because I know it ties in with your other item you brought in last month.

So thank you.

Thank you, Carolyn.

Thank you.

Our first public caller, virtual caller is Susanna, so Santa State, your name address, and you have two minutes.

Susanna Santoro, 5600 Collins Avenue.

My comment is regarding the delivery companies.

Um, if the CD has not been able to get a great commercial delivery companies, the solution cannot be to shift enforcement associations and residents all the financially responsible for actions that they neither employ nor control is just unjust and misplaced.

Enforcement should instead target the delivery companies directly with meaningful fines and concept with not the properties that they service.

And I do agree with Commissioner Magazine that safety must be addressed, but again, penalizing residents for content they cannot control is not fair or effective solution.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Well, you know, Tom She does bring up a good point.

What what is the argument there where you know sometimes the the HOAs are oblivious to I mean who's really at fault here?

Maybe that's the city manager question, but you know, I mean because right now we continue to find tens of thousands of dollars that building yet every day it continues to happen, and there's no compliance.

So in terms of enforcement, um, if they're in violation of either a land use board order, CUP order, um, that is something that we can enforce.

Now, in terms of how the HOAs deal with their violations internally, that's something that's not something that we could speak to, but we could certainly enforce what their approvals are.

Yeah, definitions of that area.

And to Susanna, that building was built with the understanding that they were gonna follow the rules, and that they were going to enforce their delivery trucks to follow the rules, and so uh they went into an agreement with that with the city to do that.

So sorry, want to keep continuing.

So, our next caller is Alex uh Jimenez.

Go ahead, Alex.

Alex Jimenez, Bell Isle.

I'm calling uh because this happens here on Bell Island, and I also have an idea for you guys.

Uh as we know, the standard hotel is next door, and you are diverting traffic uh right now because of the undergrounding of the water utility.

So Venetian, the Venetian causeway is blocked, so when that happens, they bring everybody here along, you know, in front of the standard hotel, and that's for all the traffic to exit.

Talk about exiting our city and the beauty of exiting our city.

The standard hotel has two or three trucks, you know, at a time delivering stuff.

Can you imagine what it looks like here during rush hour where there's a lot of traffic?

People are coming into the city and they're coming out of the city, and there's three huge box trucks in the middle of the way.

That wouldn't be allowed if you know it was on the Venetian causeway.

But why is it allowed on our little street?

Uh that's not to say that it's the standard's fault.

I think this is the city's fault.

You know, I think an idea for for everyone here, I think you we've had a like I've heard a lot of great ideas, is you know, there needs to be a place for these trucks to go.

And there's plenty of parking spaces.

You know, I know that parking is limited, but three or four, five or six can be converted to a freight zone for the standard, right?

Right in front.

There should be some more proactive creative ideas with the real estate that we have, like our parking spaces.

I think Commissioner Magazine was totally correct.

We should, with all the employees the city has, there should be a looks off person that walks that drives around and finds uh opportunities and create creative ideas uh to fix things, paint curves, uh suggest ideas.

But I definitely think converting parking spaces is is an easy win near Five Park, near the standard, all over the city because people do need deliveries, and if you're delivery driver, you need to stop somewhere and you need to park.

So we should be converting more parking spaces to freight zones, and not just for one truck, but for three or you know, two or three.

Thank you, sir.

Our next caller is Jane Krupp.

Go ahead, you have two minutes.

Hi, Jane Krupp 1390 Ocean Drive.

You all know me from the parking department because I call about 10 times a day.

And the parking department, you know, they're doing the best they can, but it really is a cat and mouse game with these drivers and they know it.

We have a very limited amount of staff to get over there.

But um it's a citywide problem, and you can see the beginnings of where has this problem started?

It's this big high rise.

The big high-rise is creating density, creating the need for more deliveries, and the city needs a city plan, overall city plan of how to integrate the higher density that's coming.

If you want to encourage higher FAR and Washington Avenue, you need to have a loading uh plan citywide, and part of it is restricting the size of trucks.

We don't have a terminal like they have in New York where they all the big trucks don't come in because they can't maneuver the streets.

So we're we're heading towards this conflict of more density and safety because the trucks are very unsafe, especially I'm here on 14th Street and Ocean Court.

A man was killed by a huge truck trying to make a three-point turn.

No, no truck over 30 feet should be going east of Collins Avenue.

We need some rules.

We need a plan.

And I encourage um the traffic department to get with this and the police and the parking department to get together.

I agree with what the commissioners are saying, that right now we have an unsafe condition where yes, tourists are are walking in between huge trucks on 14th Street near the beach.

That's not acceptable.

If you're gonna do your laundry in your hotel from Broward County in a tractor trailer, because it's a dollar cheaper for the water, that's not a common sense solution.

Use a local laundry that has vans.

They're available.

We by not allowing these huge trucks coming from long distances, one more second.

We encourage local businesses with vans and local deliveries.

So it's a win-win if we can have some city planning around this as well, considering the density that's coming.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next hold on to me.

Our next virtual caller is has a screen name of called user four.

State your name, address.

Good morning, Mayors and Commissioners.

My name is Matthew Baltanoff.

My address is 125 Jefferson Avenue.

I remember many years ago at the Fifth and Alton site, there was a low rise, medium density project that was approved.

It was called the Ways.

It would have brought six-story buildings to that site with much needed market rate, apartment housing for residents of the city.

And area neighbors actually came and fought it saying that it was going to be delivering too much traffic to the site.

And so it's kind of funny now.

I look up and I actually see the Pift and Alton Tower at over 500 feet.

And here we are now, a decade later.

And the actual issue is that there is tremendous traffic impacts being caused by this tower.

And the narrative that it would just be empty and people contributing to the coffers of the city and not living here actually doesn't appear to be necessarily true either.

Remember, the formula for success many times is low rise, medium density in cities.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our last virtual caller is David.

David, go ahead, please.

Hello, can you hear me?

Yeah, go ahead.

State your name, please.

David Wallach.

I seem to sound like a bit of a broken record, as do many of these callers.

But uh deliveries are uh a part of hotel business.

They are a part of restaurant and cafe business.

And Ocean Drive from 5th to 15th Street is a commercial district.

It is not a residential district.

It is filled with hotels, it is filled with restaurants and mixed retail.

They all require regular deliveries virtually every single day.

Not just one truck, but each business requires probably five different trucks.

And if large trucks uh cannot get in, then they have to use four small trucks.

And so we're propagating the problem by closure of any of our main streets, including Ocean Drive, and throwing that problem onto Collins Avenue, plus ballet, plus ride share Ubers, plus multiple, multiple delivery trucks per block.

And the further you put these trucks from the delivery point, the more truck, you know, uh uh hand truck back and forths have to happen, and then the more time those trucks have to stay.

It's a domino effect by closing main arteries which were not designed to be closed.

So please consider all of the multiple domino effects and collateral damage that we are creating ourselves by poor planning and thinking that we can close a major artery and it not seriously affect major arteries that are attached to it.

Thank you so much.

Uh Mitch.

Uh Mitch Novick, 901 Collins Avenue.

I agree with the last caller and Jane Krupp.

Uh when you close Ocean Drive, you create a dangerous condition.

My street becomes a uh uh traffic cesspool of absolute gridlock.

So I would urge you to uh keep the traffic flowing, and the way to do that is not true, not disrupt our traditional urban traffic grid.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Mayor, that concludes.

Okay, I believe we have a motion and a second.

We do.

We have bush by commissioner Sware, second by Commissioner Fernandez, Commissioner Fernandez will be listed as a co-sponsor.

Thank you.

Call vote.

All in favor of R7G, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Anyone opposed?

Item is approved 7-0.

That was item R7G.

R7S.

R7S approved strategic plan 2026.

Commissioner Magazine.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

And Mr.

City Manager, I'll turn this largely over to you.

But it's really just a good governance method.

And while I love that this commission gets down into the details like we just did today.

Right?

Because that is the importance of local government.

It is when you walk outside of your house, what you experience, whether it be the safety of your roads, the cleanliness of your streets, whether your city is safe during March first spring break, whether your streets are aesthetically pleasing or not.

Those are the meat and potatoes of everyday, day-to-day operation of a city.

But we also need to think comprehensively.

But Mr.

City Manager, I'll turn it over to you about how we're going to essentially lay this out and then how we'll govern within the context of this.

Thank you, Commissioner, through the mayor.

We prioritize how we want this organization to be run every year through the budget process.

But a document like this is really taking us out further.

Multiple years.

Each stroke of the ore is important, but if you all don't know where the point in the distance is that you're trying to go to, it becomes very difficult to move that boat forward in a positive direction.

This particular document is the culmination of input from the mayor and commission over the past year.

It does obviously build on what we've done historically.

Our City of Miami Beach's first strategic plan was established pursuant to resolution 2006, 26341, and was updated in 2015, 2019, and 2023.

This particular document remains committed to our mission of providing excellent public service and safety to all who live, work, and play in our vibrant tropical historic community.

It outlines our organizational values to maintain Miami Beach as a world-class city, to work as a cooperative team of well-trained and empowered professionals to act with ownership and authority to reach exceptional outcomes, to expediently serve the public with dignity and respect, to conduct the business of the city with honesty, integrity, and dedication.

We are ambassadors of goodwill to our residents, visitors, and the business community, and we treat our citizens, staff, and each other with professionalism, kindness, and collegiality.

We have a number of strategic vision areas, a vibrant city, where our objective is to build on our internationally recognized reputation by balancing tourism and development initiatives to enrich the quality of life and vitality of our neighborhoods, schools, and commercial areas.

Safe city, where our objective is to build resident satisfaction through safety, cleanliness, parks, and modern codes.

Our resilient coastal city, where we our objective is to protect and enhance our natural and build environments through leading edge resilience infrastructure initiatives and investments in support of the longevity and sustainability of our community, a connected and engaged city where our objective is to embrace a multimodal philosophy to encourage non-motorized mobility options, to reduce congestion, and provide enhanced connectivity to our neighborhoods, schools, employment, special events, open spaces, businesses and attractions, a smart city, where our goal is to create a high quality and efficient governance services and employees.

Mr.

City Manager, if I could uh maybe for the best usage, explain is this the result of the retreat that we did uh this past year.

Okay, yes.

And this is the result of a two-day retreat with the um six of you obviously uh Vice Mayor Mateo Selinas was involved, but not in her current role.

Um obviously this is the uh consolidation of a lot of discussions and a lot of um you know thought-provoking exchange.

And where will this be publicly visible?

And is this already locked in and said in stone, or is this kind of a uh dynamic document that will be able to essentially um change or uh massage as we go along?

So this is adopted by resolution, it can be changed by resolution at any point in time.

Um this would inform our budgeting process, and this would inform the day-to-day direction that I give to the teams on how to deliver the best results for the community.

Is there anything that almost adds uh acts like a safeguard?

I'll give an example.

Let's say we want to one of our strategic goals and priorities is to make a more walkable pedestrian-friendly city, and then somebody proposes legislation uh without giving concrete example, but just flies in the face of that, right?

Really takes uh uh that will result in going the exact opposite.

Will there be some sort of flag or discussion that'll say, well, our strategic priority is walkability, but this is flying in the face of that.

So in our memos, um in prior iterations, we've always tried to incorporate some of our strategic goals and initiatives into what we're formulating as we're putting the information forward.

Um we we've transitioned a little bit away from that.

Uh I think that's probably because we haven't done a full-blown refresh since 2019.

Um, but I would like to get back to that so that we could help the commission uh dovetail initiatives with the strategic plan.

So I guess I'll turn over to my colleagues and uh not that I have the power, but uh Commissioner Bott.

But are we going to discuss what this is, or are we just going to kind of adopt uh what Commissioner Bach?

Um, you know, over the last number of years, through um impetus from residents or commissioners at the time, there have been things added to um the the blue sheets, the c the cover memos about fiscal impact or um is it a resident's right to know or whatever?

Could we um add a thing like a little check box to those cover memos?

Say, does this align with an initial initiative?

If yes, which one?

So that we can that's a quick reference point that we can just keep ourselves accountable.

Absolutely, if that's the commission's desire.

I think that's that something we have to vote on, or we could propose an amendment to to this.

Okay, I'd like to propose an amendment that the cover sheets incorporate a place to indicate whether or not um the item being proposed aligns with one of the initiatives, and if it does, which one it is?

It doesn't mean that it doesn't it doesn't mean that it it's a bad item if it doesn't, it just helps us keep a frame of reference incorporation of key performance indicators.

Yeah.

So that's the motion if there's a second.

Yeah, I'll say okay.

Let's call a vote.

This is item R7S as amended to include a section uh moved by Commissioner Bott, seconded by commissioner magazine, all in favor of R7 S as amended.

You say aye.

Aye.

Anyone opposed, hearing none, R7S is approved as amended.

And just if I may, through the chair for clarity, the the box to be checked will be whether the item aligns with or whether the item affects because there may be items that don't align with.

Right.

Um I think it would be does it does it affect does it is it related to it?

Is it related to it's a good way of and and then which one it relates to?

Okay, very good.

Should we do that, Commissioner, or is it maybe just ask for flag if it adversely uh impacts?

I I like having sort of the the benchmark of oh, look, we're doing another thing that aligns with one of our strategic priorities.

R9X.

R9X is discuss fake action, naming rights opportunities to fund capital projects.

R9X.

Vice Mayor Mattel Salinas.

So this is going to be an interesting discussion, I'm guessing.

I want to explore possibilities for our city to reach out and see if there's any opportunities for naming rights or advertising advertising opportunities for some of our facilities here.

And I think at one point we had that.

I would ask our marketing communications.

Melissa, please join us.

Sure, Melissa Bertier, it was a 10-year deal.

And it ultimately we turned it down.

The commission turned it down at the time, which I think was a bit of a missed opportunity.

And I think we should explore that again, especially considering we're trying to cut, cut, cut, and maybe we need to instead increase revenue in certain ways.

For example, I learned that in Miami Dade County, one of their parks, the underlying park was sponsored by Chewy, the dog food brand.

Or it's they sell more than dog food.

But you know, maybe we could approach Chewy for some advertising.

Maybe they can you know wrap a park in a banner.

Um and my biggest issue actually is that you know, I I want to one of my budget allocations that we're gonna discuss in May is the Flamingo Park um uh uh football field, soccer field right there, and in order for that field to be returfed, it's gonna be one point, I think three million dollars.

And so what if we reached out to Adidas, for example, and we said, hey Adidas, you're doing multiple events in our city, FIFA is big this year.

Why don't we do some type of naming opportunity where Adidas names co-names our flamingo park track and gives us the 1.3 for a couple years and we call it the Adidas Flomingo Park Track.

So many ideas.

And the reason why I did this as a discussion item and not sent it to committee was because I wanted to have this discussion here, talk about it with our staff and have them come back and give us some ideas of appropriate locations.

Um so that way it wasn't clogging up committees and and and kind of eating up time.

Um I want to see what everyone I want to take everyone's temperature and see how we all feel and see if we can get started on something.

Mr.

Commissioner Fernandez.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

And I'll say traditionally, I'm I am not a fan of having names throughout our cities that comes with unintended consequences at time.

At times, you know, you might enter into an agreement with an entities whose values in the future you might not realize might not necessarily align with the public values and the public policies of the city.

However, notwithstanding that, we're in a very different time and place today than when we were four years ago when Norwegian cruise lines came to us with a proposal uh to name the convention center.

Today we're facing a potential shift in revenues, uh potential reform uh to our source of funding for the operations and the maintenance of important facilities to our city.

And because of that, I do think, Madam Vice Mayor, it is indeed prudent uh for us to be exploring what opportunities may be out there, doesn't mean that we're necessarily going to engage in those opportunities, but if it's the right opportunity, uh then it's only responsible for us uh to be considering uh those potential partnerships.

Not all of them will work.

I know in the past, Melissa, we had a company.

Correct.

Uh do we still have a.

And we don't have a sales team.

Right.

Which lots of adds.

Yeah.

But I mean we can try our best, but I we are not a sales team, you know.

Um, but maybe we can get together with economic development um and do our best, but there are specialized firms that do do this, but of course it's comes with a cut.

Right, and but I do I I do think, you know, and to and to your point, the communications department um, you know, handles communications marketing, but you guys don't do media sales.

You don't do sales for bus benches, you don't do sales for trolley wraps, you don't do sales for exercise equipment, uh, and we shouldn't be engaging either in sales of of naming rights.

Um however, I do like the idea of approaching this through an outside entity that does have uh those those contacts, those relationships, knows how to negotiate uh a really worthwhile, financially worthwhile uh term and agreement for the city.

Um so you know, whereas four years ago, I would have completely been against this.

I think that the shifting landscape uh that we may be potentially uh facing if 60% of the state's voters make a constitutional amendment to property taxes, which could foreseeably happen over the next year or so.

Um if it makes it prudent to be ahead of it and be engaging in these conversations.

I was happy to support your motion.

Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Yeah, I'll Commissioner Magazine.

I'll echo those thoughts.

I don't want to tie ourselves into anything.

Uh I would have historically been against it as well.

And I do want to maintain some sort of decision making authority while not micromanaging.

There could be some good opportunities, you know, the flamingo uh stadium by Adidas.

I don't think that's overly offensive or something like that, but again, I don't want to micromanage, but I do want to uh not just kind of give the green light sign off the wave all of these things in.

I I'll offer up our first possibility.

I'll I'll offer $500 for the magazine orange cone removal capital project uh across the city.

So Commissioner Bach.

Um so I have historically been dead set against this.

I share my colleagues' open to openness to um consider what's out there.

I am actually very leery of having an outside organization go out and sell the city because for them it's revenue, and I think this needs to be curated with um careful consideration of what the property is and who the sponsor could be.

I would like to actually pivot this possibly to a different approach.

Um we have increasing and Rick, I'd need you to tell me how how we can do this um legally, um, and maybe you don't have an answer at the at your fingertips because it's a weird.

I I don't know if the if other cities do this.

We have increasingly mega wealthy residents in the city.

And in other cities, we uh we see people underwriting arts and culture institutions, school playgrounds, uh public playgrounds, improved waterways, all things that will be dramatically affected if God forbid um we lose our property tax and potentially our business taxes.

So is there a way to set up an uh uh an employee, an office, uh, a firm to basically be a municipal fundraiser to the way that you know you've got um fundraisers for uh other not-for-profit organizations to fund initiatives to take up um uh maintenance costs for existing facilities that is not selling naming rights but is a different approach to this.

Because I I would be kind of much more interested in that.

And this is a uh target demographic that is usually not or is is usually new to the city, might not be super engaged yet with the community because they're here some of the time, not all of the time, uh doesn't know the history of what what gets valued and what is a challenge, and it's a way to um engage with them and and um have them build relationships in meaningful ways.

Sure.

And in fact, one of your colleagues uh several months ago had had pro discussed with my office the possibility of some kind of a fundraising uh 501c3.

I believe that this was done during uh Mayor Levine's administration.

Um and I think that it was shut down eventually because of some concerns.

So uh the your colleague did not pursue this as a result of some of the concerns, but we can certainly revisit the idea again, especially given the current economic climate.

Maybe there's some guardrails that we can come up with to ensure that the that the issues that were um identified back then do not the city at the time had one Miami Beach, which was a foundation that was set up.

Um the uh city commission, I think authorized the city attorney's office to work on setting up a foundation uh on behalf of the city.

And then that foundation had a board of directors, uh, I believe, you know, the late Commissioner Malikov and a number of other members from the dais uh were on that board of directors and specifically a focused on um you know contributions that were made by people throughout the community uh and then the reinvestment of those you know into projects that then the city wouldn't have to to fund.

And then the reinvestment of those, you know, into projects that then the city wouldn't have to fund.

And maybe, you know, if if we can't do a non-for-profit again, maybe we have a development person in the city that can work on, you know, if someone wants to work on improving a park.

And we have, you know, we have a set as a goal to make you know improvements in a park or do an improvement somewhere in North Beach, and there's a new business that's coming in, or there's a new resident that came in that wants to contribute towards that.

You know, someone that's making those relationships with those stakeholders, um, so that then you know, we can pursue that money even through the city, and we the city, every once in a while, we usually contributions.

You know, we can consider a resolution accepting a private contribution and allocate that and dedicate that for a specific purpose.

And so maybe that's something that we could explore is bringing in a development person, and maybe part of that person's compensation doesn't have to be you know coming out of the general fund.

Maybe you know, it's a structure where you know they get a percentage of what they fundraise, which is you know, very typical a lot of times in the nonprofit world.

So maybe that's something we can explore.

Yeah, and I just to be clear, I I this is not relentless for progress.

This is not a pack.

This is this is a um this would be you know, sort of a high-end, bespoke um um fundraiser the way, as you mentioned, uh not-for-profit organizations have um and use very effectively, and it's long-term relationship development, and um I think it would be a very interesting way to approach this.

Um I don't know if that's an amendment to this or becomes a separate item.

I think it's a separate item.

I think if I heard correctly, Commissioner Mateo Salinas would like to make a um well, right now you are acting as mayor, so you cannot uh make a motion, but the earlier motion that I believe you had made was to direct the administration to work on some potential naming opportunities for the city and return back to commission.

And I do want to assure everybody that the city has a very vigorous process for naming rights.

So this would go to neighborhoods, it would come back to you all.

In some instances, there's a referendum required for certain namings.

So um, so it's not that that this would happen without your substantial input.

I just want to add that um I Commissioner Bott, I love your idea as well.

That was one of my ideas too.

If a family wanted to, you know, say, hey, this little pocket park in my neighborhood, you know, I want to explore lots of opportunities here, and I don't want to limit it to just corporate partners, but I do think we should look at corporate partners.

In fact, I was told that one of our one of the events, the corporate events that we're gonna be doing, one of the the folks that's hosting at an upcoming event wanted to wrap one of our lifeguard stands, and I won't say which, but um, and I think that they're gonna end up being being able to do that.

But then someone had asked, well, how much are they being charged to wrap their logo on our lifeguard stand?

And the response was a nothing.

We're gonna let them do it for free.

And it's like well, maybe we could have charged for that.

Um, so we just need to be a little bit more cognizant about brands that are coming to our city that want that that PR and that marketing aspect and and what we can get for that.

Um similarly, Muscle Beach, you know, we we do activations there all the time, and you know, if if we're with a brand or a partnership with some type of brand that's there, maybe they can wrap the inside of that coral wall with with a banner.

I mean, there's just so many opportunities.

There's so many opportunities for revenue here.

Um, and I'd like to just explore all of them, and then of course, you know, I commissioner magazine, you mentioned something about you know, this isn't just like carp launch do do whatever we you know need to look at the brands and we need to look at the the sponsorships and look at the areas and what the amount is, but I do want to brainstorm and just kind of see what we can come up with, see what your team can come up with, Melissa, or or not your team.

I'm sorry.

The whom whomever, yeah.

One team.

That's right, one city one team and whom whomever we get to do this.

I do want to ask a question about microphone summaries.

Um are there any categories that you would want to exclude, and specifically I'm asking about alcohol?

Alcoholics.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, and vape and alcohol cigarettes, vape, C B D T H C.

Yeah, agreed.

All the best, though.

We like wholesome wholesale.

I do say because there is uh the you know, obviously alcohol.

We're still on that same page, yeah.

I wouldn't what it would do is I would look at our current uh agreements that we have like with the trolleys and with the uh with some of those because we addressed this issue.

Like I remember bus calls.

Not on on trolleys, yes, their alcohol is not permitted, but on bus shelters, alcohol is permitted.

But that was an administrative decision that was not legislative.

So we have the ability to advertise alcohol in the trolleys.

I've directed the communication department to not do that.

We just have a a standard, a consistent standard that we don't want to explore.

No, no adult toys, please.

Okay.

I can just find any first thing.

Yeah, I'll also add and give a plug for our water taxi, but we've had some interest for uh from some private enterprise potentially partnering with with us that they would help potentially fund some of our our routes, but also for naming right.

So I think it fits in with your saying.

This is thinking outside of the box, and thank you for guiding us into this conversation because I'll tell you, you know, it's is a four years ago the conversation came up, and it takes courage to bring it up again.

It was a very difficult and controversial conversation four years ago.

It became very politically charged, and I think it's very forward-thinking of you to take that very brave step to bring it up uh now, because we do have to be looking at this.

How are we going to close the gaps to maintain the operations and the maintenance at the level of service that our residents have been blessed to get accustomed to?

And so this is forward thinking, and I like the direction that we're going in.

I'm happy to support you.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Anyone else?

Let's vote.

So I have a motion from Commissioner from Vice Mayor Mattel Salinas, uh, seconded by Commissioner Fernandez to direct the administration to explore naming rights.

All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

The item is approved 70.

Uh Commissioner Bott also had a separate.

Yeah, we'll we'll work on that for the for the April meeting.

We'll work on an item for you and maybe an item for you, or you guys could work together.

R5i.

R5I is an ordinance of the mayor city commission of the city of Miami Beach, amending part one, subpart B, Article 9 related special acts of Miami Beach City Code entitled Pension System for Disability and Retirement of Members of Police and Fire Department's amending section 62 definitions.

I think definition for police management employees amending section 79 entitled deferred retirement option plan drop related to the maximum drop participation period providing for repeal of all ordinances in conflict here with qualification servability and providing for an effective date.

This is a second reading public hearing.

It is item R5i.

Seven sponsors.

I guess congratulations, Chief Jones.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

And uh I want to begin by thanking all of you, uh, the entire commission for joining me in sponsoring this ordinance and for recognizing the uh very important uh role of continuity and leadership uh within the police department.

And briefly before we speak about our wonderful chief uh Jones, I want to speak briefly about what this legislation uh actually does because this ordinance is a matter of policy, it's a policy decision amending uh the uh pension plan to allow the chief to extend his participation in the drop program from eight years to a maximum of 10 years.

Uh and I want to highlight something that's very important, and that is that uh our actuary, Mr.

Manager, and correct me if I'm wrong, the city's actuary has reviewed the ordinance and they have confirmed it that it does not increase cost to the city.

Correct.

And so, in other words, this uh this ordinance allows us to maintain stability in leadership without placing any additional burden to our taxpayers.

But ultimately, and more important than this being a policy decision, um, and a very prudent uh policy decision.

This is an ordinance about the men and women of the Miami Beach police departments, and the officers who show up every day.

Those who answer the call of service who put on that uniform every day, and they don't know whether they're gonna come back home at night, they walk our streets, they put themselves in harm's way so that our residents and our visitors can feel safe.

And a department like ours, like our incredible Miami Beach police departments is only as strong as the people who wear that uniform and who serve every day with that bravery, and those officers deserve leadership.

That leadership that supports them, that prepares them, and that gives them the tools that they need every day to succeed.

And when you look at the results of this department and what has been delivered under Chiefs Jones' leadership, it really talks about that support that he gives every day to our officers so that they can succeed.

And PJ, uh, I don't know if we have the slide on major crime statistics.

If you have that ready to be displayed.

There we go.

If you look at our most recent uh major crime statistics, we see meaningful reduct reductions across nearly every category.

You look at violent crimes, that's down by 9%.

You look at property crimes, that's down by 19%.

Robberies, down 32%.

You look at burglaries, they're down 26%, auto thefts down 36%, homicides, homicides down 75%.

And these are real improvements in safety for the residents of Miami Beach.

And what we're seeing today is a department that's operating with a high level of discipline, a high level of purpose with strong morale.

That's why we see those reductions in crimes.

The morale in our police officers who are bringing us these results.

And that begins with the leadership of the Miami Beach police department.

Chief Jones has cultivated an environment where officers tell us, this is not anecdotal.

Officers are telling us that they feel supported by their chief of police.

They feel well trained.

They are equipped to perform at the highest levels expected for them.

And that leadership is reflected in the department's activity and presence throughout our community.

And I think we all know the numbers, but in 2025 alone, the department responded to more than 80,000 calls for service.

More than 81,000 of calls for service.

And officers don't do that if they don't feel supported, and if morale isn't strong.

That level of proactive policing is a result of a workforce that is engaged and actively working to prevent crime rather than simply reacting to crime.

We've also seen their visibility.

Officers under Chief Jones' uh leadership conducted nearly 5,000 park and walk and walk patrols.

And that increases the engagement with our neighborhoods.

That increases visibility.

Chief Jones, as we all know, one of the cool things uh and and new changes in our department is that Chief Jones has pushed the department forward in how we use technology to keep our community safe.

And PJ, do we have there the drone footage?

And what you're seeing there is drone footage from about a week ago.

Uh, and I believe uh, and uh perhaps the chief is probably the best one to uh to to give this description, but in the real-time intelligence center uh that was completed uh during during his tenure.

Uh they they get alerts for license plate from their licensed prey readers, and whether when there's a stolen vehicle, that real-time intelligence center gets the alert, and they're able now to deploy this new technology that we have the drones uh in less than a couple of minutes, it's over the uh McArthur causeway, waiting for that license plate of that stolen vehicle to show up.

And there at the far you see that stolen uh motorcycle coming into our city.

It is such cool stuff when you see it.

And there's that motorcycle coming in.

Can you zoom in on those guns, Alex?

There's that motorcycle coming in.

Look, I mean, the the work that our police department does with this technology that the chief has brought forward.

There's the stolen motorcycle, and what and what and what happens there is just incredible, and it just speaks to the techniques and the and the abilities in which the chief has taken this department to.

And PJ, is this is this uh at double the speed?

There we go.

There the there goes the guy.

That boy there goes the guy.

There he goes, going into the opposite direction of traffic.

He goes down into the residential neighborhoods into Flamingo Park.

Commissioner Selena's close to you.

He abandons his motorcycle, throws it in the alley, goes into a building, takes off a shirt and a cap, thinks he's getting away, but oh no.

There are they are Chief Jones officers.

There they are responding.

And the guy thinks he got away, but no, he didn't.

There are our officers taking him down.

That is the work of true leadership of leadership like Chief Jones.

But technology alone doesn't create these results.

It's the people, it's the leadership that guide that guides them.

And we see that leadership play out right now during one of the most demanding times of the year for the city of Miami Beach, but most importantly for our police officers.

And um and PJ, do we have there the news clip that just reminds us of where we were and where we are now?

This is the moment chaos erupts in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Hundreds of people running across the beach Saturday after what appeared to be gunshots ringing out.

There were zero gunshots on the beach because what they were doing was crushing a water bottle to make it sound like a gunshot to stampede the crowd.

The Volusia County Sheriff says it happened even with dozens of law enforcement officers in the crowd.

Later adding at least one weekend shooting was also spring break related.

And in Port Oranges, Texas, police say a 17-year-old shot and wounded five people on a beach late Saturday night.

No one's running from gunshots, but in Miami Beach, Florida, an iconic party town has worked on a spring break rebrand in recent years.

And it seems to be working.

Police say this weekend arrests plummeted almost 21% year over year.

The city surging resources, more police, DUI and license plate checks, but also parking and getting towed are more expensive.

The strategy that we implemented was an all hands on deck and a collective strategy involving not only the police department but different city entities that made it very clear.

But if you decide to break the rules and break the law, you'll be dealt with accordingly.

Racing a new strategy to avoid scenes like this.

Jesse Kirsch, NBC News, Miami Beach, Florida.

Thank you, PJ.

That type, that kind of turnaround doesn't happen by accident.

It happens when a department has strong leadership.

Clear expectations from the very top.

And officers that know that their city stands behind them.

So extending the drop uh for Chief Jones is not just about his tenure.

It's not just about keeping Chief Jones here for another two years, but it's most importantly about maintaining the stability.

Continuing on the progress we are seeing.

And supporting the men and women and the police officers of the Miami Beach Police Department who rely on that leadership, on the leadership of Chief Jones, every single day.

And when our officers know that their leadership has the confidence and the full banking of this Miami Beach City Commission, I think that message strengthens the entire department.

So with that, uh for those reasons, uh, Mr.

Mayor colleagues, I thank you all uh for being sponsors in this in this legislation, and I'm proud, I'm very proud to move it in support of our incredible chief and the and all the men and women who work in the Miami Beach Police Department.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Thank you, Commissioner Fernandez.

That was uh very good presentation.

I appreciate it uh and enjoyed it.

So I think it highlights it's important uh and it resonates with with our residents.

I'll I'll add one other couple of things, but one is I'm a big believer that uh data and numbers are very significant, and it tells a good story, and it and in this case it tells a real story.

But uh, I'm also a big believer in it's how our residents and tourists feel when they walk down the street.

Uh as of even in a part from the data.

And the good news there is I hear all the time, and I assume all of us here from our residents and visitors.

Wow, Miami Beach has changed in a big way.

I feel very comfortable walking down the street, taking my family.

I've had people tell me that they wouldn't take their kids to South Beach, and they do now, and they're walking on Ocean Drive and other parts.

So there's a great story overall.

It's and obviously it all comes with breaking that spring break cycle, the major crimes you talked about.

Our homeless numbers, the lowest we've ever had in our city's history, 60% lower than just three years ago.

Um, the staffing, full staffing, which shows that we have a a uh well-motivated force.

And I'm actually hearing a lot, and I again I I suppose I'm here, I hear a lot of people telling me I run into uh officers in other cities or security guards who are telling me I'm trying to get into the Miami Beach Police Department.

That's where I want to be.

But you guys are fully staffed, I can't even get in.

So uh it's a great place to be because it wasn't that long ago we were.

I remember hearing we have 40 slots that we have to fill in our uh uh police department.

So it's um there's there's a lot going on.

And I and uh I'll give all of us here uh a pat on the back because I also hear Chief Jones, others, and officers on the street who say thank you to us because not every city does the elected body support our police department in the way we do and say publicly, we got your back.

Um and uh I think uh I think our officers the message is loud and clear.

We got their backs, we're giving them the best technology that we have to offer.

We do um it's important, it's important for their own safety, and it's also important for for preventing and solving crimes to have that.

So uh Chief Jones, it's uh it's it's uh it's great working with you.

We started around the same time in our respective roles, so uh you know, we work obviously closely together.

Um I will say, and and I've had this conversation with you.

I think I don't want to speak for you, you could say it, but I think part of your motivation in wanting to continue is we've seen so many positive changes, and there's more to do, right?

We don't we don't rest on our on our laurels and uh the police visibility has gotten tremendously improved, and there's even more we can do, right?

We that we never stop, we never stop pushing.

Um and uh and I and I think I think I personally believe our officers love that.

They love the fact that we are uh giving them the tools to do their job and that we want them and expect them to uh follow their training and do the jobs that we're asking them to do.

So thank you again, fully supportive of uh and looking forward to working with you for the next couple of uh couple of years.

Commissioner Dominguez.

Thank you.

Uh I too am very supportive.

I'd like to second the item.

Under uh Chief Jones' leadership, we have seen a reduction in crime.

He and his team has worked very hard in tackling the rampant drug problem that had really built up during COVID in the entertainment district.

He filled all the vacancies.

That was an incredible feat, not easy, and um now we have fully fed staffed police department.

Uh the chief is very responsive, and he has also built a strong command staff of men and women, very experienced and of diverse backgrounds.

Uh, we have an incredible team under the chief, and I look forward to working with him for the next few years.

Commissioner Bott.

Um obviously I'm very supportive of this as well.

And um one of the things that I've been talking to you about, Chief Jones, that I'm excited about for the next two years is the opportunity to really improve, not improve, to continue um and build on the successes you've had and your command staff and support of you in the initiatives like 30 by 30 and making this a safe department for people who are not traditionally seen as cops.

Um, because I think that it is so important for community to be policed by people who look like they are.

And um, I am going to look to you and to you know see significant improvement.

Not I'm sorry, significant movement um as that continues over the next two years and ensure that no matter who uh comes to try to fill your shoes after you leave in two years, um, that that is a priority and a pillar of the department moving forward in perpetuity.

So I know you can do it.

We've talked about this.

I am a thousand percent confident in your vision and supportive of your vision and confident in your command staff who will continue uh to do this after you've gone.

And uh I look forward to what we can get done together in the next two years.

Chief, I'd like to take a moment to thank you for all that you've done.

I fully support you in in this extension, and I'm so impressed by the work that you've done and the team you've created and the staff that you oversee.

I every time I speak with an officer, no matter where they're at in their rank, they all really love their job.

And I think it's because they love the environment that you've created within the force and within the team.

It's just it's palpable.

I I had the I was at roll call on Sunday and I had the chance to go on a ride along with a sergeant.

Um, and he just you could tell he just loved his job.

I mean, the way everything, he was so detailed about every explanation about you know, it was fascinating.

It was truly fascinating.

And I'm so glad I got that opportunity because you have created such an impressive team.

Um every single officer just has such pride in what they do, and the residents know it, we see it, we we love it, we love you.

And it's just so impressive.

And I just want to thank you again.

I I truly can't give you enough accolades.

You know, when I went to you and I said, listen, I want to work on human trafficking this year because that's very important to me.

And you agreed immediately, and you said that you had created the first human trafficking team within the police department several years ago.

And if that if I misspeak, please correct me.

But I mean, I just behind the scenes, you do so much, and as in front of the scenes, you do so much, and I really truly can't thank you enough.

So I'm happy to support you, Chief.

Any any commissioner magazine?

Yeah, Chief, we could go on until you're uh you're you're halfway through your extension here.

So we could.

We have some talkers, huh?

Uh maybe we'll bring this in for a landing.

Uh love you, love what you do, love your family.

Um, and it's clearly a lot of people in the city do.

You're a great ambassador, great police officer, great police chief.

So proud to work with you going forward.

Well, if I may do that, if I uh I just wanted to add one one other thing, which uh which I thought of there's really like there's so much that goes into what you have to do in in a department like this, and and everything we do is so high profile, uh, which adds to the uh sort of the the pressure stakes because you know every decision.

But um I'm I'm really proud of our of our entire city because you've gotten nothing but support from us as a commission, our residents, our business community.

It really takes that to uh to to build.

And and I say that partly because you know, when this process was coming up, and and until this came up, there was some talk about potential successors and what have you, and and there's and and you've built the deep bench, which is also part of uh I think it's gonna be part of your legacy as well, and it's a compliment to you and our entire department that we have so many good people in in our in our in in senior command and senior management.

But at the same time, I I always like to tell people and residents, because I have residents come to me, thank God we live in South Florida.

Things are good, things are safe, we're safe haven here.

Um I've even had some people from outside our country tell me recently that they're looking to move here, looking to move business here, looking to move themselves.

And they said, but the it's it's gonna stay this way in South Florida, right?

It's guaranteed.

I'm like, there's no guarantee in life.

Things can change very quickly.

A change in leadership, a change in in different uh and we've seen that in other cities in our country, we've seen it in other parts of the world.

Things can change very quickly.

So uh I do not take it for granted that I work with so many good colleagues up here and work with so many uh I work with our city manager, our police chief, and other departments as well.

And I believe our residents don't, but I say it as a cautionary tale that um the successes that we're seeing doesn't happen in a vacuum, it does not happen by accident.

It takes a tremendous amount of hard work.

It takes some tough decisions that we often do get uh negative pushback, but we do it because we know it's the right thing, and today is proof of why we do it because we're seeing the success that our city is having.

And you're a big part of it.

Mr.

Mayor.

Commissioner Fernandez.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Um I just want to recognize um, you know, we all have very stressful, very challenging, high-profile positions.

Uh that can be at times uh disheartening as they can be rewarding, they can be demoralizing as they can be uplifting.

And at the end of the day, we all go home.

We go home to our families, whether it be our partners or our significant others, our children, our families, they're the ones that keep us going.

And I recognize that in the audience, we have Mariana, uh, Chief Jones' uh wife and Mariana.

This community owes so much gratitude to you.

Uh I know that you are the rock of that family.

I know I know the chief feels so supported and doing his job every single day because you're there supporting him as supporting your beautiful children and your beautiful family.

And the fact that you're here in this milestone moment is is so beautiful.

And I also, you know, we are a team.

I know in my office I have my uh two aides who help me in absolutely everything that I do.

And I'd be remiss not to equally, you know, highlight the incredible team chief that you have around you, whether it be assistant chief, Sammy Guerrero, uh and Danny Morgallo, or whether it be Chantal and Celia and Chris Bass or Nasso Rodriguez, um, you know, you all, each one of you.

We call you guys at all times of the day, at all times of the night, on holidays and weekends.

You interrupt your family celebrations to address the needs and the public safety of our city.

And so, Chief, our residents feel the difference with your leadership, and our officers are making a difference in our city.

They support you, and today we stand with them in supporting you.

And with that, I move the item.

Let's call the vote.

And if I may, through the chair.

Um, I had previously um discussed with uh the sponsor of the item and the city manager that because uh the ordinance could entail um administration by the police department that it needed to be referred to public safety pursuant to resolution 2025 33496.

However, as currently drafted, um, it will be administered purely by HR.

So I just wanted to clarify that there was no need for for that referral.

Thank you.

It is a public hearing.

I see no one on Zoom, and I see no one in the audience requesting to speak.

May I call the role?

I'll acknowledge Bobby Hernandez here as well, the union chief.

I know there's a lot of discussions uh that the city manager and others uh had with him, so thank you.

Yeah, it was uh good morning, everyone.

It was a pretty contentious at the beginning.

I think what meeting with the manager, Mr.

Taxes, uh, we were able to come up with a resolution where our members won't be affected.

That was our biggest concern.

But you know, where were we three years ago?

We were in a vocational school, they call the police academy.

We're in a serious police academy now.

Chief Jones changed that.

We don't have a just-in-case staffing plan where all of us were working every day just because something might happen.

I always refer to my public's analogy with Mr.

Carpenter.

You don't walk into public to seven in the morning, see every cash register open just because you might get a complaint.

Um, and we're no longer there.

That's why you see the 437 officers.

That's not a coincidence, his leadership.

So we're very happy for him.

And uh congratulations, Chief.

Thank you.

Uh motion from Commissioner by Commissioner Fernandez, excuse me, seconded by Commissioner Dominguez, Commissioner Suarez.

Yes.

Commissioner Magazine.

Yes.

Commissioner Bach.

Yes.

Commissioner Dominguez.

Yes.

Vice Mayor Matasolinas.

Yes.

Commissioner Fernandez.

Yes.

Mayor Minor.

Yes.

Motion carries the item is approved.

That was item R5.

You want to say a few words, Chief?

You know what they say.

They say in court.

She's expecting a speech from you.

You know, they say in court when the judges in your favor, you sort of don't say anything.

But that's why you waited for the vote.

Yeah, I uh um not sure what to say, actually.

You know, I have uh this past weekend was 30 years for me in this great city that I often refer to as the capital of the world.

Um I love it.

Um, much like all the men and women of the Miami Space Department love it.

We do what we do because we think it's a great city and we want to make it even better, and we all love it.

I am thankful to each of you for the confidence you have collectively showed today, you have in me and in the organization.

I am grateful to my boss for giving me the space and latitude to be a police chief.

We speak on the phone multiple times today, meet multiple times a week, and but not for that.

I don't think we'll be in a position you are in right now as an organization.

Uh we're doing great things, not because I'm brilliant, not because I'm the best chief in this country.

It's because of these people behind me standing against the wall.

I really think I have a command staff made up of absolute police brilliance.

I have a team of police officers uh doing heavy lifting force every day that believe in this city, believe in protecting his residents and his visas, believe that we can make this, as you say all the time, Mr.

Mayor, the safest city in America.

And because of that belief, we've seen success.

And so I am honored and grateful.

I'm simply going to say thank you for today and for supporting.

I'd like to thank my wife who showed up the unexpectedly for being there all the time.

And she's there when I get the calls late at night and uh early Sunday mornings, and she's taking a brunt of raising our twins.

That quite frankly, a piece of work.

Um but it's been a collective and team effort, and so I'm simply gonna say thank you all.

I'm grateful.

I think we should do a group fixture.

He's your employee.

Everyone is going to be in the district guy.

Sammy and the guys are here.

Let's go.

Where are all the guys?

The command staff can be a good idea.

If you guys can get a rear luck, it's a window.

You guys can fall in the windows.

Sorry, you can't see it.

Yes.

Yes, I mean we're gonna have to do two lines, so you guys can come up a little bit, please.

And command seven you guys can fall student in the rear.

Major Garcia, if you guys can come on this side.

I love this.

Okay, one, two, three.

Okay, now we're pressing.

No, no, she's got the right.

I love your own.

Right.

One, two, three.

Okay.

All right.

Thank you for watching.

All right.

Oh.

All right.

Congratulations.

All right.

I love the lake.

Why don't we call while uh chair's apartment got the look at the top of the case?

Yeah.

Manny.

Thank you for being here.

Manny Manning.

Call R5 V as in Victor.

Yes, sir.

R5V.

It is an ordinance of the mayor of City Commission of the City of Miami Beach, Florida, amending chapter 66 of the City Code.

And titled Marine Structures, Facilities and Vessels by amending Article 2 and title restricted wake zones by amending Section 66-43 and title restrictive areas to establish a designated public swim area and corresponding motorized vessel exclusion zone in the water surrounding Flagler Memorial Island, also known as Monument Island, pursuant to Section 327.46 of Florida Statute and further authorizing the city manager to undertake and execute the necessary applications of coordination within the various agencies of Miami Dade County, the state of Florida, and the U.S.

government in order to effectuate the establishment of designated public swim area and corresponding motorized vessel exclusion zone.

I'm providing for repealer servability codification and an effective date.

This is a first reading public hearing.

We're doing item R5V.

Hello.

Why don't you take it away?

Sure.

Good morning, Mr.

Mayor, Commissioners Lindsey Precht, Deputy Resilience Officer and Assistant Director for Environment and Sustainability.

What this ordinance would allow us to do is move forward in the regulatory permitting process to establish a designated swim area around Monument Island, which is a required step in the FWC process before we continue with the other permits.

As you know, Monument Island has seen increasing pressures from vessel and swimmer conflicts, heavy vessel traffic, boats anchoring very close to shore, shoreline erosion in addition to seagrass bed decline as a result of those beaching activities.

In 2023, the commission prioritized a project to move forward with funding for shoreline restoration in addition to a motorized vessel and or swim zone exclusion zone, excuse me, for the motorized vessels, and allowing us to move forward through the regulatory permitting process.

Since then, we underwent consultant selection and procurement, and the city's consultant has completed surveys, environmental assessments, conceptual design, and submitted permit applications in August of 2025.

We've now received agency comments that clarify what may be permittable within the Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserve.

Initially, the project contemplated both a motorized vessel exclusion zone and a public swim area or swim only zone to allow us the flexibility through permitting depending on what the agency comments were.

FW FDEP has made it clear that uh establishing a motorized vessel exclusion zone would require a submerged lands lease, which they are not issuing new leases for that purpose within the bay, which essentially negates that option.

However, they did indicate that a public swim area would be permittable.

Um while we were going through the FDEP process, we also in conjunction worked with FWC on reviewing the draft ordinance, which was prepared in close coordination with the city attorney's office on that language, and they confirmed that the language is appropriate and approvable by their agency.

The swim zone is proposed to extend 150 feet from the shoreline, and that distance was based on several factors.

The first is we worked very closely with Marine Patrol to provide a meaningful safety buffer between the vessels, motorized vessels, and the swimmers that utilize the island.

The second is it avoids impacts to seagrasses and other benthic resources surrounding the island based on the results of the environmental surveys.

The third is it stays clear of navigation routes and deeper waters used by boaters.

And then finally, um, to not take everything out of my pocket, but uh it allows for regulatory compromise while you're going through permitting.

When you go for the largest, there may be some give and take that happens as a as a result of those permits.

This approach for a swim-only area is consistent with the commission's goals and priorities for the island, prioritizing public safety and reducing the conflicts between vessels and swimmers.

Uh the ordinance before you today is required by state statute in order for us to continue with the regulatory permitting process.

Uh and then if the ordinance is approved, staff with the consultant will revise the engineer drawings to reflect the swim-only zone, remove references to the motorized vessel exclusion zone, um, and resubmit the application materials to all of the regulatory permitting agencies.

The ordinance in parallel will be transmitted to FD uh FWC for their approval.

Thank you.

This is a perfect example of uh you know our commission taking action to to improve the quality of life of our residents.

This was uh monument island was was something we're getting a lot of complaints about.

Um the motorized vehicles, uh the trash that was being left there, um, and the noise that was emanating from uh from boats that were there and uh proud to sponsor this item.

Thank you to my to my co-sponsors as well.

Um Commissioner Dominguez Um I do have a few questions.

Uh yesterday I was bombarded um with a few folks that had concerns, and I'm just gonna go through their concerns and see if there's anything.

So let me just open Montessa.

Um is it currently no swim?

I mean, is it currently swim only?

Or what it currently is is it's a beach where swimmers are accessing the area.

However, because we did not designate a public swim area, there is allowed to be a conflict, unfortunately, with the vessels.

Okay.

And um so currently motorized vessels can go, and this change would force the motorized vessels to be at what length?

150 feet outside of the swim only area.

And then people can swim from the motorized vessel to the island or go on kayak or paddle board.

So the swim only zone does prohibit other uses.

However, I did speak with Marine Patrol.

We would be responsible for our own enforcement, and as such, the number one goal would be to prohibit the motorized vessels from entering the zone.

There are are other areas as well on Monument Island where paddle boards and cattle uh kayaks can access the island.

Are there other areas on Monument Island where a motorized vehicle would get close?

There are uh smaller riprapper vetments on the south side of the island that essentially makes it impossible for boats to get too close because they wouldn't want to ruin their holes.

Um bound by ADA compliance.

Uh people were concerned about um elderly folks that wouldn't necessarily be able to swim 150 feet.

Well, the swim zone doesn't say that you have to swim to like the 150 feet to get to the island, it just prohibits motorized vessels from staying outside of that.

There are areas on adjacent to the swim buoys where they'd be able to get closer to the island along the adjacent areas.

So, like the northernmost buoy and the southernmost buoy, you can get close to the island.

It essentially draws a fake line from those and keeps vessels outside of that.

And so a motorized vessel would be able to go along that line to get closer to the island of the um let's see.

And then there was a lot of commentary on um the trash.

There is a ton of trash there.

Somebody mentioned to me that there's another island on the Miami side where they decided to take the trash cans out altogether, and that's helped make the trash situation better.

Um I know I recently traveled to Japan, they don't have trash cans anywhere.

So people have to carry their trash, keep it in their pocket or uh their bag until they found has that been thought of as an idea to help with trash there because I know our funding was like 400,000.

It might have been doubled for clearance of the trash, but it hasn't solved the issue.

Yeah, I'll let Amy speak a little bit on our leave no trace policy.

Yes, I would be happy to do that, Commissioner.

Um, so the Miami Dade County actually does trash pickup once a week there through a find grant.

We actually added on uh an additional day per week to address any litter issues, and we also do beach uh actually island cleanups as well as um education.

I don't think we're at a point where it's time to actually remove the trash cans.

I don't think our culture and our behaviors are really there yet, but I think it's something we can continue to work to work towards.

It is important, I understand the leave no trace policy, but we still have people that aren't really ready for that, and we don't want the island to just have tons of litter.

Okay, um, and so the last thing was um is there a current statute in place where boats cannot beach on the island?

There are not thank you, Commissioner Mateo Salinas.

So I am co-sponsoring this item because I do believe we need an area where swimmers can be safe around the island and swim safe.

And you know, I did get some emails, you know, how could you support this?

And I'll tell you how.

Um, because in 2018, and this is in the memo, but people don't read memos, they just need your react sometimes.

So I want to spell out in 2018 there was a tragic incident when a charter vessel guest was swimming within the swim zone, and um it was hit by um uh the another vessel's propellers.

Um the victim sustained catastrophic injuries, including a severed arm and leg, a split open back, and a displaced spine.

And despite the immediate response from the Marine Patrol, um, it recovery efforts took two days to locate and risk and retrieve the the descendant.

So this is why we're doing this.

Um and I thank you for putting this together, and I thank you, Mr.

Mayor, and Commissioner Dominguez for for uh creating this swim zone because ultimately safety in the water is paramount to um you know enjoyment and and stuff you know that's not quite as paramount to life or death situations that happen on the water, such as this.

So I fully support this item.

Thank you.

I think that actually happened over Easter weekend, unfortunately.

Yeah.

I'll second the eye.

Let's call the vote.

You can't make the motion, so I'll I didn't I didn't make it.

I'll move the eye.

Okay, so I have a motion from Commissioner Fernandez, seconded by Commissioner by Mayor Minor.

Uh Commissioner Fernandez.

Yes.

Commissioner Dominguez.

Yes.

Commissioner Magazine.

Yes.

Commissioner Suarez.

Yes.

Yes.

Vice Mayor Mattel Salinas.

Yes.

Mayor Minor.

And for the record, this was a public hearing.

There was no one on Zoom, and there was no one in the audience.

Second reading public hearing is scheduled for April 22nd.

That was item R5V, approved 7-0.

Let's call one more item, R5Q.

R5Q is appendix A, fee schedule modification, advertisement fees.

Of ordinances to change the advertisement fees for public notices required by section 2.2.3.5 of the resiliency code of providing for repealers of mobility codification and an effective date.

This is a first reading public hearing, R5Q.

Commissioner Suarez.

Seconded by uh Commissioner Fernandez, it is a public hearing.

No one in Zoom, no one in the audience requesting to speak.

Uh Commissioner Magazine.

Yes.

Commissioner Fernandez.

Yes.

Commissioner Dominguez.

Yes.

Commissioner Bott.

Yes.

Commissioner Suarez.

Yes.

Last man with Tessalinas.

Yes.

Mayor Minor.

Yes.

Motion carries the item is approved.

Second reading public hearing is April 22nd.

That was item R5Q.

R7AF.

R7AF is approved.

Sponsorship Ocean Drive Fireworks display July 4th, 2026.

R7AF.

Sorry.

Seconded by Commissioner Suarez.

If there's no discussion by caller well, yes.

On R7AF.

All approved.

Say aye.

Hearing no's R7AF is approved 7-0.

R7N.

R7N is allocate funds and enhance ethics training for city employees.

Commissioner Fernandez.

I move the aye.

Let's call the vote.

Seconded by Vice Mayor Mattel Salinas.

All in favor of R7N, please say aye.

Aye.

Anyone opposed?

Hearing none, R7N is approved 7-0.

R7 O R7O is flag flagpole at Normandy Fountain.

I move the aye.

Second.

Motion by Commissioner Fernandez, secondary by last mayor Mattel Salinas on R7 0.

All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

One opposed, please.

Hearing none, the item is approved 70.

R7O.

Thank you.

Is it HR here?

Eric?

Yes, HR's here.

Oh, great.

R7T.

R7T up in the there, Marlon.

Motion by Commissioner Fernandez, seconded by uh Commissioner Suarez.

If no discussion, all in favor of R7T, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Anyone opposed?

Hearing none, R7T is approved 7-0.

Thank you.

R7.

A G.

R7AG is mail notice to condo owners.

Bulk buyout good standing ordinance.

R7AG.

Second.

Second.

I heard a motion from Commissioner Fernandez, seconded by Commissioner Dominguez on R7AG.

All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Anyone opposed?

Hearing none, R7AG is approved 7-0.

I don't want to press my luck.

We've been uh we've been doing so great.

But uh let's call lunch break while reconvene at one o'clock.

Thank you.

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 in five, four, three, two, one.

Welcome back to our afternoon session, and we'll kick it off with our open public forum.

Hey Sarah.

Sarah, state your name, address, and you have two minutes.

Sarah de los reyes, their Harvard Neighborhood Association.

And they love watching the dogs and the animals parade and dressed up.

So hopefully you guys can bring it back.

Mr.

Mayor.

Commissioner Fernandez.

Last year, uh, Commissioner Laura Dominguez took a lead in bringing the pet parade actually during the month of March.

I think it was the first weekend in March.

Uh, or when was it?

It's last March twenty ninth.

That was the last week in March.

Yep.

And it was such a beautiful event.

Uh, you saw so many people come out to Ocean Drive to uh to Loomis Park, people from throughout the city city, even outside the city.

And then they were supporting the businesses, and it was a great family event that just brought everyone together.

We had such a great time, and Commissioner Dominguez, thank you for your leadership in bringing that that that parade will be great as uh Sarah mentioned to do something like that again, and maybe we can refer.

You'll refer to uh public safety, that'd be great.

Yeah, that would be really great.

I think it will be a benefit to Miami Beach if we start something like that that is every year, and people plan.

It gets bigger and bigger because people love to dress their animal and show them and everything.

So, I have a question, Sarah.

For that parade, were there any sponsors?

Did you see?

But the ones that are in the world.

The um bad air.

That air, the the private plane planes, who actually gave the grand price of uh a trip to New York and back on the private plane with your pet.

They all they all they do is carry your pet with you in the plane, and and back bark air.

Bark here was one of the big sponsors we got him.

We got a few.

Yeah, there we go.

Oh, well, in Palm Beach, it's all the sponsors on Worth Avenue.

I got a Tory Court Tory Turch bag as a present, you know, my cats won.

So they were tied with other the cats.

But there's mostly dogs, as you know.

It's like there's only three cats and a hundred dogs, but it works, you know.

So they get really they get hotels, gifts to stay in a hotel for three days.

So we can actually even have sponsor of the hotels to actually they can sponsor a gift.

So I think you there's a there's a good um, it's a good promotion for Miami Beach.

I think it starts growing, and then it'll get bigger and bigger.

Everybody start training their pets to do something.

I'd like for us to make a motion to send this to the public safety committee or I'll second your I'll second that.

Thank you.

Perfect.

We just do it around yet.

So we'll do it.

There you go.

That's everything.

We do it now.

We won't even need to place an item.

Okay.

We can refer now.

We will do it now based on if you all make a motion and vote on it.

We can do that.

I'll second Commissioner Dominguez this motion.

So I have a motion for the pep raid to public safety.

Motion by Commissioner Dominguez, seconded by Commissioner Fernandez.

All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Anyone opposed?

Item is referred to public safety.

Yay.

Anyone else wish to speak?

Seeing none, I have Mr.

Acion on Zoom.

Mr.

You have two minutes, please state your name and address.

Andres Asiron 1000 South Point Drive.

Sorry, got uh bad reception this morning.

But I was touching upon the fact that we're voting so hard to make sure that historic preservation has a say.

And historic preservation voiced their opinion of not knocking down the more slapidous building community center that we have on the beach.

And that's looks like it's getting vetoed.

The county, uh, we took this to referendum to the county, the people voted.

Uh that's getting vetoed as well.

And all I just want to say is that you know, the firefighters truly would have liked to have had their fire station on Alton Road in the 11th because it would have been a campus.

They would have been able to continue to enjoy Flamengo Parks track, field, pool, and all the facilities as part of their training versus being on six and Jefferson.

Um it's hard.

You know, we I took uh the mayor, Commissioner uh Dominguez, as well as Commissioner Bott over to the community center in overtime where I'm a board member on.

That was a 22 million dollar facility, and we have amazing programming for our seniors, our kids, and and and all that.

And we're gonna lose such a valuable asset in our community versus knocking down a bathroom and a locker room to build a fire station on Alton Road.

Um it's sad, it's sad to see it happen.

Not because, you know, and I hate that the firefighters are the ping pong ball in this scenario, but it's not like if we didn't have another option, we did have another option, and we're executing on knocking down a more slapist building, and it hurts.

That's all.

Thank you guys.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh, seeing no one else on Zoom, this concludes uh the afternoon zoom.

Uh thank you.

It's called uh R5M.

R5M is the North of the Mayor City Commission of the City might be fraud amending chapter 46 of the city code entitled environment by amending Article 4 entitled Noise by amending section 46-152 entitled Noises.

Unnecessary and excessive, prohibited by amending section B.

Subsection B to reduce the distance to establish prima facial evidence of the specified noise violation during specified hours providing for repealer servability codification and an effective date.

This is a first reading.

So one of uh one of the best tools that we can do here as a legislative body is to give our police department uh additional tools through through through the law.

So this would reduce the code's hundred foot standard to 25 feet regarding noise from vehicles of vessels and floating structures.

But take it away, Chief.

Yeah, uh good afternoon, Mr.

Mayor Commission, um Wayne Jones, police chief.

We're really really excited about this.

I think gives the police department just yet another tool to address some of the concerns we've been having, uh, which seems to have peaked up quite a bit, quite frankly, in the past few months, getting lots and lots of residential complaints about it from residents about this.

Um certainly creating uh what I think to be a quality of life uh issue.

Even got a complaint from you one night, Mr.

Mayor, late at night, um, about people making loud noise, speeding, loudmouthless music along the Collins Avenue corridor.

Uh a few months ago, we started what is called Operation Quiet Streets, the sole purpose of addressing some of these concerns.

Um obviously, right now we're doing it, doing it and enforcing it based on the hundred-foot rule.

Uh having it reduced to 25 feet, I think makes a world of difference, both for cars, nickels, um, and for boats as well in the waterways.

Um just wanted to throw some numbers at you, Mr.

Mayor.

I'm really, really proud of it.

You know, if you look at um back to 2021, uh enforcement efforts as it relates to noise coming from vehicles was really really bleak, to be honest with you.

Wrote 76 citations for the entire year that year.

Um, as recent as 2024, we wrote 430.

And last year we we wrote 675 for the entire year.

This year, as a result of Operation Quiet Streets, we've already written 513 citations.

That's two and a half months into the year itself on record, on the on track to probably break 1500 at this particular pace.

So we hear the community, we understand how much this impacts their daily nightly lives.

Um and we we're committed to doing something about it.

By the way, this is not an issue that um is solely uh limited to here on the beach.

Um much of other cities, many other cities and counties sort of facing the same problem.

Uh in fact, there was a recent news article um highlighting what City Miami is doing for this very same same reason.

Um Chief Danny McGowell is here, and he's actually the brain child behind operation safe streets, and so you should answer any specific questions you may have quiet streets, um, so you should answer any questions you can have.

Okay, great.

Well, thank you.

It's uh before I turn over, it's interesting because uh I've been I've been on this commission for a little over six years, uh commissioner first.

It's interesting to see the shift, I think, in focus that uh the quality of life.

And I think we're getting into a good place because spring break obviously was a major problem.

We've uh again, I feel like I'm jinxing it again, but we've uh we've solved that.

Um crime, a lot of misdemeanors, uh, which were were plaguing our city, then we started prosecuting those cases, obviously, through the efforts of our police.

Um again, all these things we have to continue improving on.

They they exist, but as far as uh they they we've definitely improved significantly exponentially.

Yeah.

Um when we're talking about a homeless population, which we mentioned uh down 60 percent in the last three years, our lowest homeless count ever.

Doesn't mean there's not more work to do, but we're I used to get complaints all the time about homeless individuals.

Now it comes in, they're much more rare, um, but certainly something we need to address.

This is now sort of the issue, and I think that's a it's a good place, it shows that we've we've we've helped improve so many different areas of public safety.

Now, the to me, one of the prime complaints that I get is about the about the vehicle noise.

Yeah, so um and uh since since we've been able to uh improve significantly on the others, I think we can do it here too.

Absolutely, absolutely.

Um, Commissioner Bott.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, Chief, we've we've um done a lot of enforcement and education programming or programs um with micro mobility on the beachwalk.

We're talking about it for um enforcement going forward on micromobility issues.

What's one of the things that's been really successful about it is that um uh we haven't seen repeat offenders.

There will always be some who need to be educated because they're visitors for the first time, they're um uh so they didn't have the opportunity to get educated about where they can and can't ride.

Are you seeing the same thing?

And um Danny, maybe you can address this as well.

Um are you seeing the same thing with this type of violation?

I would imagine part of the issue is that people come over the bridges because it's cool to do it down here, it's cool for the gram.

Um so I don't know if we'll ever get through to them, but is there any are you seeing repeat offenders or is it first you know, once and done, or what are you seeing?

I'm gonna let Danny answer the question, but I'll tell you this.

We we also couple the enforcement with an educational campaign, mostly um social media.

And the recent data point I saw, we've had at one point 17,000 people actually looking at the social media content we're putting out there.

So people are aware that we're doing this and we're serious about it.

Dan?

Yes.

So good afternoon, Mr.

Mayor, Commissioners, uh Sistant Chief Danny Morgallo here.

Um we haven't taken a deep dive into whether or not we're seeing repeat offenders, just anecdotally based on experience.

A lot of the people that are getting these type of tickets historically, and and this has been an issue for us dating back to when I started working here.

I remember details that we had on Ocean Drive as a young officer here, where we were writing people citations for loud noise.

Um, and it's come back to the forefront again after going through you know the last 25-26 years.

Um it is not a Miami Beach specific problem, as the chief alluded to.

We're seeing that same complaint coming from Brickle in Miami and other neighborhoods throughout uh the Tri-County area, which is what led to us partnering with FHP and collaborating loosely with Miami and other departments to actually spread the word and let everyone know that this is an issue, and just you know, reinforcing what the mayor said, it's a great place for us to be as a police department to be able to focus on issues like this that are important to the community because it reflects the fact that our officer are doing such a great job to keep this community safe that we're not chasing robbers and shooters.

We're able to focus on the quality of life issues that are important to this community, and based on the numbers and what the officers are doing, they have ramped up focus on this issue tremendously.

Two and a half months, we've written over 513 citations specifically for loud noise from vehicles for comparison.

All of 2026, we wrote 675.

So we're on pace to triple that number this year.

Now, I don't know if we're ever gonna get to the point where we have zero noise violations.

So if that's the standard we're going to, we're gonna try hard to get there, but I don't know if we're ever gonna make it there.

So what what happens when you write a citation?

Is it um uh is it points on your license?

Is it a fine?

Um this one is considered non-moving violations, there's no pointing license, but there's a fine associated with it.

If you don't pay that fine, and obviously your license is spending out to 30 days.

And so is there a way to track or if there's a record like first offense is 250 dollars, second offense is 500, and then it goes up, or um, is it just it's a flat fine?

It's a flat fine that's set um as a uniform traffic citation.

It's not like our city citations that ramp up or anything.

And do we have control over that or is that mandated by the state?

Yeah, I believe it's mandated by the state.

Okay.

So um, Mr.

City Attorney, it would be interesting if we could take a look at what options we might have.

Um, if if this is mandated by the state, is there anything that we can do from a city perspective?

No, no, if I may clarify, what this ordinance is doing is it's taking our existing ordinance which establishes that noise emanating from a vehicle or a or or a vessel uh by radio or other instrument.

Um it there's a prima facie evidence of a violation if it is audible, and we're taking it from 100 feet to 25 feet.

So this is unrelated to other concerns.

We we do have another item, which is to make a legislative priority, um, asking the state to allow us to use noise cameras to to enforce noise throughout the city.

And so this is then a third related question, which is if the state controls the fines for UTCs, is there anything that we can do as a municipality that if you are now on your fifth or tenth, we would need to ask the state to enact legislation to enable us to, or or rather the state would need to enact legislation that increase the fees statewide.

Like we don't have the ability to and there's nothing we can layer on separately.

No, not to my understanding.

It would be, I mean, if it's not onerous to do to just run a report to see how many people are getting more than one ticket for the same thing.

I mean, because if it's all new people coming in, that's one conversation.

If it's the same 30 people getting tickets every weekend, that's a different kind of conversation.

Don't know if it's possible, we certainly ask because it is.

Yeah.

That would be great.

Thank you.

Sure.

No, it's a good call.

The um, I mean, I think what you're alluding to, Chief, is the chief of Miami came out with a public plea because there was one individual, I guess, who does it for kicks on Instagram.

And uh and and unfortunately, the problem is the tools that we have um are not great, as and you're asking the perfect questions, Commissioner Bott, because you know, we uh I had brought an item to bring cameras here, which we did have.

We had these uh video, they would take pictures, videos, but under state law, where there's nothing we can do with it.

Correct.

New York actually has a very great good program, but um they uh if their cameras detect, you can issue a ticket and then require them to fix the noise violation because they their cars get inspected in New York, unlike here in Florida, and if they don't, then they have to pay the fine.

So and the fine is significant there.

I think it's over $800.

So there's an incentive for them to correct the the uh the issue.

Unfortunately, here the fine is much less, and there's no incentive for them to fix it, they're not gonna lose their vehicle.

Yeah, I think given the way things are uh a best course of action um is to continue uh the program we're doing uh mostly done at at night, like I said, 80% of citations are issued at night when people are most impacted uh by this.

Continue doing that and then celebrating it uh publicly with whether social media or other means, just celebrating the fact that we're doing it, uh getting the message out to folks that don't come to the beach and radio engines or play loud music.

Yeah, so uh well let's let's get through this item and then I'll call the next item, which is the muffler uh item.

Uh well, who's moving it?

I'll second.

Okay, thank you.

Call the vote.

It is a public hearing.

I see ms Mr.

Mitch Novick on line.

Mr.

Elbeck, you have two minutes, please go ahead.

Thanks, Ralph.

Good good afternoon, Mitch Novick.

Uh I like the conversation you're having.

Uh I believe the 25-foot threshold should also apply to businesses, especially along Ocean Drive, the 100 block.

You have some businesses which you can hear their music and screaming all the way to the shoreline.

I want to point out a hot spot.

I spend a lot of time at Sixton Jefferson where I manage the property for uh I don't know, 35, 36 years.

Uh the golf carts of a vl as of late uh coming down that sixth street corridor, probably from publics or total line, uh, have been blasting and uh really uh impacting that section of uh of the beach.

And thank you again.

Thank you, Mitch.

I see no one else requesting to speak, so the public hearing is closed.

Call the vote.

Uh Commissioner Bach.

Just a quick question.

You know, uh Mitch race is a good point.

There, I see these um little free golf carts, they're not city freebies, but they're I guess sponsored by who knows whom, but they down, especially in the entertainment district, and they have music blasting.

What whose are they?

How do they operate this way?

And how do we I I have no issue with music, obviously, but like it doesn't need to be blasting that you can hear it a block away.

So we have done we have done details in the entertainment district specifically, targeting those individuals and those reckless operators basically operating with noise uh blasting.

We've written um numerous citations and and dealt with it.

Obviously, Mitch bringing it up is is it that it's moved to Sixth Street shows that our enforcement in the entertainment risk works, but we need to expand it to the But those are businesses.

Uh yeah, I'm not even talking about the private operators, but so do they have BTRs?

Is that a code thing where we can enforce that if they've been you know bad operators, we can pull their BTR?

So again, I I would defer to code to to answer that question, but if they're required to have a BTR and they're operating a business, then we we collaborate with code and we do appropriate.

I would hope they're required to have a BTR if they're operating some kind of commercial taxi service.

Hi, good afternoon, all Hernan and Cardino Code compliance.

So um, yeah, in our joint ventures out there, what we do is we'll go out and we'll issue the violation for not having a business tax receipt.

Police usually arrest and will impound, we'll tow the golf court.

But yes, it is a code violation because they're conducting business on a public roadway soliciting these rights.

Okay.

So what do they need to do to cure it then?

I mean, they just need to get their BTR and then they can go about their business again.

Correct.

Um and then we'd uh presumably catch them with this 25-foot ordinance or whatever, in theory.

Yes.

Okay.

Thank you.

Commissioner Magazine.

Um Mr.

City Attorney, Mitch brought up a point that I actually observed when I was in his neighborhood actually just this weekend.

And while I certainly never want to be the word police are too heavy-handed in government, what people do inside their own businesses and their own walls, it will never be any of my business.

Um, but there was uh one establishment in particular that had their music blasting.

Listen, we we could debate whether there should be outdoor live entertainment, things like that.

But the actual music that was coming there was so egregious.

Um I was with my daughter, it it would offend anybody.

Is there something where even where we're restricted uh in places that are grandfathered in and do have the uh open outdoor live entertainment abilities that there has to be some sort of common decency threshold about what can emanate out of their establishments?

Well, I mean, we we have our noise ordinance, and so if if the music or the sound is unreasonably loud that could could trigger a code violation.

Um there are some businesses that have that have grand been grandfathered in, and I think theirs is triggered by um being over a certain decibel level.

Um so that would require taking a decimal meter and and determining.

So really what you're talking about would be a code enforcement.

I actually mean the the content.

I'm sorry, the content.

Oh, the content.

I mean, if if I would repeat 30 seconds of it up here, uh people would cover their ears in horror.

Right.

Um I I believe that there would be some some First Amendment issues with trying to regulate the content.

But not within their establishment.

They could do whatever they want within their establishment.

We talk we're talking about what's emanating audibly and loudly on the public right of way.

That's the question.

Yeah, I mean, I could look into that further, but my general understanding is that uh people can shout profanity if they're in public.

Um there's a First Amendment.

Right.

Can a business businesses have First Amendment rights the same way that people do?

Yeah.

Right, but we we must have some sort of regulations about uh you you couldn't optically have something.

There has to be some sort of line where you can have Commissioner Magazine start giving examples on the days.

No, no, I I mean I think you're saying there are certain things that are considered pornographic that you can't just have out in public.

Um and I see our first amendment expert coming up here uh to to assist.

But there's a there's a difference between visual and and spoken.

Uh can I just ask a question?

Because I think this you're picking up on a very good point.

And just in general, sometimes a lot of these businesses, they engage in activity that we get them the rights to engage in some of these activities.

Like, for example, entertainment.

They don't they're not always entitled to life exer entertainment.

And so to the extent to the extent that we're giving them a right that they are not entitled to, we should at minimum ask them, hey, are you agreeing to you know not use, not you know, engage in you know profanity in the entertainment that you're putting out there, uh not engaging in anti-Semitic entertainment like what we saw happen uh at the nightclub, uh, not engage in homophobic uh stuff.

Uh the type of stuff that you know, if we're giving you these actual rights that increase the value of your business and that increase the value of the of your property, we at the very least I feel we should be able to at least ask them, you know, are you willing voluntarily proffer, you know, before we give you this, do you voluntarily agree?

Are you willing to state whether or not you agree not to engage in and I'm gonna use the anti-Semitic artwork that we dealt with recently?

Yeah, that isn't even our work, that was just like anti-Semitism, you know, flunting anti-Semitism from a nightlife venue.

Can't we do that?

The question is whether we can ask for a voluntary proffer of uh something that we could not demand is an open question that you've asked us to look at and we are looking at, but the general rule is that you cannot impose an unconstitutional condition upon a permit or a license.

And so if but that's not a condition.

If we're if we're we're asking them, do you voluntarily proffer?

Now they can choose to say no.

And God knows if someone someone says that they're not willing to agree to not engage in anti-Semitic activity and not to not to engage in racist activity and not to engage in homophobic activity.

I want to know that.

If someone is not willing to proffer that, I wanna I I wanna I want to I want to know that I think it's important to know.

Your requests, we are currently uh thinking about that and thinking about if it's possible and the best way to formulate it if we are.

So I wouldn't want to discuss it uh here on the dais right now, but we are looking at it in the case.

Well, at the right time, if we do have that avenue, you know, perhaps we could work together with Commissioner Joseph Magazine uh on this because I think it speaks specifically to the issue that you, Commissioner Magazine are bringing up.

Uh and thank you for researching.

I know you guys and your office has been putting a lot of time uh into researching this matter to make sure that we get the that uh that control that safeguard in place, but doing it the right way.

So we don't violate any anyone's rights, but we also protect and uphold the values of our community that that are to be an inclusive and a protective community that we're everyone can feel safe.

Um and I think an important process in that is using you know when the process when we're giving rights for life entertainment and for music and for noise, uh rights that they don't have, that we put that safeguard that you're speaking of in place.

Yeah, because Rob, uh it was so egregious I actually shazamed the song.

And again, I was with my nine-year-old, we're not just talking like, oh, I I casually hear I'm across the street and I hear it as clear as Shazam picks up, and I'm looking here, they're not gonna say it, but I'm just looking at the lyrics of the song.

They they use the N-word seven times.

They F on B's, hide is H.

Uh just things that are not conducive to any type of you know uh not even a family-friendly environment, just common decency.

Right.

You lost me on some of those, but the uh I mean if if I mean obviously you have the noise violation.

If you uh if they're over whatever's allowed in their CUP or by our general noise ordinance, you can charge them with that.

If if an organization is allowed to play music outside, we cannot, in almost every case, including the cases you're talking about, control the content of what they're doing.

Okay, I appreciate that.

We can't.

So that's that's so we can't.

Um I mean, there are certain things you you can if they want to play the Hale Hitler song, they can't we can't do anything about it.

That is constitutionally protective.

Yes.

So since this is an informative discussion, can you um illuminate why there is a standard of a different standard for um visual things that are visually offensive versus um things that are spoken that are offensive under the first amendment?

Like, for example, Commissioner.

Not gonna play that game.

Well, I mean the things that you can prohibit or restrict under the First Amendment are fall into certain categories like fighting words or true threats or things that you say that's going to incite someone to violence immediately against and against someone specific.

And words obviously lend themselves to that much more than a picture like on a uh on a uh uh on a frame would lend itself to.

Um and so in that way, spoken words uh have can be restricted in some ways more because they have more power uh than a written but in this case it's actually the opposite.

Right.

That if if um the phrases that were in the song were done up as cartoon caricatures, for instance, and put on a wall, they would be visually repellent um and probably not permitted.

But since they're spoken or sung or whatever phrases, they are protected.

No, I I'm sorry, I didn't realize that was what you were saying.

I think they would have the same protection for in this context uh if they were written or spoken.

No, but I'm I'm saying if if the phrases were translated to illustrations of the phrase, like you know, I mean, for example, we had a we I think we may still have a business that wanted to call themselves uh uh hamburger B.

Uh since we have the initials.

Make it the establishment where it was.

Okay.

And and and that was constitutionally protected that was written on their sign, and they had the right to do that.

Uh so that would be the example.

But no, but that's not like if they if these were visual, like, if I may I think she's trying to draw the distinction between words and pornography, and there is there is protection.

I mean, you know, it's pornography is not protected under the first amendment.

She didn't mention pornography.

I'm following what Commissioner Bott is referring to.

I'm sorry, we're talking about pornography.

No, I'm saying these the words that are explicit and offensive to you know, sort of general run-of-the-mill decency, right?

I don't want to get into the footloose uh generation of what we can and can't hear.

But if something were not permitted to be visually represented with an a photograph or picture on a public rate right of way because it's offensive to the community standards, right?

Then why would something that is the same level of offensive but is done with words rather than images allowed to be on a public right-of-way if it's offensive to community standards?

In that context, they would be the same.

There would not be a difference.

There's a different legal analysis for uh obscenity and pornography in this case in the type of situation of like nudity.

Uh and that is a more detailed nuance and different discussion uh that it has a different standard.

But as far as words and whether you say the B word or you write the B word on a sign that has the same constitutional protection.

Yeah, and Mr.

Mayor, if you don't mind, I mean that's like I mean we that's like hip hop, you know.

I mean, hip hop consistently uses that sort of taglines of mistreating of women, okay.

Um you name it, especially profanity.

I I mean, what are we gonna say we can't allow hip hop on on the you know for businesses to play hip hop?

Are we going to crack down on what they're gonna be playing?

Uh look, I'm not a fan of it, right?

It's not my choice of respect, but neutral.

This is a slippery slope that we're gonna go start going down on, and are we gonna really regulate what businesses play?

You have content.

Yeah, look, uh on one extreme you have, you know, you have, yes, there's unfortunately we have the disgusting business that plays Dale Hitler and its club.

Um and then you have businesses that are just playing, you know, the top ten hits of hip hop, which could potentially fall under this category.

And I don't know if we really want to get into the business of regulating that.

Uh where I was going was there's usually clean versions of any song, right?

So you can play whatever you want, but if you have people walking down our street at 1 p.m.

and they hear FFN, it's probably something that we don't joy frown upon.

Where does that line fall?

Like is it just allowed and there's nothing that we can do?

Well, we usually think about it at the outset when the legislation or the permit is being thought about in the abstract.

Uh like we think are you gonna allow music outside?

We when we advise you, we tell you, well, think about it in this context, this is what you may hear outside.

But uh once you do allow it, uh you have to you can't get regulate based on content.

Informative Commissioner Fernandez.

Thank you.

Going back, so um Mr.

Mr.

Chief Deputy Attorney, you mentioned when the language incites violence, yes, that then the city could have uh in a level of enforcement authority or a level of regulatory jurisdiction over the matter.

Matter the words aren't protected by the first amendment if they incite imminent violence.

Okay, so but you but that's an incite to violence that's a call to action, is what you're saying?

You could say it that way.

Now violence couldn't couldn't couldn't it be said that if you're putting out their racist language, that could incite violence.

People who are offended by that, people who are you know to whom it's something that's emotional.

For example, you put something, you know, a song you go to Little Havana, you go to Hayalia, and I'm sure if you put something that celebrates, you know, the Castro murderous regime, um, you know, that's been depriving people of their rights and can you know making human rights violations and arresting political descendants uh dissent and and all that.

If you put a music hailing that, it's gonna incite violence in in in some in some of those communities.

It could incite violence right here if if you play that here.

Um we wouldn't have a way to regulate that because it's being done with the intent of creating you know an incitement to violence.

Uh to put people to violence.

But no, the what you're talking about is the heckler's veto.

The effect on the listener who is offended by it is not the standard by which uh an imminent threat of violence is measured.

It is are you uh urging somebody to take violence against someone else now?

Like, I want you to go out and kill this gay person today, uh is a threat of violence.

And um the entire gay community may be very offended by that, but it's not a threat of violence against all of the gay community, so they couldn't react that way and uh act in self-defense, for example.

So the reaction of people who are hearing it, except for the the exact threat that's being made is what's uh the the what we have to look at here.

Okay.

Well, Commissioner Magazine, I hope you'll join us uh if you if we this leads to to an ordinance.

I know you've been working on this for a few months now, um, looking at the issue of you know whether we can get a voluntary proffer on on the matter of voluntary disclosure as to whether or not they agree, you know, not to engage in this type of language or entertainment.

Um I'd love to have Commissioner Magazine participate in.

Joseph Magazine, yes.

We've got the original Joe magazine in the audience, by the way.

Shout out to him.

The original.

OG.

The OG.

Commissioner Mateos Alinas.

I just want to circle back to um our police department and our code department because I understand there was a um crackdown on unlicensed golf carts and limousine services called Operation Titalist, which uh led to the about eight arrests and multiple vehicles that were impounded.

So thank you for doing that operation, uh, both to code and um our police department for working together so seamlessly and enforcing our laws.

Thank you.

Take the vote.

It is a roll caller, and again, no one else is on Zoom or in the audience.

I'll have a motion by Commissioner Fernandez and seconded by Mayor Minor.

Commissioner Dominguez?

Yes.

Commissioner Baught.

Yes.

Vice Mayor Matel Salinas.

Yes.